General questions
Q. Where can the End-of-Life (EOL) announcement for Cisco UCS Manager be found?
A. The
EOL announcement is available on Cisco.com, along with details regarding the EOL process and resources to assist customers in planning their transition.
Q. What are the key dates for Cisco UCS Manager End of Life (EOL)?
Table 1. End-of-life milestones and dates for Cisco UCS Manager
| Milestone |
Definition |
Date |
| End-of-Life Announcement Date |
The date the document that announces the end-of-sale and end-of-life of a product is distributed to the general public. |
September 15, 2026 |
| End-of-Sale Date: OS SW |
The last date to order the product through Cisco point-of-sale mechanisms. The product is no longer for sale after this date. |
December 31, 2027 |
| Last Ship Date: OS SW |
The last-possible ship date that can be requested of Cisco and/or its contract manufacturers. Actual ship date is dependent on lead time. |
March 31, 2028 |
| End of SW Maintenance Releases Date: OS SW |
The last date that Cisco Engineering may release any final software maintenance releases or bug fixes. After this date, Cisco Engineering will no longer develop, repair, maintain, or test the product software. |
December 31, 2028 |
| End of New Service Attachment Date: OS SW |
For equipment and software that is not covered by a service-and-support contract, this is the last date to order a new service-and-support contract or add the equipment and/or software to an existing service-and-support contract. |
December 31, 2028 |
| End of Service Contract Renewal Date: OS SW |
The last date to extend or renew a service contract for the product. |
March 31, 2030 |
| End of Vulnerability support: OS SW |
The last date that Cisco Engineering may release a scheduled software remedy for a security vulnerability issue |
December 31, 2030 |
| Last Date of Support: OS SW |
The last date to receive applicable service and support for the product as entitled by active service contracts or by warranty terms and conditions. After this date, all support services for the product are unavailable, and the product becomes obsolete. |
December 31, 2030 |
HW = Hardware OS SW = Operating System Software App. SW = Application
Q. Why is Cisco retiring Cisco UCS Manager?
A. Cisco is evolving Cisco UCS® management from a domain-local model to Cisco Intersight®, the compute foundation within Cisco Cloud Control, a unified operations platform for AgenticOps. Cisco Intersight provides centralized visibility and consistent management across multiple UCS domains spanning data centers, colocation facilities, and edge environments. Its API-first architecture enables ecosystem integrations and cross-domain automation, providing a scalable management foundation for Cisco UCS infrastructure.
Q. What happens to my existing Cisco UCS M5- and M6-generation servers managed by Cisco UCS Manager?
A. Cisco plans for the Last Date of Support for Cisco UCS Manager to be December 31, 2030, aligning with the currently published support dates for the Cisco UCS 5108 Blade Server Chassis and Cisco UCS B200 M6 Blade Server. Hardware support dates vary by model; for servers whose hardware support continues beyond December 31, 2030, Cisco recommends transitioning from Cisco UCS Manager before that date. Servers connected to fabric interconnects should transition to Cisco Intersight Managed Mode (IMM). Customersshould consult the applicable hardware End-of- Life announcements and product documentation for model-specific support dates and management options.
Q. What are Cisco Intersight Managed Mode (IMM) and Cisco Intersight Standalone Mode (ISM)?
A. Intersight Managed Mode (IMM) and Intersight Standalone Mode (ISM) are two ways to manage Cisco UCS servers using the Cisco Intersight platform. Both use profiles, policies, and templates to provide consistent, policy-based configuration and support the Cisco UCS stateless computing model. IMM manages servers connected to fabric interconnects, whereas ISM manages C-Series servers that are not connected to fabric interconnects.
Q. How long will Cisco UCS Manager receive new software features?
A. Cisco UCS Manager may receive new software features through maintenance releases until the End of Software Maintenance Releases date of December 31, 2028. After that date, Cisco will no longer provide new software features, maintenance releases, or routine bug fixes, as described in the applicable EOL announcement. Customers seeking access to new management capabilities should evaluate transitioning to Cisco Intersight Managed Mode (IMM), subject to the hardware, software, licensing, and functionality supported by the applicable Cisco Intersight release.
Q. Are my Cisco UCS M7- and M8-generation servers managed by Cisco UCS Manager affected?
A. Yes. The End of Software Maintenance Releases date for Cisco UCS Manager is December 31, 2028. After that date, Cisco will no longer provide routine maintenance releases or bug fixes as governed by the applicable EOL announcement and applicable support terms.
After December 31, 2030, M7- and M8-generation servers that remain managed by Cisco UCS Manager will no longer be eligible for Cisco UCS Manager support. Cisco recommends that customers begin transition planning early, based on their operational requirements and migration readiness. For transition assistance, contact your Cisco account team or a Cisco Authorized Channel Partner.
Q. Will Cisco UCS server generations after M8 be supported by Cisco UCS Manager?
A. No. Cisco UCS M8 servers will be the final server generation supported by Cisco UCS Manager. For Cisco UCS servers after the M8 generation, the intended management mode for Cisco UCS C-Series and X-Series servers connected to fabric interconnects will be Cisco Intersight Managed Mode (IMM). For supported C-Series server models that are not connected to fabric interconnects, the intended management options are Cisco Intersight Standalone Mode (ISM) or direct management through Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC). Availability and compatibility will be specified in the applicable product documentation.
Q. My current Cisco UCS servers are managed by Cisco UCS Manager, and I plan to purchase new UCS hardware. What should I do?
A. When purchasing new Cisco UCS hardware, customers should consider the expected operational lifecycle of hardware and the appropriate management modes supported for each server model.
For new Cisco UCS M7- and later-generation C-Series and X-Series servers connected to fabric interconnects, Cisco recommends managing the new servers in Intersight Managed Mode. For new C-Series servers (M7- and later-generation) that are not connected to fabric interconnects, the management options are Cisco Intersight Standalone Mode (ISM) or direct management through Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC). Availability and compatibility will be specified in the applicable product documentation.
Q. What are the deployment options for Cisco Intersight?
A. Cisco Intersight offers multiple deployment options to suit different customer environments:
● SaaS (Software as a Service): cloud-based management
● Connected Virtual Appliance (CVA): a virtual appliance with limited connectivity to the public internet. It is applicable to environments requiring on-premises control and data sovereignty.
● Private (air-gapped) Virtual Appliance (PVA): an on-premises, fully air-gapped instance of the Intersight platform for environments with no internet connectivity
Q. Do I need to purchase additional Cisco Intersight licenses when I transition servers from Cisco UCS Manager to Intersight Managed Mode (IMM)?
A. It depends on the generation of the server currently managed by Cisco UCS Manager:
● Cisco UCS M7- and M8-generation servers: Cisco Intersight Essentials or a higher license tier is required. An Intersight entitlement may have already been purchased with the server, but customers should verify that the subscription remains active and covers the intended IMM deployment.
● Cisco UCS M5- and M6-generation servers: Intersight Managed Mode requires an Intersight Essentials license or a higher-tier license. Customers without an active entitlement must obtain the required licensing before transitioning.
Support questions
Q. Can I use Cisco UCS Manager after the Last Date of Support?
A. Cisco will not provide support for Cisco UCS Manager after the Last Date of Support as defined in the EOL notification (see
Table 1). Any continued use is at the customer’s discretion and risk and remains subject to applicable license terms.
Customers can work with their account teams to understand a path forward that will best support their business goals.
Q. What resources does Cisco provide to help with the Intersight Managed Mode transition?
A. Cisco provides the Intersight Managed Mode Transition Tool User Guide to assist customers in transitioning from Cisco UCS Manager to Intersight Managed Mode.
In addition, Cisco Customer Experience (CX) resources and numerous Cisco Authorized Channel Partners are available to assist customers in transitioning their environments from Cisco UCS Manager to Intersight Managed Mode.
For more information, refer to the following resources:
Software and guides
YouTube video
Q. Who can I contact for assistance in planning the full transition to Cisco Intersight?
A. We encourage customers to work with their Cisco account teams or a Cisco Authorized Channel Partner. They can assist with best practices, guidance on resources such as the IMM Transition Tool, and information about available consulting services.
Engaging early with Cisco or a Cisco Authorized Channel Partner can help customers plan and execute a successful transition to Cisco Intersight.
For more information on Intersight, refer to the following resources: