UCS B/UCS C Monitor and Replace the Backup Battery Unit (BBU)

Introduction

This document describes how to monitor and replace the Backup Battery Unit (BBU) in both the Unified Computing System (UCS) B and UCS C Series servers. Both the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) CLI and the Avago LSI CLI are used in this document.

Prerequisites

In order to run the Avago LSI MegaCLI commands, you must first download and install the MegaCLI utility. See the Introduction to LSI's MegaCLI Utility article for the download link. 

Requirements

Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of these topics:

• Cisco UCS
• Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI)
• Avago LSI Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controllers

Components Used

This document is not restricted to specific software and hardware versions.

The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

Monitor Backup Battery Unit (BBU)

UCS-B440 Server

Here is an example that uses the MegaCLI command utility in order to pull BBU information:

[root@lnxdb-TAC-1 MegaCli]# ./MegaCli64 -AdpBbuCmd -a0

Here is what you check for in the command output:

1. Battery State:
   
   
   • Failed: Needs to be replaced.
   • Unknown: The status of the BBU is unknown, so a physical inspection is needed.
   • Missing: Also suspect that no BBU is present.
   
   
   
2. These two values must be above 675 mAh.
   
   Below 675mAh must be replaced.
   
   
   • Remaining Capacity: 894 mAh
   • Full Charge Capacity: 926 mAh
   
   
   
3. Battery backup charge time: 48 hours +
   
   

   Note: Below 48 hours + disabled the cache mode. However, it is not a bad BBU.

UCS-C Series

BBUs can be monitored with CIMC, MegaCLI utility, and LSI Mega RAID Storage Manager (MSM).

Example with the C-210

Here is the CIMC shell command line, which shows a bad battery:

ucs-c200-m2 /chassis/storageadapter # show bbu detail
Controller SLOT-7:
     Battery Type: iBBU
     Battery Present: true
     Voltage: 4.023 V
     Current: 0.000 A
     Charge: 100%
     Charging State: fully charged
     Temperature: 34 degrees C
     Voltage Low: false
     Temperature High: false
     Learn Cycle Requested: false
     Learn Cycle Active: false
     Learn Cycle Failed: false
     Learn Cycle Timeout: false
     I2C Errors Detected: false
     Battery Replacement Required: true
     Remaining Capacity Low: true

Here is the MegaCLI command line:

bash$/opt/MegaRAID/MegaCli/MegaCli64 -AdpBbuCmd -a0 -NoLog
 
 
 . . .

  Battery Replacement required            : Yes
 
 . . .
 
 Relative State of Charge: 99 %
 Absolute State of charge: 76 %
 
 . . .
 
 Date of Manufacture: 11/08, 2008
 Design Capacity: 700 mAh
 Design Voltage: 3700 mV
 Specification Info: 33
 Serial Number: 243
 Pack Stat Configuration: 0x6cb0
 Manufacture Name: LSI113000G
 Device Name: 2970700
 Device Chemistry: LION
 Battery FRU: N/A

Example with the C-240

CIMC shell command line, which shows a good battery:

TAC-xx-sl2-56-bmc /chassis/storageadapter # show bbu detail 
Controller SLOT-3:
    BBU Type: TMM-C SuperCap
    BBU Health: Good
    BBU Status: Optimal
    Learn Cycle Status: Successful
    Charging Status: N/A
    Learn Mode: Auto
    Battery Present: true
    Serial Number: 65535
    Temperature: 29 degrees C
    Temperature High: false
    Retention Time: N/A
    Relative State of Charge: N/A
    Absolute State of Charge: N/A
    Capacitance: 100 %
    Manufacturer: 
    Date of Manufacture: 2013-12-31
    Firmware Version: 25849-01
    Design Voltage: 9.500 V
    Voltage: 9.397 V
    Current: 0.000 A
    Design Capacity: 306 Joules
    Full Capacity: N/A
    Remaining Capacity: N/A
    Pack Energy: 322 Joules
    Expected Margin of Error: N/A
    Completed Charge Cycles: N/A
    Learn Cycle Requested: false
    Next Learn Cycle: 2014-08-07 11:58
    Learn Cycle Active: false
    Learn Cycle Failed: false
    Learn Cycle Timeout: false
    I2c Errors Detected: false

Here is the MegaCLI command line:

./MegaCli -AdpBbuCmd -GetBbuStatus -aAll 

BBU status for Adapter: 0

BatteryType: SuperCaP
Voltage: 9509 mV
Current: 0 mA
Temperature: 28 C
Battery State: Optimal
BBU Firmware Status:

  Charging Status              : None
  Voltage                                 : OK
  Temperature                             : OK
  Learn Cycle Requested	                  : No
  Learn Cycle Active                      : No
  Learn Cycle Status                      : OK
  Learn Cycle Timeout                     : No
  I2c Errors Detected                     : No
  Battery Pack Missing                    : No
  Battery Replacement required            : No
  Remaining Capacity Low                  : No
  Periodic Learn Required                 : No
  Transparent Learn                       : No
  No space to cache offload               : No
  Pack is about to fail & should be replaced : No
  Cache Offload premium feature required  : No
  Module microcode update required        : No

BBU GasGauge Status: 0x644a 
  Pack energy             : 330 J 
  Capacitance             : 100 
  Remaining reserve space : 93 


Exit Code: 0x00

Replace Backup Battery Unit (BBU)

UCS-B Series

This section is an excerpt on how to replace the BBU in a B440. Refer to Installing a RAID Battery Backup Unit (BBU) for more information.

The BBU is an intelligent battery backup unit that protects disk write cache data during a power loss on the RAID controller for up to 72 hours. Cisco recommends that you replace the BBU once per year or after 1,000 recharge cycles, whichever comes first. Verify whether BBU replacement is required with the use of the the show raid-battery detail command in the CLI.

Note: In order to remove the RAID license key, perform this procedure in reverse order.

In order to install a RAID BBU, complete these steps:

1. With UCS Manager, perform a graceful shutdown of the server. Without a graceful shutdown, data may be permanently lost.
   
   
2. Remove the blanking plate, if present, from the BBU bay at the right of the server.
   
   
3. Slide the BBU unit in partially, and align the ejector lever.

Caution: Hot swapping the BBU is not supported. Please perform a graceful shutdown of the server before you replace the BBU. Refer to the Cisco UCS B440 M2 Blade Server Spec Sheet for more information.

UCS-C Series

C210

Refer to the Maintaining the Server article for information about how to replace the BBU on a C-210 server.

Note: Server shutdown followed by AC power removal is needed before the BBU is swapped.

Replace an LSI MegaRAID BBU

When you install an LSI MegaRAID card and the optional BBU in this server, do not install the BBU on top of the card as described in the LSI instructions. In order to avoid overheating the card, you must install the BBU on a special bracket that is located on the top of the power supply bay.

C240

Refer to the Replacing the LSI RAID Battery Backup Unit or SuperCap Power Module for information about how to replace the BBU/SuperCAP on a C240.

On C240 servers, based on the LSI card, a server might have a BBU (Li ION based) or a SuperCAP.

There are multiple types of RAID controllers sold with C240. If the controller that was ordered is UCS-RAID-9266CV or UCS-RAID9271CV-8i, then it already has SuperCAP. If the purchased controller was UCS-RAID-9266, then it uses BBU. SuperCAP and BBU are not interchangeable.