- Preface
- Overview
- Installing the Server OS
- Managing the Server
- Viewing Server Properties
- Viewing Sensors
- Managing Remote Presence
- Managing User Accounts
- Configuring Network-Related Settings
- Managing Network Adapters
- Managing Storage Adapters
- Configuring Communication Services
- Managing Certificates
- Configuring Platform Event Filters
- Cisco IMC Firmware Management
- Viewing Faults and Logs
- Server Utilities
- BIOS Parameters by Server Model
- BIOS Token Name Comparison for Multiple Interfaces
- Index
Overview
This chapter includes the following sections:
- Overview of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Servers
- Overview of the Server Software
- Cisco Integrated Management Controller
- Cisco IMC CLI
Overview of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Servers
The Cisco UCS C-Series rack-mount servers include the following models:
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Cisco UCS C200 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C210 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C220 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C240 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C250 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C260 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C460 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C420 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C3160 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C220 M4 Rack-Mount Server
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Cisco UCS C240 M4 Rack-Mount Server
![]() Note | To determine which Cisco UCS C-Series rack-mount servers are supported by this firmware release, see the associated Release Notes. The C-Series release notes are available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10739/prod_release_notes_list.html |
Overview of the Server Software
The Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Server ships with the Cisco IMC firmware.
Cisco IMC Firmware
Cisco IMC is a separate management module built into the motherboard. A dedicated ARM-based processor, separate from the main server CPU, runs the Cisco IMC firmware. The system ships with a running version of the Cisco IMC firmware. You can update the Cisco IMC firmware, but no initial installation is needed.
Server OS
The Cisco UCS C-Series rack servers support operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Oracle and so on. For more information on supported operating systems, see the Hardware and Software Interoperability for Standalone C-series servers at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10477/prod_technical_reference_list.html. You can use Cisco IMC to install an OS on the server using the KVM console and vMedia.
![]() Note | You can access the available OS installation documentation from the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap at http://www.cisco.com/go/unifiedcomputing/c-series-doc. |
Cisco Integrated Management Controller
The Cisco IMC is the management service for the C-Series servers. Cisco IMC runs within the server.
![]() Note | The Cisco IMC management service is used only when the server is operating in Standalone Mode. If your C-Series server is integrated into a UCS system, you must manage it using UCS Manager. For information about using UCS Manager, see the configuration guides listed in the Cisco UCS B-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap at http://www.cisco.com/go/unifiedcomputing/b-series-doc. |
Management Interfaces
You can use a web-based GUI or SSH-based CLI or an XML-based API to access, configure, administer, and monitor the server. Almost all tasks can be performed in either interface, and the results of tasks performed in one interface are displayed in another. However, you cannot do the following:
Tasks You Can Perform in Cisco IMC
You can use Cisco IMC to perform the following server management tasks:
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Power on, power off, power cycle, reset and shut down the server
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Toggle the locator LED
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Configure the server boot order
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View server properties and sensors
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Manage remote presence
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Create and manage local user accounts, and enable remote user authentication through Active Directory
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Configure network-related settings, including NIC properties, IPv4, VLANs, and network security
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Configure communication services, including HTTP, SSH, IPMI Over LAN, and SNMP.
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Manage certificates
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Configure platform event filters
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Update Cisco IMC firmware
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Monitor faults, alarms, and server status
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Set time zone and view local time
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Install and activate Cisco IMC firmware
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Install and activate BIOS firmware
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Install and activate CMC firmware
No Operating System or Application Provisioning or Management
Cisco IMC provisions servers, and as a result, exists below the operating system on a server. Therefore, you cannot use it to provision or manage operating systems or applications on servers. For example, you cannot do the following:
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Deploy an OS, such as Windows or Linux
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Deploy patches for software, such as an OS or an application
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Install base software components, such as anti-virus software, monitoring agents, or backup clients
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Install software applications, such as databases, application server software, or web servers
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Perform operator actions, including restarting an Oracle database, restarting printer queues, or handling non-Cisco IMC user accounts
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Configure or manage external storage on the SAN or NAS storage
Cisco IMC CLI
The Cisco IMC CLI is a command-line management interface for Cisco UCS C-Series servers. You can launch the Cisco IMC CLI and manage the server over the network by SSH or Telnet. By default, Telnet access is disabled.
A user of the CLI will be one of three roles: admin, user (can control, cannot configure), and read-only.
![]() Note | To recover from a lost admin password, see the Cisco UCS C-Series server installation and service guide for your platform. |
- Command Modes
- Complete a Command
- Command History
- Committing, Discarding, and Viewing Pending Commands
- Command Output Formats
- Smart Access: Serial
- Online Help for the CLI
- Logging In to Cisco IMC
Command Modes
The CLI is organized into a hierarchy of command modes, with the EXEC mode being the highest-level mode of the hierarchy. Higher-level modes branch into lower-level modes. You use the scope command to move from higher-level modes to modes in the next lower level , and the exit command to move up one level in the mode hierarchy. The top command returns to the EXEC mode.
![]() Note | Most command modes are associated with managed objects. The scope command does not create managed objects and can only access modes for which managed objects already exist. |
Each mode contains a set of commands that can be entered in that mode. Most of the commands available in each mode pertain to the associated managed object. Depending on your assigned role, you may have access to only a subset of the commands available in a mode; commands to which you do not have access are hidden.
The CLI prompt for each mode shows the full path down the mode hierarchy to the current mode. This helps you to determine where you are in the command mode hierarchy and can be an invaluable tool when you need to navigate through the hierarchy.
Command Mode Table
The following table lists the first four levels of command modes, the commands used to access each mode, and the CLI prompt associated with each mode.
| Mode Name | Command to Access | Mode Prompt |
|---|---|---|
EXEC |
top command from any mode |
# |
bios |
scope bios command from EXEC mode |
/bios # |
advanced |
scope advanced command from bios mode |
/bios/advanced # |
main |
scope main command from bios mode |
/bios/main # |
server-management |
scope server-management command from bios mode |
/bios/server-management # |
boot-device |
scope boot-device command from bios mode |
/bios/boot-device # |
certificate |
scope certificate command from EXEC mode |
/certificate # |
chassis |
scope chassis command from EXEC mode |
/chassis # |
adapter |
scope adapter index command from chassis mode |
/chassis/adapter # |
host-eth-if |
scope host-eth-if command from adapter mode |
/chassis/adapter/host-eth-if # |
host-fc-if |
scope host-fc-if command from adapter mode |
/chassis/adapter/host-fc-if # |
port-profiles |
scope port-profiles command from adapter mode |
/chassis/adapter/port-profiles # |
vmfex |
scope vmfex index command from adapter mode |
/chassis/adapter/vmfex # |
dimm-summary |
scope dimm-summary index command from chassis mode |
/chassis/dimm-summary # |
flexflash |
scope flexflash index command from chassis mode |
/chassis/flexflash # |
operational-profiles |
scope operational-profile command from flexflash mode |
/chassis/flexflash/operational-profile # |
storageadapter |
scope storageadapter slot command from chassis mode |
/chassis/storageadapter # |
physical-drive |
scope physical-drive command from storageadapter mode |
/chassis/storageadapter/physical-drive # |
virtual-drive |
scope virtual-drive command from storageadapter mode |
/chassis/storageadapter/virtual-drive # |
cimc |
scope cimc command from EXEC mode |
/cimc # |
firmware |
scope firmware command from cimc mode |
/cimc/firmware # |
import-export |
scope import-export command from cimc mode |
/cimc/import-export # |
log |
scope log command from cimc mode |
/cimc/log # |
server |
scope server index command from log mode |
/cimc/log/server # |
network |
scope network command from cimc mode |
/cimc/network # |
ipblocking |
scope ipblocking command from network mode |
/cimc/network/ipblocking # |
tech-support |
scope tech-support command from cimc mode |
/cimc/tech-support # |
fault |
scope fault command from EXEC mode |
/fault # |
pef |
scope pef command from fault mode |
/fault/pef # |
http |
scope http command from EXEC mode |
/http # |
ipmi |
scope ipmi command from EXEC mode |
/ipmi # |
kvm |
scope kvm command from EXEC mode |
/kvm # |
ldap |
scope ldap command from EXEC mode |
/ldap # |
role-group |
scope role-group command from ldap mode |
/ldap/role-group # |
power-cap |
scope power-cap command from EXEC mode |
/power-cap # |
sel |
scope sel command from EXEC mode |
/sel # |
sensor |
scope sensor command from EXEC mode |
/sensor # |
snmp |
scope snmp command from EXEC mode |
/snmp # |
trap-destinations |
scope trap-destinations command from snmp mode |
/snmp/trap-destinations # |
v3users |
scope v3users command from snmp mode |
/snmp/v3users # |
sol |
scope sol command from EXEC mode |
/sol # |
ssh |
scope ssh command from EXEC mode |
/ssh # |
user |
scope user user-number command from EXEC mode |
/user # |
user-session |
scope user-session session-number command from EXEC mode |
/user-session # |
vmedia |
scope vmedia command from EXEC mode |
/vmedia # |
xmlapi |
scope xmlapi command from EXEC mode |
/xmlapi # |
dimm-blacklisting |
scope dimm-blacklisting command from EXEC mode |
/dimm-blacklisting # |
reset-ecc |
scope reset-ecc command from EXEC mode |
/ reset-ecc # |
Complete a Command
You can use the Tab key in any mode to complete a command. Partially typing a command name and pressing Tab causes the command to be displayed in full or to the point where another keyword must be chosen or an argument value must be entered.
Command History
The CLI stores all commands used in the current session. You can step through the previously used commands by using the Up Arrow or Down Arrow keys. The Up Arrow key steps to the previous command in the history, and the Down Arrow key steps to the next command in the history. If you get to the end of the history, pressing the Down Arrow key does nothing.
All commands in the history can be entered again by simply stepping through the history to recall the desired command and pressing Enter. The command is entered as if you had manually typed it. You can also recall a command and change it before you press Enter.
Committing, Discarding, and Viewing Pending Commands
When you enter a configuration command in the CLI, the command is not applied until you enter the commit command. Until committed, a configuration command is pending and can be discarded by entering a discard command. When any command is pending, an asterisk (*) appears before the command prompt. The asterisk disappears when you enter the commit command, as shown in this example:
Server# scope chassis Server /chassis # set locator-led off Server /chassis *# commit Server /chassis #
You can accumulate pending changes in multiple command modes and apply them together with a single commit command. You can view the pending commands by entering the show configuration pending command in any command mode.
![]() Note | Committing multiple commands together is not an atomic operation. If any command fails, the successful commands are applied despite the failure. Failed commands are reported in an error message. |
Command Output Formats
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Default—For easy viewing, the command output is presented in a compact list.
This example shows command output in the default format:
Server /chassis # set cli output default Server /chassis # show hdd detail Name HDD_01_STATUS: Status : present Name HDD_02_STATUS: Status : present Name HDD_03_STATUS: Status : present Name HDD_04_STATUS: Status : present Server /chassis # -
YAML—For easy parsing by scripts, the command output is presented in the YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) data serialization language, delimited by defined character strings.
This example shows command output in the YAML format:
Server /chassis # set cli output yaml Server /chassis # show hdd detail --- name: HDD_01_STATUS hdd-status: present --- name: HDD_02_STATUS hdd-status: present --- name: HDD_03_STATUS hdd-status: present --- name: HDD_04_STATUS hdd-status: present ... Server /chassis #For detailed information about YAML, see http://www.yaml.org/about.html.
In most CLI command modes, you can enter set cli output default to configure the default format, or set cli output yaml to configure the YAML format.
Smart Access: Serial
The Smart Access: Serial allows offline configuration of C-series servers using the command line interface (CLI) through serial connection. With this setup, you are not required to connect the Cisco IMC to the network in order to access the command line interface.
The serial connection can be accessed using either the KVM dongle (DB9), or the serial port (RJ-45) at the rear of the chassis.
Once you have completed the setup and the BIOS and OS messages are visible on the console, you can view the Cisco IMC CLI by pressing Esc+9. You are required to authenticate the connection with Cisco IMC user credentials. The default user name is admin and default password is password. You can press Esc+8 to switch back to the BIOS or OS on the same console.
When the session is created, the session is visible on the Web UI sessions tab as a serial connection.
Online Help for the CLI
At any time, you can type the ? character to display the options available at the current state of the command syntax.
If you have not typed anything at the prompt, typing ? lists all available commands for the mode you are in. If you have partially typed a command, typing ? lists all available keywords and arguments available at your current position in the command syntax.
Logging In to Cisco IMC
The following example shows how to login in to Cisco IMC first time:
Login as # admin admin10.101.255.255's password # password ***********************WARNING******************* Default credentials were used for login. Administration passwords needs to be changed for security purpose. ******************************************************************** Enter current password # abcxyz Re-enter new password # abcxyz Updating password... Password updated successfully. Server #

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