Overview

This chapter includes the following sections:

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.

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:

  • Use Cisco IMC GUI to invoke Cisco IMC CLI

  • View a command that has been invoked through Cisco IMC CLI in Cisco IMC GUI

  • Generate Cisco IMC CLI output from Cisco IMC GUI

Tasks You Can Perform in Cisco IMC

You can use Cisco IMC to perform the following server management tasks:

  • Power on, power off, power cycle, reset and shut down the server

  • Toggle the locator LED

  • Configuring BIOS settings

  • Configure the server boot order

  • View server properties and sensors

  • Manage remote presence

  • Create and manage local user accounts, and enable remote user authentication through Active Directory

  • Configure network-related settings, including NIC properties, IPv4, VLANs, and network security

  • Configure communication services, including HTTP, SSH, IPMI Over LAN, and SNMP.

  • Manage certificates

  • Configure platform event filters

  • Update Cisco IMC firmware

  • Monitor faults, alarms, and server status

  • Set time zone and view local time

  • Install and activate Cisco IMC firmware

  • Install and activate BIOS 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:

  • Deploy an OS, such as Windows or Linux

  • Deploy patches for software, such as an OS or an application

  • Install base software components, such as anti-virus software, monitoring agents, or backup clients

  • Install software applications, such as databases, application server software, or web servers

  • Perform operator actions, including restarting an Oracle database, restarting printer queues, or handling non-Cisco IMC user accounts

  • Configure or manage external storage on the SAN or NAS storage

Overview of the Cisco IMC User Interface

The Cisco IMC user interface is a web-based management interface for Cisco C-Series servers. You can launch the Cisco IMC user interface and manage the server from any remote host that meets the following minimum requirements:

  • Sun JRE 1.8.0_ 45 to Sun JRE 1.8.0_ 60

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher

  • Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Vista, Apple Mac OS X v10.6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 or higher operating systems

  • Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.2.


Note

In case you lose or forget the password that you use to log in to Cisco IMC, see the password recovery instructions in the Cisco UCS C-Series server installation and service guide for your server. This guide is available from the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​go/​unifiedcomputing/​c-series-doc.

Cisco IMC Home Page

When you first log into Cisco IMC GUI, the user interface looks similar to the following illustration:



Navigation and Work Panes

The Navigation pane displays on the left side of the Cisco IMC GUI. Clicking links on the Server, Admin, or Storage tabs in the Navigation pane displays the associated tabs in the Work pane on the right.

The Navigation pane has the following areas:

  • Overall Server Status area

  • Server tab

  • Admin tab

  • Storage tab

Overall Server Status Area

The Overall Server Status area is above the Server, Admin, and Storage tabs. Click the link in area to refresh the Server Summary tab in the Work pane.


Note

If a different tab is displayed in the Work pane, clicking this link redisplays the Server Summary tab with updated server information.

Server Tab

Each node in the Server tab leads to one or more tabs that display in the Work pane. These tabs provides access to the following information:

Server Tab Node Name Work Pane Tabs Provide Information About...

Summary

Server properties, status, BIOS version, Cisco IMC firmware version, IP address, and MAC address.

Inventory

Installed CPUs, memory cards, power supplies, PCI adapters, Cisco VIC adapters, network adapters, storage adapters, TPM, SAS expander, and PID catalog.

Sensors

Power supply, fan, temperature, voltage, current, LEDs, and storage sensor readings.

Remote Presence

KVM, virtual media, and Serial over LAN settings.

BIOS

The installed BIOS firmware version and the server boot order.

Power Policies

Power policy settings.

Faults and Logs

Fault summary, fault history, system event log, Cisco IMC logs, and logging controls.

Troubleshooting

Bootstrap process recording, crash recording, and player.

Admin Tab

Each node in the Admin tab leads to one or more tabs that display in the Work pane. These tabs provides access to the following information:

Admin Tab Node Name Work Pane Tabs Provide Information About...

User Management

Locally-defined user accounts, Active Directory settings, and current user session information.

Network

NIC, IPv4, VLAN, and LOM properties, along with network security settings.

Communication Services

HTTP, SSH, XML API, IPMI over LAN, and SNMP settings.

Certificate Management

Security certificate information and management.

Event Management

Platform event filters.

Firmware Management

Cisco IMC and BIOS firmware information and management.

Utilities

Technical support data collection, system configuration import and export options, and restore factory defaults settings.

Storage Tab

Each node in the Storage tab corresponds to the LSI MegaRAID controllers or Cisco FlexFlash controllers that are installed in theCisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Servers. Each node leads to one or more tabs that display in the Work pane and provide information about the installed controllers.

Storage Tab Node Name Work Pane Tabs Provide Information About...

Controller Info

General information about the selected MegaRAID controller or Cisco Flexible Flash controller.

Physical Drive Info

General drive information, identification information, and drive statusl

Virtual Drive Info

General drive information, RAID information, and physical drive information.

Battery Backup Unit

Backup battery information for the selected MegaRAID controller.

Storage Log

Storage messages.

Toolbar

The toolbar displays above the Work pane.

Button Name Description

Refresh

Refreshes the current page.

Power On Server

Powers on the server.

Power Off Server

Powers off the server.

Launch KVM Console

Launches the KVM console.

Ping

Launches the Ping Details pane.

Help

Displays the online help for the tab displayed in the Work pane.

Info

Displays Cisco IMC information.

Cisco Integrated Management Controller Online Help Overview

The GUI for the Cisco Integrated Management Controller (Cisco IMC) software is divided into two main sections, a Navigation pane on the left and a Work pane on the right.

This help system describes the fields on each Cisco IMC GUI page and in each dialog box.

To access the page help, do one of the following:

  • In a particular tab in the Cisco IMC GUI, click the Help icon in the toolbar above the Work pane.

  • In a dialog box, click the Help button in that dialog box.


Note

For a complete list of all C-Series documentation, see the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap available at the following URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​go/​unifiedcomputing/​c-series-doc.

Logging In to Cisco IMC

Before You Begin

If not installed, install Adobe Flash Player 10 or later on your local machine.

Procedure
    Step 1   In your web browser, type or select the web link for Cisco IMC.
    Step 2   If a security dialog box displays, do the following:
    1. Optional: Check the check box to accept all content from Cisco.
    2. Click Yes to accept the certificate and continue.
    Step 3   In the log in window, enter your username and password.
    Tip   

    When logging in for the first time to an unconfigured system, use admin as the username and password as the password.

    The following situations occur when you login to the Web UI for the first time:

    • You cannot perform any operation until you change default admin credentials on the Cisco IMC Web UI.

    • You cannot close or cancel the password change pop-up window and opening it in a tab or refreshing the browser page will continue to display the pop-up window. This pop-up window appears when you login after a factory reset or upgraded Cisco IMC from 1.5(x) or 2.0(1) version to the latest version.

    • You cannot choose the word 'password' as your new password. If this creates problems for any scripts you may be running, you could change it to password by logging back into the user management options, but this is ENTIRELY at your own risk. It is not recommended by Cisco.

    Step 4   Click Log In.

    Logging Out of Cisco IMC

    Procedure
      Step 1   In the upper right of Cisco IMC, click Log Out.

      Logging out returns you to the Cisco IMC log in page.

      Step 2   (Optional)Log back in or close your web browser.