Managing the Server

This chapter includes the following sections:

Server Boot Order

Using Cisco IMC, you can configure the order in which the server attempts to boot from available boot device types. In the legacy boot order configuration, Cisco IMC allows you to reorder the device types but not the devices within the device types. With the precision boot order configuration, you can have a linear ordering of the devices. In the web UI or CLI you can change the boot order and boot mode, add multiple devices under each device types, rearrange the boot order, set parameters for each device type.

When you change the boot order configuration, Cisco IMC sends the configured boot order to BIOS the next time that server is rebooted. To implement the new boot order, reboot the server after you make the configuration change. The new boot order takes effect on any subsequent reboot. The configured boot order remains until the configuration is changed again in Cisco IMC or in the BIOS setup.


Note

The actual boot order differs from the configured boot order if either of the following conditions occur:

  • BIOS encounters issues while trying to boot using the configured boot order.

  • A user changes the boot order directly through BIOS.

  • BIOS appends devices that are seen by the host but are not configured from the user.


Note

When you create a new policy using the configure boot order feature, BIOS tries to map this new policy to the devices in the system. It displays the actual device name and the policy name to which it is mapped in the Actual Boot Order area. If BIOS cannot map any device to a particular policy in Cisco IMC, the actual device name is stated as NonPolicyTarget in the Actual Boot Order area.


Note

During Cisco IMC 2.0(x) upgrade, the legacy boot order is migrated to the precision boot order. The previous boot order configuration is erased and all device types configured before updating to 2.0 version are converted to corresponding precision boot device types and some dummy devices are created for the same device types. you can view these devices in the Configured Boot Order area in the web UI. To view these devices in the CLI, enter show boot-device command. During this the server's actual boot order is retained and it can be viewed under actual boot order option in web UI and CLI.

When you downgrade Cisco IMC prior to 2.0(x) verison the server's last legacy boot order is retained, and the same can be viewed under Actual Boot Order area. For example:

  • If you configured the server in a legacy boot order in 2.0(x) version, upon downgrade a legacy boot order configuration is retained.

  • If you configured the server in a precision boot order in 2.0(x), upon downgrade the last configured legacy boot order is retained.


Important

  • S3260 M4 servers support both Legacy and Precision Boot order configuration through Cisco IMC GUI and CLI interfaces.

    For S3260 M5 servers, you must manually configure the intended boot order through Cisco IMC GUI or CLI interfaces.

  • Boot order configuration prior to 2.0(x) is referred as legacy boot order. If your running version is 2.0(x), then you cannot configure legacy boot order through web UI, but you can configure through CLI and XML API. In the CLI, you can configure it by using set boot-order HDD,PXE command. Even though, you can configure legacy boot order through CLI or XML API, in the web UI this configured boot order is not displayed.

  • Legacy and precision boot order features are mutually exclusive. You can configure either legacy or precision boot order. If you configure legacy boot order, it disables all the precision boot devices configured. If you configure precision boot order, then it erases legacy boot order configuration.

Configuring the Precision Boot Order

Before you begin

You must log in as a user with admin privileges to configure server the boot order.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the BIOS tab, click the Configure Boot Order tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area, click Configure Boot Order at the bottom of the page.

Configure Boot Order dialog box is displayed.

Step 5

In the Configure Boot Order dialog box, update the following properties:

Basic Tab
Name Description

Device Types table

The server boot options. You can select one or more of the following:

  • HDD—Hard disk drive

  • FDD—Floppy disk drive

  • CDROM—Bootable CD-ROM or DVD

  • PXE—PXE boot

  • EFI—Extensible Firmware Interface

>>

Moves the selected device type to the Boot Order table.

<<

Removes the selected device type from the Boot Order table.

Boot Order table

Displays the device types from which this server can boot, in the order in which the boot will be attempted.

Down

Moves the selected device type to a higher priority in the Boot Order table.

Up

Moves the selected device type to a higher priority in the Boot Order table.

Save Changes

Click this button to save the changes made.

Close button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes and the existing configuration is applied when the server is rebooted.

Advanced Tab

The following list of links are displayed under Add Boot Device pane.

  • Add Local HDD

  • Add PXE Boot

  • Add SAN Boot

  • Add iSCSI Boot

  • Add USB

  • Add Virtual Media

  • Add PCHStorage

  • Add UEFISHELL

  • Add NVME

  • Add Local CDD

  • Add HTTP Boot

In the Advanced Boot Order Configuration pane, the devices are displayed after they are added. You can perform the following actions by selecting the appropriate buttons:

  • Enable or Disable

  • Modify

  • Delete

  • Clone

  • Re-Apply

  • Move Up

  • Move Down

Step 6

Click Save Changes.

Additional device types might be appended to the actual boot order, depending on what devices you have connected to your server.

What to do next

Reboot the server to boot with your new boot order.

Managing a Boot Device

Before you begin

You must log in as a user with admin privileges to add device type to the server boot order.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the BIOS tab, click the Configure Boot Order tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area, click Configure Boot Order.

A dialog box with boot order instructions appears.

Step 5

In the Configure Boot Order dialog box, from the Add Boot Device table, choose the device that you want add to the boot order.

To add the local HDD device, click Add Local HDD, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

Note

 

Once created, you cannot rename the device.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. This can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Slot field

The slot in which the device is installed. Enter the slot number from the available range.

Add Device button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the PXE device, click Add PXE, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Slot field

The slot in which the device is installed. Enter the slot number from the available range.

MAC Address MAC address of the network ethernet interface.

Note

 

This option is available only on some C-Series servers.

Port field

The port of the slot in which the device is present.

Enter a number between 0 and 255.

To add the SAN boot device, click Add SAN Boot, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Slot field

The slot in which the device is installed. Enter the slot number from the available range.

LUN field

Logical unit in a slot where the device is present.

Enter a number between 0 and 255.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table, and saves the changes.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the iSCSI boot device, click Add iSCSI Boot, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Slot field

The slot in which the device is installed. Enter the slot number from the available range.

Port field

The port of the slot in which the device is present.

Enter a number between 0 and 255.

Note

 

In case of a VIC card, use a vNIC instance instead of the port number.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table, and saves the changes.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the SD card, click Add SD Card, and update the following parameters:

Note

 

This option is available only on some UCS C-Series servers.

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. This can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the USB device, click Add USB, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

Sub Type drop-down list

The subdevice type under a certain device type. This can be one of the following:

  • CD

  • FDD

  • HDD

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. This can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the virtual media, click Virtual Media, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

Sub Type drop-down list

The subdevice type under a certain device type. This could be any one of the following:

  • KVM Mapped DVD

  • Cisco IMC Mapped DVD

  • KVM Mapped HDD

  • Cisco IMC Mapped HDD

  • KVM Mapped FDD

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the PCH storage device, click PCH Storage, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. This can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

LUN field

Logical unit in a slot where the device is present.

  • Enter a number between 0 and 255

  • SATA in AHCI mode—Enter a value between 1 and 10

  • SATA in SWRAID mode—Enter 0 for SATA , and enter 1 for SATA

Note

 

SATA mode is available only on some UCS C-Series servers.

Save Changes button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the UEFI shell device, click Add UEFI Shell, and update the following parameters:

Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices.

Enter between 1 and n, where n is the number of devices.

Add Device button

Adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

To add the HTTP boot device device, click Add HTTP Boot, and update the following parameters:

Note

 

The following OS (ISOs) are supported for HTTP Boot device:

  • SLES 12.x

  • RHEL 8.2

  • ESX 6.5

The following OS (ISOs) are not supported for HTTP Boot device:

  • Windows 2016

  • Windows 2019
Name Description

Name field

The name of the device.

This name cannot be changed after the device has been created.

You can enter between 1 and 30 characters, containing alphanumerics, - (hyphen) and _ (underscore). The name cannot begin with hyphen or underscore.

State drop-down list

The visibility of the device by BIOS. The state can be one of the following:

  • Enabled—The default option. The device is visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

  • Disabled—The device is not visible to BIOS in a boot order configuration.

Order field

The order of the device in the available list of devices. The default option is 1.

MAC Address field

MAC address of the network ethernet interface.

IP Type drop-down list

The type of IP.

Select any one of the following options displayed in the drop-down list:

  • None

  • IPv4

  • IPv6

The default value is None.

Slot field

The slot in which the device is installed. Enter the slot number from the available range.

Enter the required value from the below list:

Port field

The port of the slot in which the device is present.

Enter a number between 0 and 255.

IP Config Type drop-down list

The type of IP configuration.

The following options are displayed in the drop-down list:

  • None

  • DHCP

  • Static

For DHCP IP configuration, the following fields are displayed, depending on the IP type that you have selected:

  • MAC Address

  • IP Type

  • Slot

  • Port

For Static IP configuration, the following fields are displayed, depending on the IP type that you have selected:

  • URI

  • IP Address

  • IPv4 Netmask or IPv6 Netmask

  • IPv4 Gateway or IPv6 Gateway

  • IPv4 Preferred DNS server or IPv6 Preferred DNS server

URI field

The Uniform Resource Identifier HTTP server path location.

You can enter between 1 and 255 characters.

Save Changes button

Saves the changes and adds the device to the Boot Order table.

Cancel button

Closes the dialog box without saving any changes made while the dialog box was open.

Overview to UEFI Secure Boot

You can use Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) secure boot to ensure that all the EFI drivers, EFI applications, option ROM or operating systems prior to loading and execution are signed and verified for authenticity and integrity, before you load and execute the operating system. You can enable this option using either web UI or CLI. When you enable UEFI secure boot mode, the boot mode is set to UEFI mode and you cannot modify the configured boot mode until the UEFI boot mode is disabled.


Note

If you enable UEFI secure boot on a nonsupported OS, on the next reboot, you cannot boot from that particular OS. If you try to boot from the previous OS, an error is reported and recorded the under system software event in the web UI. You must disable the UEFI secure boot option using Cisco IMC to boot from your previous OS.


Important

Also, if you use an unsupported adapter, an error log event in Cisco IMC SEL is recorded. The error messages is displayed that says:

System Software event: Post sensor, System Firmware error. EFI Load Image Security Violation. [0x5302] was asserted .

UEFI secure boot is supported on the following components:
Components Types

Supported OS

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

  • ESX 6.7

  • ESX 6.5

  • ESXi 7.0

  • Linux

QLogic PCI adapters

  • 8362 dual port adapter

  • 2672 dual port adapter

Fusion-io

LSI

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9240-8i

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9220-8i

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9265CV-8i

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9285CV-8e

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9285CV-8e

  • LSI MegaRAID SAS 9266-8i

  • LSI SAS2008-8i mezz

  • LSI Nytro card

  • RAID controller for UCS Storage (SLOT-MEZZ)

  • Host Bus Adapter (HBA)

Enabling UEFI Secure Boot

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area of the Configure Boot Order tab, check UEFI Secure Boot checkbox.

Note

 

If checked, the boot mode is set to UEFI secure boot. You cannot modify the Configure Boot Mode until UEFI secure boot option is disabled.

If you enable UEFI secure boot on a nonsupported OS, on the next reboot, you cannot boot from that particular OS. If you try to boot from the previous OS, an error is reported and recorded under the system software event in the web UI. You must disable the UEFI secure boot option by using Cisco IMC to boot from your previous OS.

Step 5

Click Save Changes.

What to do next

Reboot the server to have your configuration boot mode settings take place.

Disabling UEFI Secure Boot

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area, uncheck the UEFI Secure Boot check box.

Step 5

Click Save Changes.

What to do next

Reboot the server to have your configuration boot mode settings take place.

Viewing the Actual Server Boot Order

The actual server boot order is the boot order actually used by BIOS when the server last booted. The actual boot order can differ from the boot order configured in Cisco IMC.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the BIOS tab, click the Configure Boot Order tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area, click Configure Boot Order.

This area displays the boot order devices configured through Cisco IMC as well as the actual boot order used by the server BIOS.

The Configured Boot Devices section displays the boot order (Basic or Advanced) configured through Cisco IMC. If this configuration changes, Cisco IMC sends this boot order to BIOS the next time that server boots. The Basic configuration allows you to specify only the device type. The Advanced configuration allows you to configure the device with specific parameters such as slot, port and LUN.

To change the configured boot order, or to restore the previously configured boot order, administrators can click the Configure Boot Order button. To have these changes take effect immediately, reboot the server. You can verify the new boot order by refreshing the BIOS tab.

Note

 
This information is only sent to BIOS the next time the server boots. Cisco IMC does not send the boot order information to BIOS again until the configuration changes.

The Actual Boot Devices section displays the boot order actually used by BIOS when the server last booted. The actual boot order will differ from the configured boot order if either of the following conditions occur:

  • The BIOS encounters issues while trying to boot using the configured boot order.

  • A user changes the boot order directly through the BIOS. To override any manual changes, you can change the configured boot order through Cisco IMC and reboot the server.

Note

 
When you create a new policy using the configured boot order, BIOS tries to map this new policy to the device or devices present in the system. It displays the actual device name and the policy name to which it is mapped under the Actual Boot Order area. If BIOS cannot map any device found to a particular policy in Cisco IMC, then the actual device name is stated as NonPolicyTarget under the Actual Boot Order area.

Configuring a Server to Boot With a One-Time Boot Device

You can configure a server to boot from a particular device only for the next server boot, without disrupting the currently configured boot order. Once the server boots from the one time boot device, all its future reboots occur from the previously configured boot order.

Before you begin

You must log in as a user with admin privileges to configure server the boot order.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the BIOS tab, click the Configure Boot Order tab.

Step 4

In the BIOS Properties area, select an option from the Configured One Time Boot Device drop-down.

Note

 

The host boots to the one time boot device even when configured with a disabled advanced boot device.

Creating a Server Asset Tag

Before you begin

You must log in with user or admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Summary.

Step 3

In the Chassis Properties area, update the Asset Tag field.

Step 4

Click Save Changes.

Configuring Power Policies

Configuring the Power Restore Policy

The power restore policy determines how power is restored to the server after a chassis power loss.

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the Power Policies tab.

Step 4

In the Power Restore Policy area, update the following fields:

Name Description

Power Restore Policy drop-down list

The action to be taken when chassis power is restored after an unexpected power loss. This can be one of the following:

  • Power Off—The server remains off until it is manually restarted.

  • Power On—The server is allowed to boot up normally when power is restored. The server can restart immediately or, optionally, after a fixed or random delay.

  • Restore Last State—The server restarts and the system attempts to restore any processes that were running before power was lost.

Power Delay Type drop-down list

If the selected policy is Power On, the restart can be delayed with this option. This can be one of the following:

  • fixed—The server restarts after a fixed delay.

  • random—The server restarts after a random delay.

Note

 

This option is available only for some C-Series servers.

Power Delay Value field

If a fixed delay is selected, once chassis power is restored and the Cisco IMC has finished rebooting, the system waits for the specified number of seconds before restarting the server.

Enter an integer between 0 and 240.

Note

 

This option is available only for some C-Series servers.

Step 5

Click Save Changes.

Power Characterization

The chassis power characterization range is calculated and derived from individual server node power characterization status, and from the power requirements of all the unmanageable components of the chassis.

This range varies for each configuration, so you need to run the power characterization every time a configuration changes.

To help you use the power characterization range appropriately for the different power profiles, the system represents the chassis' minimum power as auto profile minimum and custom profile minimum. However, custom power profile minimum is the actual minimum power requirement of the current chassis configuration. For more information see the section Run Power Characterization.

Running Power Characterization

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Power Cap Configuration tab, click the Run Power Characterization link.

A confirmation box appears that says the host is going to be either powered on or rebooted depending on the current power state. Review the message and click OK to close the dialog box.

You can verify the progress of the power characterization in the Status field. The status can be one of the following:

  • Not Run on One Server— When the power characterization status is Not Run on any one server node.

  • Not Run— When the power characterization status is Not Run on both the server nodes.

  • Failed on One Server— When the power characterization status is Failed on any one server.

  • Completed Successfully—When the power characterization status is Completed Successfully on both the server nodes.

  • Running— When the power characterization status is Running on any one of the server nodes.

  • Failed— When the power characterization status is Failed on both the server nodes.

After power characterization action is performed, the platform power limit range is populated under the Recommended Power Cap area as a minimum and maximum power in watts.

Power Profiles

Power capping determines how server power consumption is actively managed. When you enable power capping option, the system monitors power consumption and maintains the power below the allocated power limit. If the server cannot maintain the power limit or cannot bring the platform power back to the specified power limit within the correction time, power capping performs actions that you specify in the Action field under the Power Profile area.

You can configure multiple profiles with the following combinations: automatic and thermal profiles; and custom and thermal profiles. These profiles are configured by using either the web user interface, command line interface, or XML API. In the web UI, the profiles are listed under the Power Capping area. In the CLI, the profiles are configured when you enter the power-cap-config command. You can configure the following power profiles for power capping feature:

  • Automatic Power Limiting Profile

  • Custom Power Limiting Profile

  • Thermal Power Limiting Profile

Automatic power limiting profile sets the power limit of the individual server boards based on server priority selected by you, or as detected by the system, based on the server utilization sensor (which is known as manual or dynamic priority selection). The limiting values are calculated within the manageable chassis power budget and applied to the individual server, and the priority server is allocated with its maximum power limiting value, while the other server with the remaining of the manageable power budget. Power limiting occurs at each server board platform level that affects the overall chassis power consumption.

Custom power limiting profile allows you to set an individual server board’s power limit from the Web UI or command line interface within the chassis power budget. In this scenario you can specify an individual server power limit.

Thermal power profile allows you to enable thermal failure power capping, which means you can set a specific platform temperature threshold and it sets P (min-x) as the power limit to be applied on the temperature threshold.

Resetting Power Profiles to Default

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Power Cap Configuration tab, click the Reset Profiles to Default link.

Note

 

This action resets all the power profile settings to factory default values and disables power capping.

Configuring the Power Capping Settings

You can enable power characterization only on some Cisco UCS C-Series servers.

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Chassis Power Characterization Details area, review the following information:

Name Description

Chassis Power Characterization Status field

Displays the progress of the power characterization. This can be one of the following:

  • Not Run on One Server— When the power characterization status is Not Run on any one server node.

  • Not Run— When the power characterization status is Not Run on both the server nodes.

  • Failed on One Server— When the power characterization status is Failed on any one server.

  • Completed Successfully—When the power characterization status is Completed Successfully on both the server nodes.

  • Running— When the power characterization status is Running on any one of the server nodes.

  • Failed— When the power characterization status is Failed on both the server nodes.

Chassis Power Characterization Range

It is composed of the following:

  • Auto Profile Minimum— The minimum value to be used for the user allocated chassis power to enable Auto Profile.

    Note

     

    The Auto Profile Minimum option is available only when both server nodes are present.

  • Custom Profile Minimum— The minimum value to be used for the user allocated chassis power to enable Custom Profile

  • Maximum— Maximum value for both Auto and Custom profiles.

Server Power Details

When you move the mouse over the Help icon, the server power details are displayed in a table.

Step 4

In the Power Capping and Profiles Configuration area, complete the following fields:

Name Description

Enable Power Capping check box

If checked, this enables the power capping capability of the system, and allows you to select and set the parameters for individual power capping profiles.

Note

 

If disabled, you cannot configure or modify individual power capping profiles in the Power Profiles area.

User Allocated Chassis Power field

Power budget that you allocate to a chassis, in watts.

Chassis Manageable Power field

Maximum power that a chassis can manage, in watts. It is a part of the User Allocated Chassis power that is manageable.

Step 5

Click Save Changes.

What to do next

Configure the individual power profiles.

Configuring Auto Power Profile


Note

The Auto tab is visible only when both server nodes are present in the chassis.

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Auto tab of the Power Cap Configuration tab, complete the following fields:

Name Description

Enable Profile check box

If checked, enables the power profile for editing.

Allow Throttle check box

If checked, it forces the processor to use more aggressive power management mechanisms such as CPU throttling states (T-states) and memory bandwidth throttling to maintain the power limit, in addition to the regular internal mechanisms.

Priority Selection drop-down list

This can be one of the following:

  • Manual— When you manually assign priority to a server node. It could be either server 1 or server 2.

  • Dynamic— CMC dynamically decides to assign priority to a server node based on server utilization. The server that is utilized more at any given time is selected as a priority server.

Correction Time field

The time in seconds in which the platform power should be brought back to the specified power limit before taking the action specified in the Action field.

The valid range is 1 to 600 seconds.

Priority Server drop-down list

Select an option to manually assign priority to a server. This can be one of the following:

  • Server 1

  • Server 2

Note

 

This option is available when you select Manual from the Priority Selection drop-down list.

Exception Action drop-down list

The action to be performed if the specified power limit is not maintained within the correction time.

  • Alert—Logs the event to the Cisco IMC SEL.

  • Alert and Shutdown—Logs the event to the Cisco IMC SEL, and gracefully shuts down the host.

Power Limit field

Server 1

Server 2

Displays the power cap limit assigned to server 1 and server 2 in auto profile.

Step 4

In the Suspend Period area, click the Configure link to set the time period in which the power capping profile is not active.

What to do next

Configure the custom power profile.

Configuring Custom Power Profile

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Custom tab of the Power Cap Configuration tab, complete the following fields:

Name Description

Component field

Component for which you want to enable the Custom Power profile.

Enabled check box

If checked, enables the power profile for editing.

Power Limit field

Enter a value in the range suggested by the tooltip.

Exception Action drop-down list

The action to be performed if the specified power limit is not maintained within the correction time.

  • Alert—Logs the event to the Cisco IMC SEL.

  • Alert and Shutdown—Logs the event to the Cisco IMC SEL, and gracefully shuts down the host.

Correction Time field

The time in seconds in which the platform power should be brought back to the specified power limit before taking the action specified in the Action field.

The valid range is 1 to 600 seconds.

Allow Throttling field

Forces the processor to use more aggressive power management mechanisms such as, CPU the throttling states (T-states) and memory bandwidth throttling to maintain the power limit, in addition to the regular internal mechanisms.

Suspend Period field

Allows you to suspend power capping for a chosen period of time.

What to do next

Configure the thermal power profile.

Configuring Thermal Power Profile

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

In the Thermal tab of the Power Cap Configuration tab, complete the following fields:

Name Description

Component field

Component for which you want to enable the Thermal Power profile.

Enabled field

Enables the power profile for editing.

Temperature field

Enter a temperature value crossing which the thermal profile should be applied. The valid range is 1 to 40.

Power Limit field

Displays the power cap limit that is minimum for the given server.

Viewing Power Monitoring Summary

This option is available only on some Cisco UCS C-Series servers.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

On the Work pane, click the Power Monitoring tab.

Step 4

In the Power Monitoring Summary area, review the following information:

The following tables display the power consumed by the system and its components since the last time it was rebooted.

Name Description

Monitoring Period

The time of monitoring the power consumed by the system since the last time it was rebooted.

The monitoring period is displayed in Day HH:MM:SS format.

Note

 

Monitoring Period is displayed under Chassis.

Platform, CPU, and Memory areas are available under Server 1 and Server 2.

Step 5

In the Platform area, review the following information:

Name Description

Current

The power currently being used by the server, CPU, and memory in watts.

Minimum

The minimum number of watts consumed by the server, CPU, and memory since the last time it was rebooted.

Maximum

The maximum number of watts consumed by the server, CPU, and memory since the last time it was rebooted.

Average

The average amount of power consumed by the server, CPU, and memory in watts over the defined period of time.

Step 6

In the CPU area, review the following information:

Name Description

Current

The power currently being used by the CPU in watts.

Minimum

The minimum number of watts consumed by the CPU since the last time it was rebooted.

Maximum

The maximum number of watts consumed by the CPU since the last time it was rebooted.

Average

The average amount of power consumed by the server, CPU, and memory in watts over the defined period of time.

Step 7

In the Memory area, review the following information:

Name Description

Current

The power currently being used by the memory, in watts.

Minimum

The minimum number of watts consumed by the memory since the last time it was rebooted.

Maximum

The maximum number of watts consumed by the memory since the last time it was rebooted.

Average

The average amount of power consumed by the memory in watts over the defined period of time.

Step 8

In the Chart Properties area, review and update the chart, component, and view the power consumption details.

Name Description

Chart Settings

Enables you to configure the chart properties and the way data is displayed in the chart.

Download Power Statistics and Server Utilization Data

Enables you to download the power statistics and host server utilization information. The files are downloaded to your local download folder.

Note

 

If the file size of the already downloaded statistics file is less than 256 KB, then when you download, another set of files is downloaded, one for the power statistics and the other for host server utilization. If the size of the existing files exceeds 256 KB, then the next set of files overwrites the existing ones.

Name Description

Chart drop-down list

Allows you to collect the trends of power consumption from every server for the selected duration. This can be one of the following:

  • Last Hour— Plots the chart for every five minutes

  • Last Day—Plots the chart for every hour from the current time.

  • Last Week—Plots the chart for each day.

Component drop-down list

The component for which you want to view the power consumption over the selected duration. This can be one of the following:

  • Chassis

  • Server 1

  • Server 2

Domain drop-down list

The default value displayed is Platform.

Plot button

Displays the power consumed by the selected component for the specified duration.

Chart/Table View (Appears on mouse-over)

Select to view power monitoring summary in either Chart or Table view.

Chart Type (Appears on mouse-over)

Select the type of chart you wish to view. This could be one of the following:

  • Line Chart— Power monitoring data appears in lines.

  • Column Chart— Power monitoring data appears as a column.

Default Chart: Line Chart.

Note

 

When the Chart drop-down list is selected as Last Week, and more than one Component is selected, the Column chart is not displayed, and by default the Line chart is displayed. The following message is displayed in such a scenario: For the selected Configuration, Column graph cannot be plotted. Reverting to Line Graph.

Current check box

If checked, the chart displays the current power consumed by the selected component for the selected duration.

Average check box

If checked, the plot displays the average amount of power consumed by the selected component for the selected duration.

Maximum check box

If checked, the plot displays the maximum number of watts consumed by the selected component for the selected duration.

Minimum check box

If checked, the plot displays the minimum number of watts consumed by the selected component for the selected duration.

Configuring the Chart Properties

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

On the Work pane, click the Power Monitoring tab.

Step 4

In the Chart Properties area, click the Chart Settings icon to configure the following fields:

Name Description

Show Range Filter check box

If checked, displays the range filter content.

Show X Axis Labels check box

If checked, displays the X Axis labels for the power monitoring summary.

Show Y Axis Labels check box

If checked, displays the Y Axis labels for the power monitoring summary.

Show Markers check box

If checked, displays the markers for the X and Y axis data.

Y-Axis Interval Value field (1 - 1020)

Select the interval value in wattage. Default value is 20.

The power reading chart plots power consumption values of different components for the selected duration. These power consumption values are captured from the time that the host is powered on. When a power profile is enabled, the power limit is plotted in the chart as a red line. This plot can be used to determine the power consumption trend of the system. To view the configured power limit values of a particular domain, move the mouse over these trend lines.

Note

 

These trend lines are not displayed if the profile is disabled on the Power Cap Configuration tab.

Step 5

Click Save Changes.

Downloading Power Statistics and Server Utilization Data

This option is available only on some Cisco UCS C-Series servers.

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Chassis menu.

Step 2

In the Chassis menu, click Power Management.

Step 3

On the Work pane, click the Power Monitoring tab.

Step 4

In the Power Monitoring tab, click Download Power Statistics and Server Utilization Data.

The files are downloaded to your local download folder.

Note

 

If the file size of the already downloaded statistics file is less than 256 KB, then when you download, another set of files is downloaded, one for the power statistics and the other for host server utilization. If the size of the existing files exceeds 256 KB, then the next set of files overwrites the existing ones.

Configuring DIMM Blocklisting

DIMM Block Listing

In Cisco IMC, the state of the Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM) is based on SEL event records. A DIMM is marked bad if the BIOS encounters a non-correctable memory error or correctable memory error with 16000 error counts during memory test execution during BIOS post. If a DIMM is marked bad, it is considered a non-functional device.

If you enable DIMM blocklisting, Cisco IMC monitors the memory test execution messages and blocklists any DIMM that encounters memory errors at any given point of time in the DIMM SPD data. This allows the host to map out those DIMMs.

DIMMs are mapped out or blocklisted only when Uncorrectable errors occur. When a DIMM gets blocklisted, other DIMMs in the same channel are ignored or disabled, which means that the DIMM is no longer considered bad.


Note

DIMMs do not get mapped out or blocklisted for 16000 Correctable errors.

Enabling DIMM Block Listing

Before you begin

  • You must log in with admin privileges.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the Inventory tab.

Step 4

In the Memory pane's DIMM Block Listing area, click the Enable DIMM Block List check box.

Configuring BIOS Settings

Configuring BIOS Settings

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the Actions area, click Configure BIOS.

Step 5

Refer BIOS Parameters by Server Model to update the following tabs:

  • I/O

  • Server Management

  • Security

  • Processor

  • Memory

  • Power/Performance

Note

 

The BIOS parameters available depend on the model of the server that you are using. For descriptions and information about the options for each BIOS setting, see BIOS Parameters by Server Model chapter in this guide.

Important

 

A BIOS parameter available in one tab may affect the parameters on all available tabs, not just the parameters on the tab that you are viewing.

Entering BIOS Setup

Before you begin

  • The server must be powered on.

  • You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the Actions area, click Enter BIOS Setup.

Step 5

Click OK at the prompt.

Enables enter BIOS setup. On restart, the server enters the BIOS setup.

Clearing the BIOS CMOS

Before you begin

  • The server must be powered on.

  • You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the Actions area, click Clear BIOS CMOS.

Step 5

Click OK to confirm.

Clears the BIOS CMOS.

Restoring BIOS Manufacturing Custom Settings

Before you begin

  • The server must be powered on.

  • You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the Actions area, click Restore Manufacturing Custom Settings.

Step 5

Click Yes if you wish to reboot the server immediately.

Step 6

Click OK to confirm.

Restoring BIOS Defaults

Before you begin

  • The server must be powered on.

  • You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

In the Actions area, click Restore Defaults.

Step 5

Click Yes if you wish to reboot the server immediately.

Step 6

Click OK to confirm.

BIOS Profiles

On the Cisco UCS server, default token files are available for every S3260 server platform, and you can configure the value of these tokens using the Graphic User Interface (GUI), CLI interface, and the XML API interface. To optimize server performance, these token values must be configured in a specific combination.

Configuring a BIOS profile helps you to utilize pre-configured token files with the right combination of the token values. Some of the pre-configured profiles that are available are virtualization, high-performance, low power, and so on. You can download the various options of these pre-configured token files from the Cisco website and apply it on the servers through the BMC.

You can edit the downloaded profile to change the value of the tokens or add new tokens. This allows you to customize the profile to your requirements without having to wait for turnaround time.

Uploading a BIOS Profile

You can upload a BIOS profile either from a remote server location or through a browser client.

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

Click the Configure BIOS Profile tab.

Step 5

To upload the BIOS profile using a remote server location, in the BIOS Profile area, click the Upload button.

Step 6

In the Upload BIOS Profile dialog box, update the following fields:

Name

Description

Upload BIOS Profile from drop-down list

The remote server type. This can be one of the following:

  • TFTP

  • FTP

  • SFTP

  • SCP

  • HTTP

Server IP/Hostname field

The IP address or hostname of the server on which the BIOS profile information is available. Depending on the setting in the Upload BIOS Profile from drop-down list, the name of the field may vary.

Path and Filename field

The path and filename of the BIOS profile on the remote server.

Username field

Username of the remote server.

Password field

Password of the remote server.

Upload button

Uploads the selected BIOS profile.

Note

 

If you chose SCP or SFTP as the remote server type while performing this action, a pop-up window is displayed with the message Server (RSA) key fingerprint is <server_finger_print _ID> Do you wish to continue?. Click Yes or No depending on the authenticity of the server fingerprint.

The fingerprint is based on the host's public key and helps you to identify or verify the host you are connecting to.

Cancel button

Closes the wizard without making any changes to the firmware versions stored on the server.

Step 7

To upload the BIOS profile using a browser client, in the BIOS Profile area, click the Upload button.

Step 8

In the Upload BIOS Profile dialog box, update the following fields:

Name Description

File field

The BIOS profile that you want to upload.

Browse button

Opens a dialog box that allows you to navigate to the appropriate file.

What to do next

Activate a BIOS profile.

Activating a BIOS Profile

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

Click the Configure BIOS Profile tab.

Step 5

Select a BIOS profile from the BIOS Profile area and click Activate.

Step 6

At the prompt, click Yes to activate the BIOS profile.

Deleting a BIOS Profile

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

Select a BIOS profile from the BIOS Profile area and click Delete.

Step 5

At the prompt, click OK to delete the BIOS profile.

Backing up a BIOS Profile

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

Select a BIOS profile from the BIOS Profile area and click Take Backup.

Step 5

At the prompt, click OK to take a backup of the BIOS profile.

What to do next

Activate a BIOS profile.

Viewing BIOS Profile Details

Before you begin

You must log in with admin privileges to perform this task.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step 2

In the Compute menu, select a server.

Step 3

In the work pane, click the BIOS tab.

Step 4

Select a BIOS profile from the BIOS Profile area and click Details.

Step 5

Review the following information in the BIOS Profile Details window:

Name Description

Token Name column

Displays the token name of the BIOS profile.

Display Name column

Displays the user name of the BIOS profile.

Profile Value column

Displays the value that was provided in the uploaded file.

Actual Value column

Displays the value of the active BIOS configuration.

Persistent Memory Modules

Cisco UCS S-Series Release 4.0(4) introduces support for the Intel® Optane™ Data Center persistent memory modules on the UCS M5 servers that are based on the Second Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors. These persistent memory modules can be used only with the Second Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors.

Persistent memory modules are non-volatile memory modules that bring together the low latency of memory and the persistence of storage. Data stored in persistent memory modules can be accessed quickly compared to other storage devices, and is retained across power cycles.

For detailed information about configuring persistent memory modules, see the Cisco UCS: Configuring and Managing Intel® Optane™ Data Center Persistent Memory Modules Guide.