Server Utilities

This chapter includes the following sections:

Exporting Technical Support Data

Perform this task when requested by the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). This utility creates a summary report containing configuration information, logs and diagnostic data that will help TAC in troubleshooting and resolving a technical issue.

Procedure
    Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
    Step 2   On the Admin tab, click Utilities.
    Figure 1. Utilities



    Step 3   In the Actions area of the Utilities pane, click Export Technical Support Data.
    Step 4   In the Export Technical Support Data dialog box, complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    Export to a local file radio button

    Select this option and click Export to start the support data collection and export process. When the support data collection is complete, a Download button appears. Click Download to save the file to a drive that is local to the computer running the CIMC GUI.

    Export to TFTP server radio button

    Select this option to save the support data file to a TFTP server.

    When you select this option, CIMC GUI displays the following fields:

    • TFTP Server IP Address—The IP address of the TFTP server on which the support data file should be stored.
    • Path and Filename—The name of the file in which the support data should be stored on the server. When you enter this name, include the relative path for the file from the top of the TFTP tree to the desired location.
    Step 5   Click Export.
    What to Do Next

    Provide the generated report file to Cisco TAC.

    Rebooting CIMC

    On rare occasions, such as an issue with the current running firmware, troubleshooting a server may require you to reboot the CIMC. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you reboot the CIMC, you are logged off and the CIMC will be unavailable for a few minutes.


    Note

    If you reboot the CIMC while the server is performing power-on self test (POST) or is operating in the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) shell, the server will be powered down until the CIMC reboot is complete.

    Before You Begin

    You must log in as a user with admin privileges to reboot the CIMC.

    Procedure
      Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
      Step 2   On the Admin tab, click Utilities.
      Figure 2. Utilities



      Step 3   In the Actions area of the Utilities pane, click Reboot CIMC.
      Step 4   Click OK.

      Resetting CIMC to Factory Defaults

      On rare occasions, such as an issue with the current running firmware, troubleshooting a server may require you to reset the CIMC to the factory default. When this happens, all user-configurable settings are reset.

      This procedure is not part of the normal server maintenance. After you reset the CIMC, you are logged off and must log in again. You may also lose connectivity and may need to reconfigure the network settings.

      Before You Begin

      You must log in as a user with admin privileges to reset the CIMC to factory defaults.

      Procedure
        Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
        Step 2   On the Admin tab, click Utilities.
        Figure 3. Utilities



        Step 3   In the Actions area of the Utilities pane, click Reset CIMC to Factory Default Configuration.
        Step 4   Click OK.

        A reboot of CIMC while the host is performing BIOS POST (Power on Self Test) or is in EFI shell will turn off the host for a short amount of time. CIMC will power on when it is ready.

        Exporting and Importing the CIMC Configuration

        Exporting and Importing the CIMC Configuration

        To perform a backup of the CIMC configuration, you take a snapshot of the system configuration and export the resulting CIMC configuration file to a location on your network. The export operation saves information from the management plane only; it does not back up data on the servers. Sensitive configuration information such as user accounts and the server certificate are not exported.

        You can restore an exported CIMC configuration file to the same system or you can import it to another CIMC system, provided that the software version of the importing system is the same as or is configuration-compatible with the software version of the exporting system. When you import a configuration file to another system as a configuration template, you must modify system-specific settings such as IP addresses and host names. An import operation modifies information on the management plane only.

        The CIMC configuration file is an XML text file whose structure and elements correspond to the CIMC command modes.

        When performing an export or import operation, consider these guidelines:

        • You can perform an export or an import while the system is up and running. While an export operation has no impact on the server or network traffic, some modifications caused by an import operation, such as IP address changes, can disrupt traffic or cause a server reboot.
        • You cannot execute an export and an import simultaneously.

        Exporting the CIMC Configuration


        Note

        For security reasons, this operation does not export user accounts or the server certificate.
        Before You Begin

        Obtain the backup TFTP server IP address.

        If you want the option to restore the SNMP configuration information when you import the configuration file, make sure that SNMP is enabled on this server before you create the configuration file. If SNMP is disabled when you export the configuration, CIMC will not apply the SNMP values when the file is imported.

        Procedure
          Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
          Step 2   On the Admin tab, click Utilities.
          Figure 4. Utilities



          Step 3   In the Actions area of the Utilities pane, click Export CIMC Configuration.
          Step 4   In the Export CIMC Configuration dialog box, complete the following fields:
          Name Description

          Export to a local file radio button

          Select this option and click Export to save the XML configuration file to a drive that is local to the computer running the CIMC GUI.

          When you select this option, CIMC GUI displays a Browse dialog box that lets you navigate to the location to which the configuration file should be saved.

          Export to TFTP server radio button

          Select this option to save the XML configuration file to a TFTP server.

          When you select this option, CIMC GUI displays the following fields:

          • TFTP Server IP Address—The IP address of the TFTP server to which the configuration file will be exported.
          • Path and Filename—The path and filename CIMC should use when exporting the file to the TFTP server.
          Step 5   Click Export.

          Importing a CIMC Configuration

          Before You Begin

          If you want to restore the SNMP configuration information when you import the configuration file, make sure that SNMP is disabled on this server before you do the import. If SNMP is enabled when you perform the import, CIMC does not overwrite the current values with those saved in the configuration file.

          Procedure
            Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
            Step 2   On the Admin tab, click Utilities.
            Figure 5. Utilities



            Step 3   In the Actions area of the Utilities pane, click Import CIMC Configuration.
            Step 4   In the Import CIMC Configuration dialog box, complete the following fields:
            Name Description

            Import from a local file radio button

            Select this option and click Import to navigate to the XML configuration file stored on a drive that is local to the computer running the CIMC GUI.

            When you select this option, CIMC GUI displays the File field and a Browse button that lets you navigate to the file you want to import.

            Import from TFTP server radio button

            Select this option to import the XML configuration file from a TFTP server.

            When you select this option, CIMC GUI displays the following fields:

            • TFTP Server IP Address—The IP address of the TFTP server on which the configuration file resides.
            • Path and Filename—The path and filename of the configuration file on the TFTP server.
            Step 5   Click Import.