Configuring Storage-Related Policies

This chapter includes the following sections:

Configuring vHBA Templates

vHBA Template

This template is a policy that defines how a vHBA on a server connects to the SAN. It is also referred to as a vHBA SAN connectivity template.

You need to include this policy in a service profile for it to take effect.

Configuring a vHBA Template

Procedure
      Command or Action Purpose
    Step 1 UCS-A# scope org org-name  

    Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name .

     
    Step 2 UCS-A /org # create vhba-templ vhba-templ-name [fabric {a | b}] [fc-if vsan-name]  

    Creates a vHBA template and enters organization vHBA template mode.

     
    Step 3 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set descr description   (Optional)

    Provides a description for the vHBA template.

     
    Step 4 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set fabric {a | b}   (Optional)

    Specifies the fabric to use for the vHBA. If you did not specify the fabric when creating the vHBA template in Step 2, then you have the option to specify it with this command.

     
    Step 5 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set fc-if vsan-name   (Optional)

    Specifies the Fibre Channel interface (named VSAN) to use for the vHBA template. If you did not specify the Fibre Channel interface when creating the vHBA template in Step 2, you have the option to specify it with this command.

     
    Step 6 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set max-field-size size-num  

    Specifies the maximum size of the Fibre Channel frame payload (in bytes) that the vHBA supports.

     
    Step 7 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set pin-group group-name  

    Specifies the pin group to use for the vHBA template.

     
    Step 8 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set qos-policy mac-pool-name  

    Specifies the QoS policy to use for the vHBA template.

     
    Step 9 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set stats-policy policy-name  

    Specifies the server and server component statistics threshold policy to use for the vHBA template.

     
    Step 10 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set type {initial-template | updating-template}  

    Specifies the vHBA template update type. If you do not want vHBA instances created from this template to be automatically updated when the template is updated, use the initial-template keyword; otherwise, use the updating-template keyword to ensure that all vHBA instance are updated when the vHBA template is updated.

     
    Step 11 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # set wwpn-pool pool-name  

    Specifies the WWPN pool to use for the vHBA template.

     
    Step 12 UCS-A /org/vhba-templ # commit-buffer  

    Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

     

    The following example configures a vHBA template and commits the transaction: 

    UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org* # create vhba template VhbaTempFoo
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set descr "This is a vHBA template example."
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set fabric a
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set fc-if accounting
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set max-field-size 2112
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set pin-group FcPinGroup12
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set qos-policy policy34foo
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set stats-policy ServStatsPolicy
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set type updating-template
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # set wwpn-pool SanPool7
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org/vhba-templ #

    Deleting a vHBA Template

    Procedure
        Command or Action Purpose
      Step 1 UCS-A# scope org org-name  

      Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name .

       
      Step 2 UCS-A /org # delete vhba-templ vhba-templ-name  

      Deletes the specified vHBA template.

       
      Step 3 UCS-A /org # commit-buffer  

      Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

       

      The following example deletes the vHBA template named VhbaTempFoo and commits the transaction: 

      UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org # delete vhba template VhbaTempFoo
UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org #

      Configuring Fibre Channel Adapter Policies

      Ethernet and Fibre Channel Adapter Policies

      These policies govern the host-side behavior of the adapter, including how the adapter handles traffic. For example, you can use these policies to change default settings for the following:

      • Queues
      • Interrupt handling
      • Performance enhancement
      • RSS hash
      • Failover in an cluster configuration with two fabric interconnects

      Note

      For Fibre Channel adapter policies, the values displayed by Cisco UCS Manager may not match those displayed by applications such as QLogic SANsurfer. For example, the following values may result in an apparent mismatch between SANsurfer and Cisco UCS Manager:

      • Max LUNs Per Target—SANsurfer has a maximum of 256 LUNs and does not display more than that number. Cisco UCS Manager supports a higher maximum number of LUNs.
      • Link Down Timeout—In SANsurfer, you configure the timeout threshold for link down in seconds. In Cisco UCS Manager, you configure this value in milliseconds. Therefore, a value of 5500 ms in Cisco UCS Manager displays as 5s in SANsurfer.
      • Max Data Field Size—SANsurfer has allowed values of 512, 1024, and 2048. Cisco UCS Manager allows you to set values of any size. Therefore, a value of 900 in Cisco UCS Manager displays as 512 in SANsurfer.

      Operating System Specific Adapter Policies

      By default, Cisco UCS provides a set of Ethernet adapter policies and Fibre Channel adapter policies. These policies include the recommended settings for each supported server operating system. Operating systems are sensitive to the settings in these policies. Storage vendors typically require non-default adapter settings. You can find the details of these required settings on the support list provided by those vendors.

      Important:

      We recommend that you use the values in these policies for the applicable operating system. Do not modify any of the values in the default policies unless directed to do so by Cisco Technical Support.

      However, if you are creating an Ethernet adapter policy for a Windows OS (instead of using the default Windows adapter policy), you must use the following formulas to calculate values that work with Windows:

      • Completion Queues = Transmit Queues + Receive Queues
      • Interrupt Count = (Completion Queues + 2) rounded up to nearest power of 2

      For example, if Transmit Queues = 1 and Receive Queues = 8 then:

      • Completion Queues = 1 + 8 = 9
      • Interrupt Count = (9 + 2) rounded up to the nearest power of 2 = 16

      Configuring a Fibre Channel Adapter Policy

      Procedure
          Command or Action Purpose
        Step 1 UCS-A# scope org org-name  

        Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name .

         
        Step 2 UCS-A /org # create fc-policy policy-name  

        Creates the specified Fibre Channel adapter policy and enters organization Fibre Channel policy mode.

         
        Step 3 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set descr description   (Optional)

        Provides a description for the policy.

        Note   

        If your description includes spaces, special characters, or punctuation, you must begin and end your description with quotation marks. The quotation marks will not appear in the description field of any show command output.

         
        Step 4 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set error-recovery {fcp-error-recovery {disabled | enabled} | link-down-timeout timeout-msec | port-down-io-retry-count retry-count | port-down-timeout timeout-msec}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel error recovery.

         
        Step 5 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set interrupt mode {intx | msi | msi-x}}   (Optional)

        Configures the driver interrupt mode.

         
        Step 6 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set port {io-throttle-count throttle-count | max-luns max-num}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel port.

         
        Step 7 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set port-f-logi {retries retry-count | timeout timeout-msec}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel port fabric login (FLOGI).

         
        Step 8 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set port-p-logi {retries retry-count | timeout timeout-msec}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel port-to-port login (PLOGI).

         
        Step 9 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set recv-queue {count count | ring-size size-num}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel receive queue.

         
        Step 10 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set scsi-io {count count | ring-size size-num}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel SCSI I/O.

         
        Step 11 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # set trans-queue ring-size size-num}   (Optional)

        Configures the Fibre Channel transmit queue.

         
        Step 12 UCS-A /org/fc-policy # commit-buffer  

        Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

         

        The following example configures a Fibre Channel adapter policy and commits the transaction: 

        UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org* # create fc-policy FcPolicy42
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set descr "This is a Fibre Channel adapter policy example."
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set error-recovery error-detect-timeout 2500
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set port max-luns 4
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set port-f-logi retries 250
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set port-p-logi timeout 5000
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set recv-queue count 1
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set scsi-io ring-size 256
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # set trans-queue ring-size 256
UCS-A /org/fc-policy* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org/fc-policy #

        Deleting a Fibre Channel Adapter Policy

        Procedure
            Command or Action Purpose
          Step 1 UCS-A# scope org org-name  

          Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name .

           
          Step 2 UCS-A /org # delete fc-policy policy-name  

          Deletes the specified Fibre Channel adapter policy.

           
          Step 3 UCS-A /org # commit-buffer  

          Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

           

          The following example deletes the Fibre Channel adapter policy named FcPolicy42 and commits the transaction: 

          UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org # delete fc-policy FcPolicy42
UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org #