- Preface
-
- Configuring the Fabric Interconnects
- Configuring Ports and Port Channels
- Configuring Communication Services
- Configuring Authentication
- Configuring Organizations
- Configuring Role-Based Access Control
- Configuring DNS Servers
- Configuring System-Related Policies
- Managing Licenses
- Managing Virtual Interfaces
- Registering Cisco UCS Domains with Cisco UCS Central
- Index
- Boot Policy
- Creating a Boot Policy
- SAN Boot
- iSCSI Boot
- iSCSI Boot Process
- iSCSI Boot Guidelines and Prerequisites
- Initiator IQN Configuration
- Enabling MPIO on Windows
- Configuring iSCSI Boot
- Creating an iSCSI Adapter Policy
- Deleting an iSCSI Adapter Policy
- Creating an Authentication Profile
- Deleting an Authentication Profile
- Adding a Block of IP Addresses to the Initiator Pool
- Deleting a Block of IP Addresses from the Initiator Pool
- Creating an iSCSI Boot Policy
- Deleting iSCSI Devices from a Boot Policy
- Setting an Initiator IQN at the Service Profile Level
- Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile
- Deleting an iSCSI vNIC from a Service Profile
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using a Static IP Address
- Deleting the Static IP Address Boot Parameters from an iSCSI Initiator
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using an IP Address from an IP Pool
- Deleting the IP Pool Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using DHCP
- Deleting the DHCP Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
- IQN Pools
- Creating an IQN Pool
- Adding a Block to an IQN Pool
- Deleting a Block from an IQN Pool
- Deleting an IQN Pool
- Viewing IQN Pool Usage
- Creating an iSCSI Static Target
- Deleting an iSCSI Static Target
- Creating an iSCSI Auto Target
- Deleting an iSCSI Auto Target
- Verifying iSCSI Boot
- LAN Boot
- Local Disk Boot
- Virtual Media Boot
- Deleting a Boot Policy
Configuring Server Boot
This chapter includes the following sections:
- Boot Policy
- Creating a Boot Policy
- SAN Boot
- iSCSI Boot
- LAN Boot
- Local Disk Boot
- Virtual Media Boot
- Deleting a Boot Policy
Boot Policy
The boot policy determines the following:
-
Configuration of the boot device
-
Location from which the server boots
-
Order in which boot devices are invoked
For example, you can choose to have associated servers boot from a local device, such as a local disk or CD-ROM (VMedia), or you can select a SAN boot or a LAN (PXE) boot.
You must include this policy in a service profile, and that service profile must be associated with a server for it to take effect. If you do not include a boot policy in a service profile, the server uses the default settings in the BIOS to determine the boot order.
![]() Note | Changes to a boot policy might be propagated to all servers created with an updating service profile template that includes that boot policy. Reassociation of the service profile with the server to rewrite the boot order information in the BIOS is automatically triggered. |
Creating a Boot Policy
You can also create a local boot policy that is restricted to a service profile or service profile template. However, we recommend that you create a global boot policy that can be included in multiple service profiles or service profile templates.
If you are creating a boot policy that boots the server from a SAN LUN and you require reliable SAN boot operations, you must first remove all local disks from servers associated with a service profile that includes the boot policy.
The following example creates a boot policy named boot-policy-LAN, provides a description for the boot policy, specifies that servers using this policy will not be automatically rebooted when the boot order is changed, and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # create boot-policy boot-policy-LAN purpose operational UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # set descr "Boot policy that boots from the LAN." UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # set reboot-on-update no UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy #
Configure one or more of the following boot options for the boot policy and set their boot order:
-
LAN Boot —Boots from a centralized provisioning server. It is frequently used to install operating systems on a server from that server.
If you choose the LAN Boot option, continue to Configuring a LAN Boot for a Boot Policy.
-
Storage Boot — Boots from an operating system image on the SAN. You can specify a primary and a secondary SAN boot. If the primary boot fails, the server attempts to boot from the secondary.
We recommend that you use a SAN boot, because it offers the most service profile mobility within the system. If you boot from the SAN, when you move a service profile from one server to another, the new server boots from exactly the same operating system image. Therefore, the new server appears to be exactly the same server to the network.
If you choose the Storage Boot option, continue to Configuring a SAN Boot for a Boot Policy.
-
Virtual Media Boot —Mimics the insertion of a physical CD into a server. It is typically used to manually install operating systems on a server.
If you choose the Virtual Media boot option, continue to Configuring a Virtual Media Boot for a Boot Policy.
![]() Tip | If you configure a local disk and a SAN LUN for the boot order storage type and the operating system or logical volume manager (LVM) is configured incorrectly, the server might boot from the local disk rather than the SAN LUN. For example, on a server with Red Hat Linux installed, where the LVM is configured with default LV names and the boot order is configured with a SAN LUN and a local disk, Linux reports that there are two LVs with the same name and boots from the LV with the lowest SCSI ID, which could be the local disk. |
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
SAN Boot
You can configure a boot policy to boot one or more servers from an operating system image on the SAN. The boot policy can include a primary and a secondary SAN boot. If the primary boot fails, the server attempts to boot from the secondary.
We recommend that you use a SAN boot, because it offers the most service profile mobility within the system. If you boot from the SAN when you move a service profile from one server to another, the new server boots from the exact same operating system image. Therefore, the new server appears to be the exact same server to the network.
To use a SAN boot, ensure that the following is configured:
Configuring a SAN Boot for a Boot Policy
![]() Tip | If you configure a local disk and a SAN LUN for the boot order storage type and the operating system or logical volume manager (LVM) is configured incorrectly, the server might boot from the local disk rather than the SAN LUN. For example, on a server with Red Hat Linux installed, where the LVM is configured with default LV names and the boot order is configured with a SAN LUN and a local disk, Linux reports that there are two LVs with the same name and boots from the LV with the lowest SCSI ID, which could be the local disk. |
This procedure continues directly from Creating a Boot Policy.
Create a boot policy to contain the SAN boot configuration.
![]() Note | If you are creating a boot policy that boots the server from a SAN LUN and you require reliable SAN boot operations, we recommend that you first remove all local disks from servers associated with a service profile that includes the boot policy. |
| 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 # scope boot-policy policy-name |
Enters organization boot policy mode for the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # create storage |
Creates a SAN boot for the boot policy and enters organization boot policy storage mode. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage # set order {1 | 2 | 3 | 4} |
Sets the boot order for the SAN boot. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage # create san-image {primary | secondary} |
Creates a SAN image location, and if the san-image option is specified, enters organization boot policy storage SAN image mode. When using the enhanced boot order on Cisco UCS M3 servers, the boot order that you define is used. For standard boot mode, the use of the terms primary or secondary boot devices does not imply a boot order. The effective order of boot devices within the same device class is determined by PCIe bus scan order. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image # set vhba vhba-name |
Specifies the vHBA to be used for the SAN boot. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image # create path {primary | secondary} |
Creates a primary or secondary SAN boot path and enters organization boot policy SAN path mode. When using the enhanced boot order on Cisco UCS M3 servers, the boot order that you define is used. For standard boot mode, the use of the terms primary or secondary boot devices does not imply a boot order. The effective order of boot devices within the same device class is determined by PCIe bus scan order. |
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image/path # set {lun lun-id | wwn wwn-num} |
Specifies the LUN or WWN to be used for the SAN path to the boot image. |
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image/path # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example enters the boot policy named lab1-boot-policy, creates a SAN boot for the policy, sets the boot order to 1, creates a primary SAN image, uses a vHBA named vHBA2, creates primary path using LUN 967295200, and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # scope boot-policy lab1-boot-policy UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # create storage UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage* # set order 1 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage* # create san-image primary UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage* # set vhba vHBA2 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image* # create path primary UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image/path* # set lun 967295200 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image/path* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage/san-image/path #
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
iSCSI Boot
iSCSI boot enables a server to boot its operating system from an iSCSI target machine located remotely over a network.
iSCSI boot is supported on the following Cisco UCS hardware:
Cisco UCS server blades that have the Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 network adapter and use the default MAC address provided by Broadcom.
Cisco UCS M81KR Virtual Interface Card
Cisco UCS VIC-1240 Virtual Interface Card
Cisco UCS VIC-1280 Virtual Interface Card
There are prerequisites that must be met before you configure iSCSI boot. For a list of these prerequisites, see iSCSI Boot Guidelines and Prerequisites.
For a high-level procedure for implementing iSCSI boot, see Configuring iSCSI Boot.
- iSCSI Boot Process
- iSCSI Boot Guidelines and Prerequisites
- Initiator IQN Configuration
- Enabling MPIO on Windows
- Configuring iSCSI Boot
- Creating an iSCSI Adapter Policy
- Deleting an iSCSI Adapter Policy
- Creating an Authentication Profile
- Deleting an Authentication Profile
- Adding a Block of IP Addresses to the Initiator Pool
- Deleting a Block of IP Addresses from the Initiator Pool
- Creating an iSCSI Boot Policy
- Deleting iSCSI Devices from a Boot Policy
- Setting an Initiator IQN at the Service Profile Level
- Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile
- Deleting an iSCSI vNIC from a Service Profile
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using a Static IP Address
- Deleting the Static IP Address Boot Parameters from an iSCSI Initiator
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using an IP Address from an IP Pool
- Deleting the IP Pool Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
- Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using DHCP
- Deleting the DHCP Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
- IQN Pools
- Creating an IQN Pool
- Adding a Block to an IQN Pool
- Deleting a Block from an IQN Pool
- Deleting an IQN Pool
- Viewing IQN Pool Usage
- Creating an iSCSI Static Target
- Deleting an iSCSI Static Target
- Creating an iSCSI Auto Target
- Deleting an iSCSI Auto Target
- Verifying iSCSI Boot
iSCSI Boot Process
Cisco UCS Manager uses the iSCSI vNIC and iSCSI boot information created for the service profile in the association process to program the adapter, located on the server. After the adapter is programmed, the server reboots with the latest service profile values. After the power on self-test (POST), the adapter attempts to initialize using these service profile values. If the adapter can use the values and log in to its specified target, the adapter initializes and posts an iSCSI Boot Firmware Table (iBFT) to the host memory and a valid bootable LUN to the system BIOS. The iBFT that is posted to the host memory contains the initiator and target configuration that is programmed on the primary iSCSI VNIC.
![]() Note | Previously, the host would see only one of the boot paths configured, depending on which path completed the LUN discovery first, and would boot from that path. Now, when there are two iSCSI boot vNICs configured, the host will see both of the boot paths. So for multipath configurations, a single IQN needs to be configured on both the boot vNICs If there are different IQNs configured on the boot vNICs on a host, the host will boot with the IQN that is configured on the boot vNIC with the lower PCI order. |
The next step, which is the installation of the operating system (OS), requires an OS that is iBFT capable. During installation of the OS, the OS installer scans the host memory for the iBFT table and uses the information in the iBFT to discover the boot device and create an iSCSI path to the target LUN. In some OS's a NIC driver is required to complete this path. If this step is successful, the OS installer finds the iSCSI target LUN on which to install the OS.
![]() Note | The iBFT works at the OS installation software level and might not work with HBA mode (also known as TCP offload). Whether iBFT works with HBA mode depends on the OS capabilities during installation. Also, for a server that includes a Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 adapter, the iBFT normally works at a maximum transmission unit (MTU) size of 1500, regardless of the MTU jumbo configuration. If the OS supports HBA mode, you might need to set HBA mode, dual-fabric support, and jumbo MTU size after the iSCSI installation process. |
iSCSI Boot Guidelines and Prerequisites
These guidelines and prerequisites must be met before configuring iSCSI boot:
After the iSCSI boot policies have been created, a user with ls-compute privileges can include them in a service profile or service profile template. However, a user with only ls-compute privileges cannot create iSCSI boot policies.
To set up iSCSI boot from a Windows 2008 server where the second vNIC (failover vNIC) must boot from an iSCSI LUN, consult Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 976042. Microsoft has a known issue where Windows might fail to boot from an iSCSI drive or cause a bugcheck error if the networking hardware is changed. To work around this issue, follow the resolution recommended by Microsoft.
The storage array must be licensed for iSCSI boot and the array side LUN masking must be properly configured.
Two IP addresses must be determined, one for each iSCSI initiator. If possible, the IP addresses should be on the same subnet as the storage array. The IP addresses are assigned statically or dynamically using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
You cannot configure boot parameters in the Global boot policy. Instead, after configuring boot parameters, you need to include the boot policy in the appropriate service profile.
The operating system (OS) must be iSCSI Boot Firmware Table (iBFT) compatible.
- For Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom
BCM57711 network adapters:
Servers that use iSCSI boot must contain the Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 network adapter. For information on installing or replacing an adapter card, see the Cisco UCS B250 Extended Memory Blade Server Installation and Service Note. The service note is accessible from the Cisco UCS B-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap at http://www.cisco.com/go/unifiedcomputing/b-series-doc.
Set the MAC addresses on the iSCSI device.
If you are using the DHCP Vendor ID (Option 43), configure the MAC address of an iSCSI device in /etc/dhcpd.conf.
HBA mode (also known as TCP offload) and the boot to target setting are supported. However, only Windows OS supports HBA mode during installation.
Before installing the OS, disable the boot to target setting in the iSCSI adapter policy, then after installing the OS, reenable the boot to target setting. 
NoteEach time you change an adapter policy setting, the adapter reboots to apply the new setting.
When installing the OS on the iSCSI target, the iSCSI target must be ordered before the device where the OS image resides. For example, if you are installing the OS on the iSCSI target from a CD, the boot order should be the iSCSI target and then the CD.
After the server has been iSCSI booted, do not modify the Initiator Name, Target name, LUN, iSCSI device IP, or Netmask/gateway using the Broadcom tool.
Do not interrupt the POST (power on self-test) process or the Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 network adapter will fail to initialize.
For Cisco UCS M81KR Virtual Interface Card and Cisco UCS VIC-1240 Virtual Interface Card: Do not set MAC addresses on the iSCSI device.
HBA mode and the boot to target setting are not supported.
When installing the OS on the iSCSI target, the iSCSI target must be ordered after the device where the OS image resides. For example, if you are installing the OS on the iSCSI target from a CD, the boot order should be the CD and then the iSCSI target.
If you are using the DHCP Vendor ID (Option 43), the MAC address of the overlay vNIC needs to be configured in /etc/dhcpd.conf.
After the server has been iSCSI booted, do not modify the IP details of the overlay vNIC.
The VMware ESX/ESXi operating system does not support storing a core dump file to an iSCSI boot target LUN. Dump files must be written to a local disk.
Initiator IQN Configuration
Cisco UCS uses the following rules to determine the initiator IQN for an adapter iSCSI vNIC at the time a service profile is associated with a physical server:
An initiator IQN at the service profile level and at the iSCSI vNIC level cannot be used together in a service profile.
If an initiator IQN is specified at the service profile level, all of the adaptor iSCSI vNICs are configured to use the same initiator IQN, except in the case of DHCP Option 43, where the initiator IQN is set to empty on the adapter iSCSI vNIC.
When an initiator IQN is set at the iSCSI vNIC level, the initiator IQN at the service profile level is removed, if one is present.
If there are two iSCSI vNIC in a service profile and only one of them has the initiator IQN set, the second one is configured with the default IQN pool. You can change this configuration later. The only exception is if DHCP Option 43 is configured. In this case, the initiator IQN on the second iSCSI vNIC is removed during service profile association.
Enabling MPIO on Windows
![]() Note | If you change the networking hardware, Windows may fail to boot from an iSCSI drive. For more information, see Microsoft support Article ID: 976042. |
The server on which you enable MPIO must have a Cisco VIC driver.
If there are multiple paths configured to the boot LUN, only one path should be enabled when the LUN is installed.
| Step 1 | In the service profile associated with the server, configure the primary iSCSI vNIC.
For more information, see Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile. |
| Step 2 | Using the primary iSCSI vNIC, install the Windows operating system on the iSCSI target LUN. |
| Step 3 | After Windows installation is completed, enable MPIO on the host. |
| Step 4 | In the service profile associated with the server, add the secondary iSCSI vNIC to the boot policy. For more information, see Creating an iSCSI Boot Policy. |
Configuring iSCSI Boot
When you configure an adapter or blade in Cisco UCS to iSCSI boot from a LUN target, you need to complete all of the following steps.
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Configure the iSCSI boot adapter policy. | (Optional)
For more information, see Creating an iSCSI Adapter Policy |
| Step 2 | Configure the authentication profiles to be used by the initiator and target. | (Optional) For more information, see Creating an Authentication Profile |
| Step 3 | If you plan to configure the iSCSI initiator to use an IP address from a pool of IP addresses, add a block of IP addresses to the iSCSI initiator pool. | (Optional) For more information, see Adding a Block of IP Addresses to the Initiator Pool |
| Step 4 | Create a boot policy that can be used in any service profile. Alternatively, you can create a local boot policy only for the specific service policy. However, we recommend that you create a boot policy that can be shared with multiple service profiles. | For more information about creating a boot policy that can be used in any service profile, see Creating an iSCSI Boot Policy. |
| Step 5 | If you created a boot policy that can be used in any service profile, you need to assign it to the service profile. Otherwise, proceed to the next step. | For more information, see Creating a Service Profile Template. |
| Step 6 | Configure an Ethernet vNIC in a service profile. | The Ethernet vNIC is used as the overlay vNIC for the iSCSI device. For more information, see Configuring a vNIC for a Service Profile. |
| Step 7 | Create an iSCSI vNIC in a service profile. | For more information, see Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile |
| Step 8 | Set the iSCSI initiator to boot using a static IP Address, an IP address from an IP pool, or DHCP. | See either Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using a Static IP Address, Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using an IP Address from an IP Pool, or Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using DHCP. |
| Step 9 | Create an iSCSI static or auto target. | For more information, see either Creating an iSCSI Static Target or Creating an iSCSI Auto Target. |
| Step 10 | Associate the service profile with a server. | For more information, see Associating a Service Profile with a Blade Server or Server Pool. |
| Step 11 | Verify the iSCSI boot operation. | For more information, see Verifying iSCSI Boot |
| Step 12 | Install the OS on the server. | |
| Step 13 | Boot the server. |
Creating an iSCSI Adapter Policy
| 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 iscsi-policy policy-name |
Creates the iSCSI adapter policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set descr description | (Optional)
Provides a description for the iSCSI adapter policy. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item connection-timeout timeout-secs |
The number of seconds to wait until Cisco UCS assumes that the initial login has failed and the iSCSI adapter is unavailable. Enter an integer between 0 and 255. If you enter 0, Cisco UCS uses the value set in the adapter firmware (default: 15 seconds). |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item dhcp-timeout timeout-secs |
The number of seconds to wait before the initiator assumes that the DHCP server is unavailable. Enter an integer between 60 and 300 (default: 60 seconds). |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item lun-busy-retry-count num |
The number of times to retry the connection in case of a failure during iSCSI LUN discovery. Enter an integer between 0 and 60. If you enter 0, Cisco UCS uses the value set in the adapter firmware (default: 15 seconds). |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item tcp-time-stamp {no | yes} |
Specifies whether to apply a TCP timestamp. With this setting, transmitted packets are given a time stamp of when the packet was sent so that the packet's round-trip time can be calculated, when needed. This setting applies only to Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 adapters. |
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item hbamode {no | yes} |
Specifies whether to enable HBA mode. This option should only be enabled for servers with the Cisco UCS NIC M51KR-B adapter running the Windows operating system. |
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # set iscsi-protocol-item boottotarget {no | yes} |
Specifies whether to boot from the iSCSI target. This option only applies to servers with the Cisco UCS NIC M51KR-B adapter. It should be disabled until you have installed an operating system on the server. |
| Step 10 | UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI adapter policy called iscsiboot, set the connection timeout, DHCP timeout, and LUN busy retry count, apply a TCP timestamp, and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # create iscsi-policy iscsiboot UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item connection-timeout 60 UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item dhcp-timeout 200 UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item lun-busy-retry-count 5 UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item tcp-time-stamp yes UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item hbamode yes UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # set iscsi-protocol-item boottotarget yes UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/iscsi-policy #
Include the adapter policy in a service profile and/or template.
Deleting an iSCSI Adapter Policy
| 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 iscsi-policy policy-name |
Deletes the iSCSI adapter policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an iSCSI adapter policy named iscsi-adapter-pol and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # delete iscsi-policy iscsi-adapter-pol UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org #
Creating an Authentication Profile
If you use authentication for iSCSI boot, you need to create an authentication profile for both the initiator and target.
| 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 auth-profile profile-name |
Creates an authentication profile with the specified name. The name can be up to 16 alphanumeric characters. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set user-id id-name | Creates a log in for authentication. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set password | Creates a password for authentication. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # exit | Exits the current mode. |
| Step 7 | Repeat steps 2 through 6 to create an authentication profile for the target. |
The following example shows how to create an authentication profile for an initiator and target and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org UCS-A /org # create auth-profile InitAuth UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set user-id init UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set password Enter a password: Confirm the password: UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/auth-profile # exit UCS-A /org # create auth-profile TargetAuth UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set user-id target UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # set password Enter a password: Confirm the password: UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/auth-profile # exit
Create an Ethernet vNIC to be used as the overlay vNIC for the iSCSI device, and then create an iSCSI vNIC.
Deleting an Authentication Profile
| 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 auth-profile auth-profile-name |
Deletes the specified authentication profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an authentication profile called iscsi-auth and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org UCS-A /org # delete auth-profile iscsi-auth UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org #
Adding a Block of IP Addresses to the Initiator Pool
You can create a group of IP addresses to be used for iSCSI boot. Cisco UCS Manager reserves the block of IP addresses you specify.
The IP pool must not contain any IP addresses that have been assigned as static IP addresses for a server or service profile.
| 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, enter / as the org-name. | ||
| Step 2 | UCS-A /org# scope ip-pool iscsi-initiator-pool | Enters the mode to specify an iSCSI initiator pool. | ||
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool # set descr description | (Optional)
Provides a description for the IP pool.
| ||
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool # set assignmentorder {default | sequential} | This can be one of the following: | ||
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool# create block from_ip_address to_ip_address default_gateway subnet_mask | Creates a block of IP addresses for the iSCSI initiator. | ||
| Step 6 | UCS-A/org/ip-pool/block# show detail expand | (Optional) Shows the block of IP addresses that you have created. | ||
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool/block # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an IP initiator pool for the iSCSI vNIC and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org /
UCS-A /org # scope ip-pool iscsi-initiator-pool
UCS-A /org/ip-pool # create block 40.40.40.10 40.40.40.50 40.40.40.1 255.0.0.0
UCS-A /org/ip-pool/block # show detail expand
Block of IP Addresses:
From: 40.40.40.10
To: 40.40.40.50
Default Gateway: 40.40.40.1
Subnet Mask: 255.0.0.0
UCS-A /org/ip-pool/block # commit buffer
Configure one or more service profiles or service profile templates to obtain the iSCSI initiator IP address from the iSCSI initiator IP pool.
Deleting a Block of IP Addresses from the Initiator Pool
| 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, enter / as the org-name. |
| Step 2 | UCS-A /org# scope ip-pool iscsi-initiator-pool | Enters the mode to specify an iSCSI initiator pool. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool# delete block from_ip_address to_ip_address | Deletes the specified block of IP addresses from the initiator pool. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A/org/ip-pool/block# show detail expand | (Optional) Shows that the block of IP addresses has been deleted. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/ip-pool# commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete a block of IP addresses from the initiator pool and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org /
UCS-A /org # scope ip-pool iscsi-initiator-pool
UCS-A /org/ip-pool # delete block 40.40.40.10 40.40.40.50 40.40.40.1 255.0.0.0
UCS-A /org/ip-pool # show detail expand
IP Pool:
Name: iscsi-initiator-pool
Size: 0
Assigned: 0
Descr:
UCS-A /org/ip-pool # commit buffer
Creating an iSCSI Boot Policy
You can add up to two iSCSI vNICs per boot policy. One vNIC acts as the primary iSCSI boot source, and the other acts as the secondary iSCSI boot source.
| 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 boot-policy policy-name [purpose {operational | utility}] |
Creates a boot policy with the specified policy name, and enters organization boot policy mode. This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters other than - (hyphen), _ (underscore), : (colon), and . (period), and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved. When you create the boot policy, specify the operational option. This ensures that the server boots from the operating system installed on the server. The utility options is reserved and should only be used if instructed to do so by a Cisco representative. | ||
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # set descr description | (Optional)
Provides a description for the boot policy.
| ||
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # set enforce-vnic-name {no | yes} | (Optional)
If you choose yes, Cisco UCS Manager reports whether the device name specified in the boot policy matches what is specified in the service profile. If you choose no, Cisco UCS Manager uses any vNIC, vHBA, or iSCSI device from the service profile and does not report whether the device name specified in the boot policy matches what is specified in the service profile. | ||
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # set reboot-on-update {no | yes} |
Specifies whether the servers using this boot policy are automatically rebooted after you make changes to the boot order. In the Cisco UCS Manager GUI, if the Reboot on Boot Order Change check box is checked for a boot policy, and if CD-ROM or Floppy is the last device in the boot order, deleting or adding the device does not directly affect the boot order and the server does not reboot. | ||
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # create iscsi |
Adds an iSCSI boot to the boot policy. | ||
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi # create path {primary | secondary} |
Specifies the primary and secondary paths that Cisco UCS Manager uses to reach the iSCSI target .With iSCSI boot, you set up two paths. Cisco UCS Manager uses the primary path first, and if that fails, then it uses the secondary path. | ||
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi/path # create iscsivnicname iscsi-vnic-name |
Creates an iSCSI vNIC. | ||
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi/path # exit |
Exits iSCSI path mode. | ||
| Step 10 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi/path # set order order-num |
Specifies the order for the iSCSI boot in the boot order. | ||
| Step 11 | Repeat steps 8-10 to create secondary iSCSI vNICs. | (Optional) | ||
| Step 12 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI boot policy named iscsi-boot-policy-LAN, provide a description for the boot policy, specify that servers using this policy are not automatically rebooted when the boot order is changed, set the boot order for iSCSI boot to 2, create an iSCSI boot and associate it with a vNIC called iscsienic1, and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # create boot-policy iscsi-boot-policy-LAN purpose operational UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # set descr "Boot policy that boots from iSCSI." UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # set enforce-vnic-name yes UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # set reboot-on-update no UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # create iscsi UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi* # create path primary UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi/path* # set iscsivnicname iscsienic1 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi/path* # exit UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi* # set order 2 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/iscsi* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy #
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
After a server is associated with a service profile that includes this boot policy, you can verify the actual boot order in the Boot Order Details area on the General tab for the server.
Deleting iSCSI Devices from a Boot Policy
| 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 # scope boot-policy boot-pol-name |
Enters boot policy organization mode for the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # delete iscsi |
Deletes the iSCSI boot from the boot policy. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an iSCSI boot from the boot policy named boot-policy-iscsi and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # scope boot-policy boot-policy-iscsi UCS-A /org/boot-policy # delete iscsi UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy #
Setting an Initiator IQN at the Service Profile Level
In a service profile, you can create an initiator with a specific IQN or one that is derived from a pool of IQNs.
You cannot delete an IQN using the CLI.
To understand the initiator IQN configuration guidelines, see Initiator IQN Configuration.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile# set iscsi-identity {initiator nameinitiator-name|initiator-pool-namepool-name} | Creates an initiator with the specified name. The name can be up to 16 alphanumeric characters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/auth-profile* # exit | Exits the current mode. |
The following example shows how to create a specific name for an iSCSI initiator and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # set iscsi-identity initiator-name manual:IQN UCS-A /org/service-profile* # commit-buffer
Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile
You can create an iSCSI vNIC in a service profile.
You must have an Ethernet vNIC in a service profile to be used as the overlay vNIC for the iSCSI device.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. | ||
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # create vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name . |
Specifies the iSCSI vNIC name. | ||
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set iscsi-adaptor-policy iscsi-adaptor-name | (Optional)
Specifies the iSCSI adapter policy that you have created for this iSCSI vNIC. | ||
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set auth-name authentication-profile-name | (Optional) Sets the authentication profile to be used by the iSCSI vNIC. The authentication profile must already exist for it to be set. For more information, see Creating an Authentication Profile. | ||
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set identity { dynamic-mac {dynamic-mac-address | derived } | mac-pool mac-pool-name } |
| ||
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set iscsi-identity {initiator-name initiator-name | initiator-pool-name iqn-pool-name} |
Specifies the name of the iSCSI initiator or the name of an IQN pool from which the iSCSI initiator name will be provided. The iSCSI initiator name can be up to 223 characters. | ||
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set overlay-vnic-name overlay-vnic-name |
Specifies the Ethernet vNIC that is used by the iSCSI device as the overlay vNIC. For more information, see Configuring a vNIC for a Service Profile. | ||
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # create eth-if | Creates an Ethernet interface for a VLAN assigned to the iSCSI vNIC. | ||
| Step 10 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi/eth-if* # set vlanname vlan-name. | Specifies the VLAN name. The default VLAN is default. For the Cisco UCS M81KR Virtual Interface Card and the Cisco UCS VIC-1240 Virtual Interface Card, the VLAN that you specify must be the same as the native VLAN on the overlay vNIC. For the Cisco UCS M51KR-B Broadcom BCM57711 adapter, the VLAN that you specify can be any VLAN assigned to the overlay vNIC. | ||
| Step 11 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI vNIC called scsivnic1, add it to an existing service profile called accounting, and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # create vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set iscsi-adaptor-policy iscsiboot UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set auth-name initauth UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set identity dynamic-mac derived UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set iscsi-identity initiator-name iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # set overlay-vnic-name eth1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi* # create eth-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi/eth-if* # set vlanname default UCS-A /org/service-profile/vnic-iscsi/eth-if* # commit buffer
Configure an iSCSI initiator to boot using a static IP address, an IP address from a configured IP pool, or DHCP.
Deleting an iSCSI vNIC from a Service Profile
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # delete vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Deletes the specified iSCSI vNIC from the specified service profile. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an iSCSI vNIC called scsivnic1 and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # delete vnic-iscsi scsivnic1 UCS-A /org/service-profile* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/service-profile #
Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using a Static IP Address
In a service profile, you can create an iSCSI initiator and configure it to boot using a static IP address.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create ip-if | Creates an IP interface. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if* # enter static-ip-params | Specifies that you are entering static IP boot parameters. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set addr ip-address | Specifies the static IP address. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set default-gw ip-address | Specifies the default gateway IP address. |
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set primary-dns ip-address | Specifies the primary DNS IP address. |
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set secondary-dns ip-address | Specifies the secondary DNS IP address. |
| Step 10 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set subnet subnet-ip-address | Specifies the subnet mask. |
| Step 11 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/eth-if/ip-if/static-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to configure the initiator to boot using a static IP address and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # enter static-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set addr 10.104.105.193 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set default-gw 10.104.105.1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set primary-dns 11.11.11.100 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set secondary-dns 11.11.11.100 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # set subnet 255.255.255.0 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # commit-buffer
Create an iSCSI target.
Deleting the Static IP Address Boot Parameters from an iSCSI Initiator
In a service profile, you can delete the static IP address boot parameters from an iSCSI initiator.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # scope ip-if | Enters the configuration mode for an IP interface. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # delete static-ip-params | Deletes the static IP boot parameters from an initiator. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/static-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete the static IP address boot parameters from the initiator and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # scope ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if # delete static-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # commit-buffer
Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using an IP Address from an IP Pool
In a service profile, you can create an iSCSI initiator and configure it to boot using an IP address from an IP pool that you have created.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the configuration mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi* # scope ip-if | Enters the configuration mode for the iSCSI Ethernet interface. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # enter pooled-ip-params | Specifies that the iSCSI initiator boot using one of the IP addresses from the previously created iSCSI initiator IP pool. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/pooled-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI initiator and configure it to boot using an IP address from an IP pool:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # scope ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # enter pooled-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/pooled-ip-params* # commit buffer
Create an iSCSI target.
Deleting the IP Pool Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
In a service profile, you can create an iSCSI initiator and configure it to boot using an IP address from an IP pool that you have created.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the configuration mode for configuring the iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/ # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # enter ip-if | Enters the configuration mode for an IP interface. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # delete pooled-ip-params | Specifies that the iSCSI initiator does not use an IP address from an IP pool to boot. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/pooled-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete the boot using an IP address from an IP poo parameter and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # enter ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # delete pooled-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/pooled-ip-params* # commit buffer
Creating an iSCSI Initiator that Boots Using DHCP
In a service profile, you can create an iSCSI initiator and configure it to boot using DHCP.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the configuration mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create ip-if | Creates an IP interface. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # create dhcp-ip-params | Specifies that you are setting the initiator to boot using DHCP. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/dhcp-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to configure the initiator to boot using DHCP and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # create dhcp-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/dhcp-ip-params* # commit-buffer
Create an iSCSI target.
Deleting the DHCP Boot Parameter from an iSCSI Initiator
In a service profile, you can remove the DHCP boot parameter from an iSCSI initiator.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the configuration mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the configuration mode for the specified iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # enter ip-if | Enters the configuration mode for an IP interface. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # delete dhcp-ip-params | Specifies that the initiator does not use DHCP to boot. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/dhcp-ip-params* # commit buffer | Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete the boot using DHCP parameter and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # enter ip-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if* # delete dhcp-ip-params UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ip-if/dhcp-ip-params* # commit-buffer
IQN Pools
An IQN pool is a collection of iSCSI Qualified Names (IQNs) for use as initiator identifiers by iSCSI vNICs in a Cisco UCS domain.
IQN pool members are of the form prefix:suffix:number, where you can specify the prefix, suffix, and a block (range) of numbers.
An IQN pool can contain more than one IQN block, with different number ranges and different suffixes, but sharing the same prefix.
Creating an IQN Pool
![]() Note | In most cases, the maximum IQN size (prefix + suffix + additional characters) is 223 characters. When using the Cisco UCS NIC M51KR-B adapter, you must limit the IQN size to 128 characters. |
| 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, enter / as the org-name. | ||
| Step 2 | UCS-A /org # create iqn-pool pool-name |
Creates an IQN pool with the specified pool name and enters organization IQN pool mode. This name can be between 1 and 32 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters other than - (hyphen), _ (underscore), : (colon), and . (period), and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved. | ||
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # set iqn-prefix prefix | Specifies the prefix for the IQN block members. Unless limited by the adapter card, the prefix can contain up to 150 characters. | ||
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # set descr description | (Optional)
Provides a description for the IQN pool. Enter up to 256 characters.
| ||
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # set assignmentorder {default | sequential} | This can be one of the following: | ||
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # create block suffix from to |
Creates a block (range) of IQNs, and enters organization IQN pool block mode. You must specify the base suffix, the starting suffix number, and the ending suffix number. The resulting IQN pool members are of the form prefix:suffix:number. The suffix can be up to 64 characters.
| ||
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an IQN pool named pool4, provide a description for the pool, specify a prefix and a block of suffixes to be used for the pool, and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # create iqn-pool pool4 UCS-A /org/iqn-pool* # set iqn-prefix iqn.alpha.com UCS-A /org/iqn-pool* # set descr "This is IQN pool 4" UCS-A /org/iqn-pool* # create block beta 3 5 UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block #
Include the IQN suffix pool in a service profile and/or template.
Adding a Block to an IQN Pool
| 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 # scope iqn-pool pool-name |
Enters organization IQN pool mode for the specified pool. | ||
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # create block suffix from to |
Creates a block (range) of IQN suffixes, and enters organization IQN pool block mode. You must specify the base suffix, the starting suffix number, and the ending suffix number. The resulting IQN pool members are of the form prefix:suffix:number.
| ||
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. | ||
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block # exit | (Optional)
Returns to organization IQN pool mode. | ||
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # show block | (Optional) Displays the blocks of suffixes. |
This example shows how to add a block of IQN suffixes to an IQN pool named pool4 and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org # scope iqn-pool pool4
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # create block beta 3 5
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool/block # exit
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # show block
Block of IQN Names:
Suffix From To
---------- ----- --
beta 3 5
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool #
Deleting a Block from an IQN Pool
If you delete an address block from a pool, Cisco UCS Manager does not reallocate any addresses in that block that have been assigned to vNICs or vHBAs. All assigned addresses from a deleted block remain with the vNIC or vHBA to which they are assigned until one of the following occurs:
| 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 # scope iqn-pool pool-name |
Enters organization IQN pool mode for the specified pool. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # delete block suffix from to |
Deletes a block (range) of IQNs. You must specify the base suffix and the first and last numbers in the block to be deleted. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
This example shows how to delete a block of suffixes from an IQN pool named pool4 and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # scope iqn-pool pool4 UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # delete block beta 0 12 UCS-A /org/iqn-pool* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/iqn-pool #
Deleting an IQN Pool
If you delete a pool, Cisco UCS Manager does not reallocate any addresses from that pool that have been assigned to vNICs or vHBAs. All assigned addresses from a deleted pool remain with the vNIC or vHBA to which they are assigned until one of the following occurs:
| 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, enter / as the org-name. |
| Step 2 | UCS-A /org # delete iqn-pool pool-name |
Deletes the specified IQN pool. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete the IQN pool named pool4 and commit the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # delete iqn-pool pool4 UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org #
Viewing IQN Pool Usage
| 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, enter / as the org-name. |
| Step 2 | UCS-A /org # scope iqn-pool pool-name |
Enters organization IQN pool mode for the specified pool. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # show pooled | Displays the assignments of the IQN block members. |
The following example shows how to display the assignments of suffixes in the IQN pool named pool4:
UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org # scope iqn-pool pool4
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool # show pooled
Pooled:
Name Assigned Assigned To Dn
---------- -------- --------------
beta:3 No
beta:4 No
beta:5 No
UCS-A /org/iqn-pool #
Creating an iSCSI Static Target
You can create a static target.
You have already created an iSCSI vNIC.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile to which you want to add an iSCSI target. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the iSCSI vNIC mode for the specified vNIC name. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create static-target-if {1 | 2} |
Creates a static target for the iSCSI vNIC and assigns a priority level to it. Valid priority levels are 1 or 2. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # set name name |
A regular expression that defines the iSCSI Qualified Name (IQN) or Extended Unique Identifier (EUI) name of the iSCSI target. You can enter any alphanumeric characters as well as the following special characters: This name must be properly formatted using standard IQN or EUI guidelines. The following examples show properly formatted iSCSI target names: |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # set port port-num |
The port associated with the iSCSI target. Enter an integer between 1 and 65535. The default is 3260. |
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # set auth-name auth-profile | (Optional) If you need the target to authenticate itself and have set up an authentication profile, you need to specify the name of authentication profile. The name of the associated iSCSI authentication profile. |
| Step 9 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # set ipaddress ipv4-address |
The IPv4 address assigned to the iSCSI target. |
| Step 10 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # create lun | Creates the LUN that corresponds to the location of the interface. |
| Step 11 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # set id id-number | Specifies the target LUN id. Valid values are from 0 to 65535. |
| Step 12 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # exit | Exits the current configuration mode. |
| Step 13 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if # exit | Exits the current configuration mode. |
| Step 14 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
| Step 15 | Repeat steps 5 through 14 to create a second static target. | (Optional) |
The following example shows how to create two iSCSI static target interfaces and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org test UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create static-target-if 1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set name statictarget1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set port 3260 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set auth-name authprofile1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set ip-address 192.168.10.10 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # create lun UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # set id 1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create static-target-if 2 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set ipaddress 192.168.10.11 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set name statictarget2 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set port 3260 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # set auth-name authprofile1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # create lun UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # set id 1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if/lun* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/static-target-if* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer
To configure a second iSCSI device, repeat the steps for creating an iSCSI vNIC, initiator, and target.
Deleting an iSCSI Static Target
You can delete an iSCSI static target. However, you must have at least one iSCSI static target remaining after you delete one. Therefore, you must have two iSCSI static targets in order to delete one of them.
![]() Note | If you have two iSCSI targets and you delete the first priority target, the second priority target becomes the first priority target, although the Cisco UCS Manager still shows it as the second priority target. |
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile to which you want to add an iSCSI target. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the iSCSI vNIC mode for the specified vNIC name. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # delete static-target-if |
Deletes the static target for the iSCSI vNIC. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an iSCSI static target and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org test UCS-A /org # scope service-profile sample UCS-A /org # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi trial UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # delete static-target-if 1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi #
Creating an iSCSI Auto Target
You can create an iSCSI auto target with or without the vendor IDs.
You have already created an iSCSI vNIC in a service profile.
You have considered the prerequisites for the VIC that you are using. For more information, see iSCSI Boot Guidelines and Prerequisites
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters service profile organization mode for the service profile that you want to add an iSCSI target interface to. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org # scope iscsi-boot Example: | Enters the mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters iSCSI vNIC service profile organization mode for the specified vNIC name. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/ # create auto-target-if |
Creates an auto target for the iSCSI vNIC. If you plan to use an auto target without the vendor ID, you must configure an initiator name. For more information, see Creating an iSCSI vNIC in a Service Profile. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/auto-target-if* # set dhcp-vendor-id vendor-id | (Optional) Sets a vendor ID for the auto target. The vendor ID can be up to 32 alphanumeric characters. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/auto-target-if* # exit |
Exists the current configuration mode. |
| Step 8 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscis-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI auto target without a vendor ID and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create auto-target-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/auto-target-if* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer
The following example shows how to create an iSCSI auto target with a vendor ID and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # create auto-target-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/auto-target-if* # set dhcp-vendor-id iSCSI_Vendor UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi/auto-target-if* # exit UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer
To configure a second iSCSI device, repeat the steps for creating an iSCSI vNIC, initiator, and target.
Deleting an iSCSI Auto Target
You can delete an auto target only if you have a static target set.
| 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 # scope service-profile profile-name |
Enters the service profile mode for the service profile to which you want to add an iSCSI target. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot | Enters the mode for configuring iSCSI boot parameters. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iscsi-vnic-name |
Enters the iSCSI vNIC mode for the specified vNIC name. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # delete auto-target-if |
Deletes the auto target. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example shows how to delete an iSCSI auto target and commit the transaction:
UCS-A # scope org test UCS-A /org # scope service-profile accounting UCS-A /org/service-profile # scope iscsi-boot UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot # scope vnic-iscsi iSCSI1 UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # delete auto-target-if UCS-A /org/service-profile/iscsi-boot/vnic-iscsi # commit-buffer
Verifying iSCSI Boot
Use the KVM console to view the boot up messages as the adapter is booting. For information on how to access the KVM console, see the Starting the KVM Console chapter.
This step can only be performed using the Cisco UCS Manager GUI. For more information, see the Starting the KVM Console chapter in the UCS Manager GUI Configuration Guide.
LAN Boot
You can configure a boot policy to boot one or more servers from a centralized provisioning server on the LAN. A LAN (or PXE) boot is frequently used to install operating systems on a server from that LAN server.
You can add more than one type of boot device to a LAN boot policy. For example, you could add a local disk or virtual media boot as a secondary boot device.
Configuring a LAN Boot for a Boot Policy
Create a boot policy to contain the LAN boot configuration.
| 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 # scope boot-policy policy-name |
Enters organization boot policy mode for the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # create lan |
Creates a LAN boot for the boot policy and enters organization boot policy LAN mode. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan # set order {1 | 2 | 3 | 4} |
Specifies the boot order for the LAN boot. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan # create path {primary | secondary} |
Creates a primary or secondary LAN boot path and enters organization boot policy LAN path mode. |
| Step 6 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path # set vnic vnic-name |
Specifies the vNIC to use for the LAN path to the boot image. |
| Step 7 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example enters the boot policy named lab2-boot-policy, creates a LAN boot for the policy, sets the boot order to 2, creates primary and secondary paths using the vNICs named vNIC1 and vNIC2 , and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # scope boot-policy lab2-boot-policy UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # create lan UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan* # set order 2 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan* # create path primary UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path* # set vnic vNIC1 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path* # exit UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan* # create path secondary UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path* # set vnic vNIC2 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy/lan/path #
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
Local Disk Boot
If a server has a local drive or bootable USB device, you can configure a boot policy to boot the server from that device with a local disk boot policy.
![]() Note | Cisco UCS Manager does not differentiate between the types of local boot devices. If an operating system has been installed on more than one local drive or on an internal USB drive (eUSB), you cannot specify which of these devices the server should use as the boot drive. |
Configuring a Local Disk Boot for a Boot Policy
You can also create a local boot policy that is restricted to a service profile or service profile template. However, we recommend that you create a global boot policy that can be included in multiple service profiles or service profile templates.
You can add more than one type of boot device to a boot policy. For example, you could add a virtual media boot as a secondary boot device.
| 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 # scope boot-policy policy-name |
Enters organization boot policy mode for the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # create storage |
Creates a storage boot for the boot policy and enters organization boot policy storage mode. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage # create local |
Creates a local storage location. When using the enhanced boot order on Cisco UCS M3 servers, the boot order that you define is used. For standard boot mode, the use of the terms primary or secondary boot devices does not imply a boot order. The effective order of boot devices within the same device class is determined by PCIe bus scan order. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example enters the boot policy named lab1-boot-policy, creates a local boot for the policy, and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # scope boot-policy lab1-boot-policy UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # create storage UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage* # create local UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org/boot-policy/storage #
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
Virtual Media Boot
You can configure a boot policy to boot one or more servers from a virtual media device that is accessible from the server. A virtual media device mimics the insertion of a physical CD-ROM disk (read-only) or floppy disk (read-write) into a server. This type of server boot is typically used to manually install operating systems on a server.
Configuring a Virtual Media Boot for a Boot Policy
![]() Note | Virtual Media requires the USB to be enabled. If you modify the BIOS settings that affect the USB functionality, you also affect the Virtual Media. Therefore, we recommend that you leave the following USB BIOS defaults for best performance: |
Create a boot policy to contain the virtual media boot configuration.
| 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 # scope boot-policy policy-name |
Enters organization boot policy mode for the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy # create virtual-media {read-only | read-write} |
Creates a virtual media boot for the boot policy, specifies whether the virtual media is has read-only or read-write privileges, and enters organization boot policy virtual media mode. |
| Step 4 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/virtual-media # set order {1 | 2 | 3 | 4} |
Sets the boot order for the virtual-media boot. |
| Step 5 | UCS-A /org/boot-policy/virtual-media # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example enters the boot policy named lab3-boot-policy, creates a virtual media boot with read-only privileges for the policy, sets the boot order to 3, and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org* # scope boot-policy lab3-boot-policy UCS-A /org/boot-policy* # create virtual-media read-only UCS-A /org/boot-policy/virtual-media* # set order 3 UCS-A /org/boot-policy/virtual-media* # commit-buffer
Include the boot policy in a service profile and/or template.
Deleting a Boot Policy
| 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 boot-policy policy-name |
Deletes the specified boot policy. |
| Step 3 | UCS-A /org # commit-buffer |
Commits the transaction to the system configuration. |
The following example deletes the boot policy named boot-policy-LAN and commits the transaction:
UCS-A# scope org / UCS-A /org # delete boot-policy boot-policy-LAN UCS-A /org* # commit-buffer UCS-A /org #

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