- 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
- Blade Server Management
- Guidelines for Removing and Decommissioning Blade Servers
- Recommendations for Avoiding Unexpected Server Power Changes
- Booting Blade Servers
- Shutting Down Blade Servers
- Resetting a Blade Server
- Reacknowledging a Blade Server
- Removing a Server from a Chassis
- Decommissioning a Blade Server
- Recommissioning a Blade Server
- Reacknowledging a Server Slot in a Chassis
- Removing a Non-Existent Blade Server from the Configuration Database
- Turning the Locator LED for a Blade Server On and Off
- Resetting the CMOS for a Blade Server
- Resetting the CIMC for a Blade Server
- Recovering the Corrupt BIOS on a Blade Server
- Viewing the POST Results for a Blade Server
- Issuing an NMI from a Blade Server
- Health LED Alarms
- Viewing Health LED Alarms
Managing Blade Servers
This chapter includes the following sections:
- Blade Server Management
- Guidelines for Removing and Decommissioning Blade Servers
- Recommendations for Avoiding Unexpected Server Power Changes
- Booting Blade Servers
- Shutting Down Blade Servers
- Resetting a Blade Server
- Reacknowledging a Blade Server
- Removing a Server from a Chassis
- Decommissioning a Blade Server
- Recommissioning a Blade Server
- Reacknowledging a Server Slot in a Chassis
- Removing a Non-Existent Blade Server from the Configuration Database
- Turning the Locator LED for a Blade Server On and Off
- Resetting the CMOS for a Blade Server
- Resetting the CIMC for a Blade Server
- Recovering the Corrupt BIOS on a Blade Server
- Viewing the POST Results for a Blade Server
- Issuing an NMI from a Blade Server
- Health LED Alarms
- Viewing Health LED Alarms
Blade Server Management
You can manage and monitor all blade servers in a Cisco UCS domain through Cisco UCS Manager. Some blade server management tasks, such as changes to the power state, can be performed from the server and service profile.
The remaining management tasks can only be performed on the server.
If a blade server slot in a chassis is empty, Cisco UCS Manager provides information, errors, and faults for that slot. You can also reacknowledge the slot to resolve server mismatch errors and to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the blade server in the slot.
Guidelines for Removing and Decommissioning Blade Servers
Consider the following guidelines when deciding whether to remove or decommission a blade server using Cisco UCS Manager:
Decommissioning a Blade Server
Decommissioning is performed when a blade server is physically present and connected but you want to temporarily remove it from the configuration. Because it is expected that a decommissioned blade server will be eventually recommissioned, a portion of the server's information is retained by Cisco UCS Manager for future use.
Removing a Blade Server
Removing is performed when you physically remove a blade server from the server by disconnecting it from the chassis. You cannot remove a blade server from Cisco UCS Manager if it is physically present and connected to a chassis. Once the physical removal of the blade server is completed, the configuration for that blade server can be removed in Cisco UCS Manager.
During removal, active links to the blade server are disabled, all entries from databases are removed, and the server is automatically removed from any server pools that it was assigned to during discovery.
![]() Note | Only those servers added to a server pool automatically during discovery will be removed automatically. Servers that have been manually added to a server pool have to be removed manually. |
If you need to add a removed blade server back to the configuration, it must be reconnected and then rediscovered. When a server is reintroduced to Cisco UCS Manager it is treated like a new server and is subject to the deep discovery process. For this reason, it's possible that Cisco UCS Manager will assign the server a new ID that may be different from the ID that it held before.
Recommendations for Avoiding Unexpected Server Power Changes
If a server is not associated with a service profile, you can use any available means to change the server power state, including the physical Power or Reset buttons on the server.
If a server is associated with, or assigned to, a service profile, you should only use the following methods to change the server power state:
In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, go to the General tab for the server or the service profile associated with the server and select Boot Server or Shutdown Server from the Actions area.
In Cisco UCS Manager CLI, scope to the server or the service profile associated with the server and use the power up or power down commands.
Do not use any of the following options on an associated server that is currently powered off:
If you reset, cycle, or use the physical power buttons on a server that is currently powered off, the server's actual power state may become out of sync with the desired power state setting in the service profile. If the communication between the server and Cisco UCS Manager is disrupted or if the service profile configuration changes, Cisco UCS Manager may apply the desired power state from the service profile to the server, causing an unexpected power change.
Power synchronization issues can lead to an unexpected server restart, as shown below:
Desired Power State in Service Profile |
Current Server Power State |
Server Power State After Communication Is Disrupted |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
Up |
Powered Off |
Powered On |
||
Down |
Powered On |
Powered On
|
Booting Blade Servers
Booting a Blade Server
If the Boot Server link is dimmed in the Actions area, you must shut down the server first.
After the server has booted, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an OK status.
Booting a Server from the Service Profile
Determining the Boot Order of a Blade Server
![]() Tip | You can also view the boot order tabs from the General tab of the service profile associated with a server. |
Shutting Down Blade Servers
Shutting Down a Blade Server
When you use this procedure to shut down a server with an installed operating system, Cisco UCS Manager triggers the OS into a graceful shutdown sequence.
If the Shutdown Server link is dimmed in the Actions area, the server is not running.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to shut down. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Shutdown Server. |
Step 6 | If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes. |
After the server has been successfully shut down, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays a power-off status.
Shutting Down a Server from the Service Profile
When you use this procedure to shut down a server with an installed operating system, Cisco UCS Manager triggers the OS into a graceful shutdown sequence.
If the Shutdown Server link is dimmed in the Actions area, the server is not running.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Servers tab. |
Step 2 | On the Servers tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Expand the node for the organization where you want to create the service profile.
If the system does not include multitenancy, expand the root node. |
Step 4 | Choose the service profile that requires the associated server to be shut down. |
Step 5 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 6 | In the Actions area, click Shutdown Server. |
Step 7 | If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes. |
After the server has been successfully shut down, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays a down status or a power-off status.
Resetting a Blade Server
When you reset a server, Cisco UCS Manager sends a pulse on the reset line. You can choose to gracefully shut down the operating system. If the operating system does not support a graceful shut down, the server is power cycled. The option to have Cisco UCS Manager complete all management operations before it resets the server does not guarantee that these operations will be completed before the server is reset.
![]() Note | If you are trying to boot a server from a power-down state, you should not use Reset. If you continue the power-up with this process, the desired power state of the servers will become out of sync with the actual power state and the servers may unexpectedly shut down at a later time. To safely reboot the selected servers from a power-down state, click Cancel then select the Boot Server action. |
The reset may take several minutes to complete. After the server has been reset, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an ok status.
Reacknowledging a Blade Server
Perform the following procedure if you need to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the server and all endpoints in the server. For example, you can use this procedure if a server is stuck in an unexpected state, such as the discovery state.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to acknowledge. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance. |
Step 6 | In the
Maintenance dialog box, do the following:
Cisco UCS Manager disconnects the server and then builds the connections between the server and the fabric interconnect or fabric interconnects in the system. The acknowledgment may take several minutes to complete. After the server has been acknowledged, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an OK status. |
Removing a Server from a Chassis
Physically remove the server from its chassis before performing the following procedure.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to remove from the chassis. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance. |
Step 6 | In the
Maintenance dialog box, do the following:
The server is removed from the Cisco UCS configuration. |
Step 7 | Go to the physical location of the chassis and remove the server
hardware from the slot.
For instructions on how to remove the server hardware, see the Cisco UCS Hardware Installation Guide for your chassis. |
What to Do Next
If you physically re-install the blade server, you must re-acknowledge the slot to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the server.
For more information, see Reacknowledging a Server Slot in a Chassis.
Decommissioning a Blade Server
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to decommission. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance. |
Step 6 | In the
Maintenance dialog box, do the following:
The server is removed from the Cisco UCS configuration. |
What to Do Next
If you physically re-install the blade server, you must re-acknowledge the slot to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the server.
For more information, see Reacknowledging a Server Slot in a Chassis.
Recommissioning a Blade Server
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, click the Chassis node. |
Step 3 | In the Work pane, click the Decommissioned tab. |
Step 4 | On the row for each blade server that you want to recommission, do the following: |
Step 5 | If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes. |
Step 6 | (Optional)Monitor the progress of the server recommission and discovery on the FSM tab for the server. |
What to Do Next
Reacknowledging a Server Slot in a Chassis
Perform the following procedure if you decommissioned a blade server without removing the physical hardware from the chassis and you want Cisco UCS Manager to rediscover and recommission the server.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. | ||||||
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . | ||||||
Step 3 | Choose the server whose slot you want to reacknowledge. | ||||||
Step 4 | If
Cisco UCS Manager displays a
Resolve Slot Issue dialog box, do one of the
following:
|
Removing a Non-Existent Blade Server from the Configuration Database
Perform the following procedure if you physically removed the server hardware without first decommissioning the server. You cannot perform this procedure if the server is physically present.
If you want to physically remove a server, see Removing a Server from a Chassis.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to remove from the configuration database. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance. |
Step 6 | In the
Maintenance dialog box, do the following:
Cisco UCS Manager removes all data about the server from its configuration database. The server slot is now available for you to insert new server hardware. |
Turning the Locator LED for a Blade Server On and Off
Resetting the CMOS for a Blade Server
On rare occasions, troubleshooting a server may require you to reset the CMOS. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server for which you want to reset the CMOS. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Recover Server. |
Step 6 | In the Recover Server dialog box, do the following: |
Resetting the CIMC for a Blade Server
On rare occasions, such as an issue with the current running firmware, troubleshooting a server may require you to reset the CIMC. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you reset the CIMC, the server boots with the running version of the firmware for that server.
If the CIMC is reset, the power monitoring functions of Cisco UCS become briefly unavailable for as long as it takes for the CIMC to reboot. While this usually only takes 20 seconds, there is a possibility that the peak power cap could be exceeded during that time. To avoid exceeding the configured power cap in a very low power-capped environment, consider staggering the rebooting or activation of CIMCs.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server for which you want to reset the CIMC. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Recover Server. |
Step 6 | In the Recover Server dialog box, do the following: |
Recovering the Corrupt BIOS on a Blade Server
On rare occasions, an issue with a server may require you to recover the corrupted BIOS. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you recover the BIOS, the server boots with the running version of the firmware for that server. This radio button may be dimmed if the BIOS does not require recovery or the option is not available for a particular server.
Remove all attached or mapped USB storage from a server before you attempt to recover the corrupt BIOS on that server. If an external USB drive is attached or mapped from vMedia to the server, BIOS recovery fails.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server for which you want to recover the BIOS. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Recover Server. |
Step 6 | In the
Recover Server dialog box, do the following:
|
Step 7 | If the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes. |
Step 8 | In the Recover Corrupt BIOS dialog box, do the following: |
Viewing the POST Results for a Blade Server
You can view any errors collected during the Power On Self-Test process for a server and its adapters.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server for which you want to view the POST results. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click View POST Results.
The POST Results dialog box lists the POST results for the server and its adapters. |
Step 6 | (Optional)Click the link in the Affected Object column to view the properties of that adapter. |
Step 7 | Click OK to close the POST Results dialog box. |
Issuing an NMI from a Blade Server
Perform the following procedure if the system remains unresponsive and you need Cisco UCS Manager to issue a Non Maskable Interrupt (NMI) to the BIOS or operating system from the CIMC. This action creates a core dump or stack trace, depending on the operating system installed on the server.
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Choose the server that you want to issue the NMI. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance. |
Step 6 | In the
Maintenance dialog box, do the following:
Cisco UCS Manager sends an NMI to the BIOS or operating system. |
Health LED Alarms
The blade health LED is located on the front of each Cisco UCS B-Series blade server. Cisco UCS Manager allows you to view the sensor faults that cause the blade health LED to change color from green to amber or blinking amber.
The health LED alarms display the following information:
Name | Description |
---|---|
The severity of the alarm. This can be one of the following: |
|
Sensor ID column |
The ID of the sensor the triggered the alarm. |
Sensor Name column |
The name of the sensor that triggered the alarm. |
Viewing Health LED Alarms
Step 1 | In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab. |
Step 2 | On the Equipment tab, expand . |
Step 3 | Click the server for which you want to view health LED alarms. |
Step 4 | In the Work pane, click the General tab. |
Step 5 | In the Actions area, click View Health LED Alarms. The View Health LED Alarms dialog box lists the health LED alarms for the selected server. |
Step 6 | Click OK to close the View Health LED Alarms dialog box. |