Configuring the Fabric Interconnects

This chapter includes the following sections:

Initial System Setup

The first time that you access a fabric interconnect in a Cisco UCS domain, a setup wizard prompts you for the following information required to configure the system:

  • Installation method (GUI or CLI)

  • Setup mode (restore from full system backup or initial setup)

  • System configuration type (standalone or cluster configuration)

  • System name

  • Admin password

  • Management port IPv4 address and subnet mask, or IPv6 address and prefix

  • Default gateway IPv4 or IPv6 address

  • DNS Server IPv4 or IPv6 address

  • Default domain name

Setup Mode

You can choose to either restore the system configuration from an existing backup file, or manually set up the system by going through the Setup wizard. If you choose to restore the system, the backup file must be reachable from the management network.

System Configuration Type

You can configure a Cisco UCS domain to use a single fabric interconnect in a standalone configuration or to use a redundant pair of fabric interconnects in a cluster configuration.

A cluster configuration provides high availability. If one fabric interconnect becomes unavailable, the other takes over. Only one management port (Mgmt0) connection is required to support a cluster configuration; however, both Mgmt0 ports should be connected to provide link-level redundancy.

In addition, a cluster configuration actively enhances failover recovery time for redundant virtual interface (VIF) connections. When an adapter has an active VIF connection to one fabric interconnect and a standby VIF connection to the second, the learned MAC addresses of the active VIF are replicated but not installed on the second fabric interconnect. If the active VIF fails, the second fabric interconnect installs the replicated MAC addresses and broadcasts them to the network through gratuitous ARP messages, shortening the switchover time.


Note

The cluster configuration provides redundancy only for the management plane. Data redundancy is dependent on the user configuration and might require a third-party tool to support data redundancy.

To use the cluster configuration, you must directly connect the two fabric interconnects together using Ethernet cables between the L1 (L1-to-L1) and L2 (L2-to-L2) high-availability ports, with no other fabric interconnects in between. Also you can connect the fabric interconnects directly through a patch panel to allow the two fabric interconnects to continuously monitor the status of each other and quickly know when one has failed.

Both fabric interconnects in a cluster configuration must go through the initial setup process. You must enable the first fabric interconnect that you set up for a cluster configuration. When you set up the second fabric interconnect, it detects the first fabric interconnect as a peer fabric interconnect in the cluster.

For more information, see to the Cisco UCS 6100 Series Fabric Interconnect Hardware Installation Guide.

Management Port IP Address

In a standalone configuration, you must specify only one IPv4 address, gateway, and subnet mask, or only one IPv6 address, gateway, and network prefix for the single management port on the fabric interconnect. You can configure either an IPv4 or an IPv6 address for the management port IP address.

In a cluster configuration, you must specify the following three IPv4 addresses in the same subnet, or three IPv6 addresses with the same prefix:

  • Management port IP address for fabric interconnect A

  • Management port IP address for fabric interconnect B

  • Cluster IP address


Note
In a cluster configuration, the management port for both fabric interconnects must be configured with the same address type, either IPv4 or IPv6. If you configure the first FI with an IPv4 address then attempt to configure the second FI with an IPv6 address, the configuration will fail.

Performing an Initial System Setup for a Standalone Configuration

Before You Begin

  1. Verify the following physical connections on the fabric interconnect:

    • The console port is physically connected to a computer terminal or console server

    • The management Ethernet port (mgmt0) is connected to an external hub, switch, or router

    For more information, refer to the Cisco UCS Hardware Installation Guide for your fabric interconnect.

  2. Verify that the console port parameters on the computer terminal (or console server) attached to the console port are as follows:

    • 9600 baud

    • 8 data bits

    • No parity

    • 1 stop bit

  3. Collect the following information that you will need to supply during the initial setup:

    • System name

    • Password for the admin account. Choose a strong password that meets the guidelines for Cisco UCS Manager passwords. This password cannot be blank.

    • Management port IPv4 and subnet mask, or IPv6 address and prefix.

    • Default gateway IPv4 or IPv6 address.

    • DNS server IPv4 or IPv6 address (optional).

    • Domain name for the system (optional).

Procedure
    Step 1   Connect to the console port.
    Step 2   Power on the fabric interconnect.

    You will see the power on self-test messages as the fabric interconnect boots.

    Step 3   At the installation method prompt, enter gui.
    Step 4   If the system cannot access a DHCP server, you are prompted to enter the following information:

    • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the management port on the fabric interconnect

    • IPv4 subnet mask or IPv6 prefix for the management port on the fabric interconnect

    • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the default gateway assigned to the fabric interconnect

    Note   

    Cisco UCS Manager does not support auto configuration from IPv6 DHCP servers, or IPv6 router advertisements.

    Step 5   Copy the web link from the prompt into a supported web browser and go to the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page.
    Step 6   On the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page, select Express Setup.
    Step 7   On the Express Setup page, select Initial Setup and click Submit.
    Step 8   In the Cluster and Fabric Setup Area, select the Standalone Mode option.
    Step 9   In the System Setup Area, complete the following fields:

    Field

    Description

    System Name field

    The name assigned to the Cisco UCS domain.

    In a standalone configuration, the system adds "-A" to the system name. In a cluster configuration, the system adds "-A" to the fabric interconnect assigned to fabric A, and "-B" to the fabric interconnect assigned to fabric B.

    Admin Password field

    The password used for the Admin account on the fabric interconnect.

    Choose a strong password that meets the guidelines for Cisco UCS Manager passwords. This password cannot be blank.

    Confirm Admin Password field

    The password used for the Admin account on the fabric interconnect.

    Mgmt IP Address field

    The static IPv4 or IPv6 address for the management port on the fabric interconnect.

    Mgmt IP Netmask field or Mgmt IP Prefix field

    The IPv4 subnet mask or IPv6 prefix for the management port on the fabric interconnect.

    Note   

    The system prompts for a Mgmt IP Netmask or a Mgmt IP Prefix based on what address type you entered in the Mgmt IP Address field.

    Default Gateway field

    The IPv4 or IPv6 address for the default gateway assigned to the management port on the fabric interconnect.

    Note   

    The system prompts for a Default Gateway address type based on what address type you entered in the Mgmt IP Address field

    DNS Server IP field

    The IPv4 or IPv6 address for the DNS server assigned to the fabric interconnect.

    Domain Name field

    The name of the domain in which the fabric interconnect resides.

    Step 10   Click Submit.

    A page displays the results of your setup operation.

    Initial System Setup for a Cluster Configuration

    Performing an Initial System Setup on the First Fabric Interconnect

    Before You Begin

    1. Verify the following physical connections on the fabric interconnect:

      • A console port on the first fabric interconnect is physically connected to a computer terminal or console server

      • The management Ethernet port (mgmt0) is connected to an external hub, switch, or router

      • The L1 ports on both fabric interconnects are directly connected to each other

      • The L2 ports on both fabric interconnects are directly connected to each other

      For more information, refer to the Cisco UCS Hardware Installation Guide for your fabric interconnect.

    2. Verify that the console port parameters on the computer terminal (or console server) attached to the console port are as follows:

      • 9600 baud

      • 8 data bits

      • No parity

      • 1 stop bit

    3. Collect the following information that you will need to supply during the initial setup:

      • System name.

      • Password for the admin account. Choose a strong password that meets the guidelines for Cisco UCS Manager passwords. This password cannot be blank.

      • Three static IPv4 or IPv6 addresses: two for the management port on both fabric interconnects (one per fabric interconnect) and one for the cluster IP address used by Cisco UCS Manager.

      • Subnet mask for the three static IPv4 addresses, or network prefix for the three static IPv6 addresses.

      • Default gateway IPv4 or IPv6 address.

      • DNS server IPv4 or IPv6 address (optional).

      • Domain name for the system (optional).

    Procedure
      Step 1   Connect to the console port.
      Step 2   Power on the fabric interconnect.

      You will see the power on self-test messages as the fabric interconnect boots.

      Step 3   At the installation method prompt, enter gui.
      Step 4   If the system cannot access a DHCP server, you are prompted to enter the following information:

      • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the management port on the fabric interconnect

      • IPv4 subnet mask or IPv6 prefix for the management port on the fabric interconnect

      • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the default gateway assigned to the fabric interconnect

      Note   

      In a cluster configuration, both fabric interconnects must be assigned the same management interface address type during setup.

      Step 5   Copy the web link from the prompt into a web browser and go to the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page.
      Step 6   On the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page, select Express Setup.
      Step 7   On the Express Setup page, select Initial Setup and click Submit.
      Step 8   In the Cluster and Fabric Setup Area:
      1. Click the Enable Clustering option.
      2. For the Fabric Setup option, select Fabric A.
      3. In the Cluster IP Address field, enter the IPv4 or IPv6 address that Cisco UCS Manager will use.
      Step 9   In the System Setup Area, complete the following fields:

      Field

      Description

      System Name field

      The name assigned to the Cisco UCS domain.

      In a standalone configuration, the system adds "-A" to the system name. In a cluster configuration, the system adds "-A" to the fabric interconnect assigned to fabric A, and "-B" to the fabric interconnect assigned to fabric B.

      Admin Password field

      The password used for the Admin account on the fabric interconnect.

      Choose a strong password that meets the guidelines for Cisco UCS Manager passwords. This password cannot be blank.

      Confirm Admin Password field

      The password used for the Admin account on the fabric interconnect.

      Mgmt IP Address field

      The static IPv4 or IPv6 address for the management port on the fabric interconnect.

      Mgmt IP Netmask field or Mgmt IP Prefix field

      The IPv4 subnet mask or IPv6 prefix for the management port on the fabric interconnect.

      Note   

      The system prompts for a Mgmt IP Netmask or a Mgmt IP Prefix based on what address type you entered in the Mgmt IP Address field.

      Default Gateway field

      The IPv4 or IPv6 address for the default gateway assigned to the management port on the fabric interconnect.

      Note   

      The system prompts for a Default Gateway address type based on what address type you entered in the Mgmt IP Address field

      DNS Server IP field

      The IPv4 or IPv6 address for the DNS server assigned to the fabric interconnect.

      Domain Name field

      The name of the domain in which the fabric interconnect resides.

      Step 10   Click Submit. A page displays the results of your setup operation.

      Performing an Initial System Setup on the Second Fabric Interconnect

      Before You Begin

      You must ensure the following:

      • A console port on the second fabric interconnect is physically connected to a computer terminal or console server

      • You know the password for the admin account on the first fabric interconnect that you configured.

      Procedure
        Step 1   Connect to the console port.
        Step 2   Power on the fabric interconnect.

        You will see the power on self-test messages as the fabric interconnect boots.

        Step 3   At the installation method prompt, enter gui.
        Step 4   If the system cannot access a DHCP server, you are prompted to enter the following information:

        • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the management port on the fabric interconnect

        • IPv4 subnet mask or IPv6 prefix for the management port on the fabric interconnect

        • IPv4 or IPv6 address for the default gateway assigned to the fabric interconnect

        Note   

        In a cluster configuration, both fabric interconnects must be assigned the same management interface address type during setup.

        Step 5   Copy the web link from the prompt into a web browser and go to the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page.
        Step 6   On the Cisco UCS Manager GUI launch page, select Express Setup.
        Step 7   On the Express Setup page, select Initial Setup and click Submit.

        The fabric interconnect should detect the configuration information for the first fabric interconnect.

        Step 8   In the Cluster and Fabric Setup Area:
        1. Select the Enable Clustering option.
        2. For the Fabric Setup option, make sure Fabric B is selected.
        Step 9   In the System Setup Area, enter the password for the Admin account into the Admin Password of Master field. The Manager Initial Setup Area is displayed.
        Step 10   In the Manager Initial Setup Area, the field that is displayed depends on whether you configured the first fabric interconnect with an IPv4 or IPv6 management address. Complete the field that is appropriate for your configuration as follows:

        Field

        Description

        Peer FI is IPv4 Cluster enabled. Please Provide Local Fabric Interconnect Mgmt0 IPv4 Address field

        Enter an IPv4 address for the Mgmt0 interface on the local fabric interconnect.

        Peer FI is IPv6 Cluster Enabled. Please Provide Local Fabric Interconnect Mgmt0 IPv6 Address field

        Enter an IPv6 address for the Mgmt0 interface on the local fabric interconnect.
        Step 11   Click Submit.

        A page displays the results of your setup operation.

        Adding Out-of-band IPv4 Addresses to a Fabric Interconnect

        All fabric interconnects require an OOB IPv4 address, network mask and gateway. This procedure describes how to configure an OOB IPv4 address for a fabric interconnect that was set up with static IPv6 addresses.

        Before You Begin

        Collect the out-of-band (OOB) IPv4 address you want to assign to the fabric interconnect.

        Procedure
           Command or ActionPurpose
          Step 1UCS-A # scope fabric interconnect a 

          Enters fabric configuration mode for Fabric A.

           
          Step 2UCS-A/fabric-interconnect # set out-of-band ip ip-addr netmask ip-addrgw ip-addr 

          Sets the OOB IPv4 address, network mask and gateway address.

          The system warns that the console session change may be disconnected when the change is committed. 
          Step 3UCS-A/fabric-interconnect # commit-buffer 

          Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

           

          The following example shows configuring an OOB IPv4 address for fabric interconnect A:

          UCS-A# scope fabric-interconnect a
UCS-A /fabric-interconnect # set out-of-band ip 10.105.214.107 netmask 255.255.255.0 gw 10.105.214.1
Warning: When committed, this change may disconnect the current CLI session
UCS-A /fabric-interconnect* # commit-buffer

          Enabling a Standalone Fabric Interconnect for Cluster Configuration

          You can add a second fabric interconnect to an existing Cisco UCS domain that uses a single standalone fabric interconnect. To do this, you must enable the standalone fabric interconnect for cluster operation by configuring it with the virtual IP or IPv6 address of the cluster, and then add the second fabric interconnect to the cluster.

          Procedure
             Command or ActionPurpose
            Step 1UCS-A# connect local-mgmt  

            Enters local management mode.

             
            Step 2UCS-A(local-mgmt) # enable cluster {virtual-ip-addr|virtual-ip6-addr}  

            Enables cluster operation on the standalone fabric interconnect with the specified IPv4 or IPv6 address. When you enter this command, you are prompted to confirm that you want to enable cluster operation. Type yes to confirm.

            The IP address must be the virtual IPv4 or IPv6 address for the cluster configuration, not the IP address assigned to the fabric interconnect that you are adding to the cluster.

             

            The following example enables a standalone fabric interconnect with a virtual IPv4 address of 192.168.1.101 for cluster operation: 

            UCS-A# connect local-mgmt
UCS-A(local-mgmt)# enable cluster 192.168.1.101
This command will enable cluster mode on this setup. You cannot change it 
back to stand-alone. Also, any GUI or KVM sessions may be terminated. Are you sure you want to continue? (yes/no): yes
UCS-A(local-mgmt)#

            The following example enables a standalone fabric interconnect with a virtual IPv6 address of 192.168.1.101 for cluster operation: 

            UCS-A# connect local-mgmt
UCS-A(local-mgmt)# enable cluster ipv6 2001::109
This command will enable IPv6 cluster mode on this setup. You cannot change it 
back to stand-alone. Also, any GUI or KVM sessions may be terminated. Are you sure you want to continue? (yes/no): yes
UCS-A(local-mgmt)#
            What to Do Next

            Add the second fabric interconnect to the cluster.

            Configuring the Information Policy on the Fabric Interconnect

            You must configure the information policy to display the uplink switches that are connected to Cisco UCS.

            Important:

            You must enable the information policy on the fabric interconnect to view the SAN, LAN, and LLDP neighbors of the fabric interconnect.

            Enabling or Disabling the Information Policy on the Fabric Interconnect

            Procedure
              Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
              Step 2   On the Equipment tab, click the Equipment node.
              Step 3   In the Work pane, click the Policies tab.
              Step 4   Click the Global Policies subtab.
              Step 5   In the Info Policy area, select one of the following:
              Option Description
              Disabled

              Disable the information policy

              Enabled

              Enable the information policy

              Step 6   Click Save Changes.

              Viewing the LAN Neighbors of a Fabric Interconnect

              Procedure
                Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                Step 2   In the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects.
                Step 3   Click the fabric interconnect for which you want to view the LAN neighbors.
                Step 4   In the Work pane, click the Neighbors tab.
                Step 5   Click the LAN subtab.

                This subtab lists all the LAN neighbors of the specified Fabric Interconnect.

                Viewing the SAN Neighbors of a Fabric Interconnect

                Procedure
                  Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                  Step 2   In the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects.
                  Step 3   Click the fabric interconnect for which you want to view the SAN neighbors.
                  Step 4   In the Work pane, click the Neighbors tab.
                  Step 5   Click the SAN subtab.

                  This subtab lists all the SAN neighbors of the specified Fabric Interconnect.

                  Viewing the LLDP Neighbors of a Fabric Interconnect

                  Procedure
                    Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                    Step 2   In the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects.
                    Step 3   Click the fabric interconnect for which you want to view the LLDP neighbors.
                    Step 4   In the Work pane, click the Neighbors tab.
                    Step 5   Click the LLDP subtab.

                    This subtab lists all the LLDP neighbors of the specified Fabric Interconnect.

                    Fabric Evacuation

                    Cisco UCS Manager 2.2(4) introduces fabric evacuation, which is the ability to evacuate all traffic that flows through a Fabric Interconnect from all servers attached to it through an IOM or FEX while upgrading a system.

                    Upgrading the secondary Fabric Interconnect in a system disrupts the traffic that is active on the Fabric Interconnect. This traffic fails over to the primary Fabric Interconnect. You can use fabric evacuation as follows during the upgrade process:

                    1. Stop all the traffic that is active through a Fabric Interconnect.

                    2. For vNICs configured with failover, verify that the traffic has failed over by using Cisco UCS Manager or tools such as vCenter.

                    3. Upgrade the secondary Fabric Interconnect.

                    4. Restart all the stopped traffic flows.

                    5. Change the cluster lead to the secondary Fabric Interconnect.

                    6. Repeat steps 1 to 4 and upgrade the other Fabric Interconnect.


                    Note

                    Fabric evacuation is supported only with the following:

                    • Manual install

                    • Cluster configuration

                    Configuring Fabric Evacuation

                    Procedure
                       Command or ActionPurpose
                      Step 1In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.    
                      Step 2On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.    
                      Step 3In the Work pane, click the General tab.    
                      Step 4In the Actions area of the General tab, click Configure Evacuation.   The Configure Evacuation dialog box appears.  
                      Step 5To configure fabric evacuation on the specified Fabric Interconnect, click one of the following radio buttons in the Admin Evac Mode field:
                      • On—Stops all the traffic that is active through the specified Fabric Interconnect.
                      • Off—Restarts traffic through the specified Fabric Interconnect.
                                              		 
                      Step 6To evacuate a Fabric Interconnect irrespective of its current evacuation state, check the Force check box.   (Optional) 
                      Step 7Click Apply.   A warning dialog box appears. 
                      Enabling fabric evacuation will stop all traffic through this Fabric Interconnect from servers attached through IOM/FEX. 
The traffic will fail over to the Primary Fabric Interconnect for fail over vnics.
Are you sure you want to continue?
                       
                      Step 8Click OK to confirm fabric evacuation and continue.    

                      Ethernet Switching Mode

                      The Ethernet switching mode determines how the fabric interconnect behaves as a switching device between the servers and the network. The fabric interconnect operates in either of the following Ethernet switching modes:

                      End-Host Mode

                      End-host mode allows the fabric interconnect to act as an end host to the network, representing all servers (hosts) connected to it through vNICs. This behavior is achieved by pinning (either dynamically pinned or hard pinned) vNICs to uplink ports, which provides redundancy to the network, and makes the uplink ports appear as server ports to the rest of the fabric. In end-host mode, the fabric interconnect does not run the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) but it avoids loops by denying uplink ports from forwarding traffic to each other and by denying egress server traffic on more than one uplink port at a time. End-host mode is the default Ethernet switching mode and should be used if either of the following are used upstream:

                      • Layer 2 switching for Layer 2 aggregation

                      • Virtual Switching System (VSS) aggregation layer


                      Note
                      When you enable end-host mode, if a vNIC is hard pinned to an uplink port and this uplink port goes down, the system cannot repin the vNIC, and the vNIC remains down.

                      Switch Mode

                      Switch mode is the traditional Ethernet switching mode. The fabric interconnect runs STP to avoid loops, and broadcast and multicast packets are handled in the traditional way. Switch mode is not the default Ethernet switching mode, and should be used only if the fabric interconnect is directly connected to a router, or if either of the following are used upstream:

                      • Layer 3 aggregation

                      • VLAN in a box


                      Note

                      For both Ethernet switching modes, even when vNICs are hard pinned to uplink ports, all server-to-server unicast traffic in the server array is sent only through the fabric interconnect and is never sent through uplink ports. Server-to-server multicast and broadcast traffic is sent through all uplink ports in the same VLAN.

                      Configuring Ethernet Switching Mode

                      Important:

                      When you change the Ethernet switching mode, Cisco UCS Manager logs you out and restarts the fabric interconnect. For a cluster configuration, Cisco UCS Manager restarts both fabric interconnects. The second fabric interconnect can take several minutes to complete the change in Ethernet switching mode and become system ready. The configuration is retained.

                      While the fabric interconnects are rebooting, all blade servers will lose all LAN and SAN connectivity, causing a complete outage of all services on the blades. This may cause the operating system to crash.

                      Procedure
                        Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                        Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
                        Step 3   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
                        Step 4   In the Actions area of the General tab, click one of the following links:

                        • Set Ethernet Switching Mode

                        • Set Ethernet End-Host Mode

                        The link for the current mode is dimmed.

                        Step 5   In the dialog box, click Yes.

                        Cisco UCS Manager restarts the fabric interconnect, logs you out, and disconnects Cisco UCS Manager GUI.

                        Fibre Channel Switching Mode

                        The Fibre Channel switching mode determines how the fabric interconnect behaves as a switching device between the servers and storage devices. The fabric interconnect operates in either of the following Fibre Channel switching modes:

                        End-Host Mode

                        End-host mode allows the fabric interconnect to act as an end host to the connected fibre channel networks, representing all servers (hosts) connected to it through virtual host bus adapters (vHBAs). This behavior is achieved by pinning (either dynamically pinned or hard pinned) vHBAs to Fibre Channel uplink ports, which makes the Fibre Channel ports appear as server ports (N-ports) to the rest of the fabric. When in end-host mode, the fabric interconnect avoids loops by denying uplink ports from receiving traffic from one another.

                        End-host mode is synonymous with N Port Virtualization (NPV) mode. This mode is the default Fibre Channel Switching mode.


                        Note

                        When you enable end-host mode, if a vHBA is hard pinned to an uplink Fibre Channel port and this uplink port goes down, the system cannot repin the vHBA, and the vHBA remains down.

                        Switch Mode

                        Switch mode is the traditional Fibre Channel switching mode. Switch mode allows the fabric interconnect to connect directly to a storage device. Enabling Fibre Channel switch mode is useful in Pod models where there is no SAN (for example, a single Cisco UCS domain that is connected directly to storage), or where a SAN exists (with an upstream MDS).

                        Switch mode is not the default Fibre Channel switching mode.


                        Note

                        In Fibre Channel switch mode, SAN pin groups are irrelevant. Any existing SAN pin groups are ignored.

                        Configuring Fibre Channel Switching Mode

                        Important:

                        When you change the Fibre Channel switching mode, Cisco UCS Manager logs you out and restarts the fabric interconnect. For a cluster configuration, Cisco UCS Manager restarts both fabric interconnects simultaneously. The second fabric interconnect can take several minutes to complete the change in Fibre Channel switching mode and become system ready.


                        Note
                        When the Fibre Channel switching mode is changed, both UCS fabric interconnects will reload simultaneously. Reloading of fabric interconnects will cause a system-wide downtime for approximately 10-15 minutes.
                        Procedure
                          Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                          Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
                          Step 3   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
                          Step 4   In the Actions area of the General tab, click one of the following links:

                          • Set Fibre Channel Switching Mode

                          • Set Fibre Channel End-Host Mode

                          The link for the current mode is dimmed.

                          Step 5   In the dialog box, click Yes.

                          Cisco UCS Manager restarts the fabric interconnect, logs you out, and disconnects Cisco UCS Manager GUI.

                          Changing the Properties of the Fabric Interconnects


                          Note

                          To change the subnet or network prefix for a Cisco UCS domain, you must simultaneously change all subnets or prefixes, the virtual IPv4 or IPv6 address used to access Cisco UCS Manager, and the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses for both fabric interconnects.

                          Both fabric interconnects must maintain the same management address type, either IPv4 or IPv6. You cannot change the management address type for Fabric A without changing the management address type for Fabric B.

                          Procedure
                            Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Admin tab.
                            Step 2   On the Admin tab, click All.
                            Step 3   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
                            Step 4   In the Actions area, click Management Interfaces to open the Management Interfaces dialog box.
                            Step 5   In the Management Interfaces dialog box, modify the values as necessary.
                            Step 6   To change only the virtual IP address that you use to access Cisco UCS Manager, enter the desired IP address in either the IPv4 Address or the IPv6 Address field in the Virtual IP area.
                            Step 7   To change only the name assigned to the Cisco UCS domain, enter the desired name in the Name field in the Virtual IP area.
                            Step 8   To change the subnet and IPv4 address, or the network prefix and IPv6 address, and default gateway assigned to the fabric interconnects, update the following fields:
                            1. In the Virtual IP area, change the IP address used to access Cisco UCS Manager in the IPv4 Address or IPv6 Address field.
                            2. In the Fabric Interconnect area for each fabric interconnect, click either the IPv4 or IPv6 tab.
                            3. On the IPv4 tab, update the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.
                            4. On the IPv6 tab, update the IP address, prefix, and default gateway.
                            Step 9   Click OK.
                            Step 10   Log out of Cisco UCS Manager GUI and log back in again to see your changes.

                            Determining the Leadership Role of a Fabric Interconnect

                            Procedure
                              Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
                              Step 2   In the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects.
                              Step 3   Click the fabric interconnect for which you want to identify the role.
                              Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
                              Step 5   In the General tab, click the down arrows on the High Availability Details bar to expand that area.
                              Step 6   View the Leadership field to determine whether the fabric interconnect is the primary or subordinate.