Overview

This chapter includes the following sections:

About the Cisco IMC Integration Pack

The Cisco IMC Integration Pack installs as a plug-in to System Center 2012 Configuration Manager. The plugin, simplifies the server management task like hardware configuration, firmware update, OS installation, and driver management process of Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) for Cisco UCS C-series and E-series servers. With the Cisco IMC Integration Pack installed, you can do the following:

  • Power Policy Configuration—Configures multiple power profiles for power capping feature
  • Import Cisco IMC servers based on Cisco IMC IPs into Configuration Manager.
  • Download drivers and create driver packages for the Cisco IMC servers that are required for OS deployment from the Configuration Manager Console.
  • See an overview of hardware inventory, including CPUs, memory, power supplies, and storage.
  • Configure RAID using the Array Builder wizard.
  • BIOS configuration—Configures BIOS attributes and boot order settings of the server in both legacy and precision boot order mode.
  • Cisco IMC Configuration—Ability to configure Cisco IMC Admin settings like Network, SNMP, local users, LDAP, and communication settings.
  • page Configuration—Ability to configure page settings like vNICs, vHBAs, VMFEX.

Note page Configuration is supported only on C-series servers.


  • Configuration Pools—Ability to create, edit, and delete configuration pools for MAC, IP, WWPN, and WWNN addresses.
  • Download and perform firmware updates using the Host Upgrade Utility (HUU).
  • Automatic boot to Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) or network boot using ISO mapping.
  • Launch KVM Console—The KVM Console of the server.
  • Launch the Cisco IMC web user interface (UI).

Components of the Cisco IMC Integration Pack

The Cisco IMC Integration Pack includes the following utilities:

  • Launch the KVM console
  • Launch the Cisco Integrated Management Controller web UI
  • Import IMC Servers Wizard—Imports Cisco IMC Servers into Configuration Manager.
  • Create Cisco UCS C-Series Server Driver Package Wizard—Imports the necessary driver packages that are required during the operating system deployment.
  • Cisco IMC Configuration Profile Manager—Creates server configuration profiles such as RAID configuration, BIOS configuration, Cisco IMC admin configuration, page configuration, and firmware update profiles.
  • Cisco IMC Server Configuration Manager—Performs server configuration and management tasks, such as Firmware Update, RAID Configuration, BIOS Configuration, page Configuration, Cisco IMC Admin Configuration, Operating System Deployment, and Viewing Hardware Inventory on a single server or a group of servers.
  • Cisco IMC Task Manager—Allows you to view the status of the tasks and perform actions on it.

End to End Scenario

Atypical deployment scenario includes importing a server, driver packages, updating firmware, configuring hardware, and deploying an operating system on the server. This sample scenario includes the following tasks:

1. Installing the Installing Cisco UCS Integration Pack Suite. For more information, see Installing Cisco UCS Integration Pack Suite.

2. Importing driver packages in the Configuration Manager Console and assigning the servers to a collection. For more information, see Importing Driver packages.

3. Importing driver packages of the Cisco IMC servers into the Configuration Manager Console.

4. Creating a custom task sequence or editing an existing task sequence to support the deployment of operating systems. For more information, see Creating and Editing Task Sequences.

5. Update Firmware, Configure Hardware and Install an Operating System on th server through Task Sequence. For more information, see Cisco IMC Configuration Profile Manager and Cisco IMC Configuration Manager.

Software Requirements

  • .NET Framework 4.5 or higher
  • Java Version 1.6 Update 45 or higher
  • Following version of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Primary Site or Admin Console Installations:

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1

System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 R2 SP1 Configuration Manager

System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2

Supported Operating Systems and Versions

The Cisco IMC Integration Pack supports the following operating systems:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 (64-bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (64-bit)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)

Note Install the latest patch of the operating systems.


Supported Hardware Platforms

The Cisco IMC Integration Pack is supported on the following hardware platforms:

Supported C-Series Servers

  • Cisco UCS C220 M4 Server
  • Cisco UCS C240 M4 Server
  • Cisco UCS C460 M4 Server
  • Cisco UCS C22 M3 Server
  • Cisco UCS C24 M3 Server
  • Cisco UCS C220 M3 Series Server
  • Cisco UCS C240 M3 Series Server
  • Cisco UCS C260 M2 Server
  • Cisco UCS C420 M3 Server
  • Cisco UCS C460 M2 Server

Supported E-Series Servers

  • Cisco UCS E160D-M1/K9
  • Cisco UCS E160DP-M1/K9
  • Cisco UCS E140D-M1/K9
  • Cisco UCS E140S-M1/K9

Supported Cisco IMC Version

The Cisco IMC Integration Pack is compatible with Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) 1.5(2) or higher for C-Series servers and 2.3(x) and higher for E-Series servers.

Cisco IMC 1.5(1) supports the following features:

  • Import Cisco Servers
  • Import Driver Packages
  • RAID Configuration
  • OS Deployment

Note Configuring BIOS on Cisco UCS C-series servers requires Cisco IMC version of 1.5(4) or higher.