Installing Cisco UCS Central

This chapter includes the following sections:

Overview of Installation

Cisco UCS Central provides you the option to install in a standalone mode. You must obtain the software from Cisco.com and save it in your local drive before installation.

You can install Cisco UCS Central using either one of the following:

  • OVA file

  • ISO Image

Obtaining the Cisco UCS Central Software from Cisco.com

Before you begin

Make sure that you have your Cisco.com username and password ready to be able to successfully download the Cisco UCS Central software.

Procedure

Step 1

In a web browser, navigate to Cisco.com.

Step 2

Under Support, click All Downloads.

Step 3

In the center pane, click Unified Computing and Servers.

Step 4

If prompted, enter your Cisco.com username and password to log in.

Step 5

In the right pane, click the link for the Cisco UCS Central software in the format that you want.

You can download the Cisco UCS Central software in the following formats:

  • An OVA file with a name such as ucs-central.2.0.1a.ova

  • An ISO file with a name such as ucs-central.2.0.1a.iso

You can also download the admin password reset ISO image from this location.

Step 6

On the page from which you download the software, click the Release Notes link to download the latest version of the Release Notes.

Step 7

Click the link for the release of the Cisco UCS Central software that you want to download.

Step 8

Click one of the following buttons and follow the instructions provided:

  • Download Now—Allows you to download the Cisco UCS Central software immediately.
  • Add to Cart—Adds the Cisco UCS Central software to your cart to be downloaded at a later time.

Step 9

Follow the prompts to complete your download of the software.

Step 10

Read the Release Notes before deploying the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Installing Cisco UCS Central in Standalone Mode

You can install Cisco UCS Central through either the OVA file or ISO Image in standalone mode.

Installing the Cisco UCS Central OVA File in VMWare


Note

After the Cisco UCS Central VM starts up for the first time, it performs a one-time initial configuration process. Allow this process to complete before you log in.

Procedure

Step 1

Save the Cisco UCS Central OVA file to a folder that you can access from the hypervisor.

Step 2

From the VMware Virtual Center Console, choose File > Deploy OVF Template.

Step 3

Deploy the OVA file by choosing the ESX host on which you want to host the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Follow the steps to boot VM and wait until the process is 100% complete to proceed to the next step.

Step 4

If have not powered up the VM as part of importing the OVA file , power up the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Step 5

Open up a console window for the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Step 6

When the Cisco UCS Central VM has completed the initial part of the installation process, answer the following questions in the VM console window:

  1. Setup new configuration or restore full-state configuration from backup [setup/restore] prompt, enter setup and press Enter.

  2. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    You must enter a static IP address that is reserved for this Cisco UCS Central VM. Cisco UCS Central does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

  3. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Netmask : prompt, enter the netmask assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  4. At the Enter the Default Gateway : prompt, enter the default gateway used by Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  5. At the Is this VM part of a cluster(select 'no' for standalone) (yes/no) prompt, select no and press Enter.

  6. At the Enter the UCS Central VM host name : prompt, enter the host name you want to use for the Cisco UCS Central VM and press Enter.

  7. (Optional) At the Enter the DNS Server IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address for the DNS server you want to use for Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to use a DNS server for Cisco UCS Central, leave this blank and press Enter.

  8. (Optional) At the Enter the Default Domain Name : prompt, enter the domain in which you want to include Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to include Cisco UCS Central in a domain, leave this blank and press Enter. Cisco UCS Central will use the default domain named localdomain.

  9. At the Enforce Strong Password(Yes/No) prompt, if you want to set up strong password alert, select yes and press Enter.

  10. At the Enter the admin Password : prompt, enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  11. At the Confirm admin Password : prompt, re-enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  12. At the Enter the Shared Secret : prompt, enter the shared secret (or password) that you want to use to register one or more Cisco UCS domains with Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  13. At the Confirm Shared Secret : prompt, re-enter the shared secret and press Enter.

  14. At the Proceed with this configuration. Please confirm[yes/no] prompt, enter yes and press Enter.

    If you think you made an error when completing any of these steps, enter no and press Enter. You will then be prompted to answer the questions again.

After you confirm that you want to proceed with the configuration, the network interface reinitializes with your settings and Cisco UCS Central becomes accessible via the IP address.

Installing Cisco UCS Central ISO File in VMware


Note

For VMware, we recommend that you install from the OVA file. Installing from the ISO file works with limitations. See https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/bugsearch/bug/CSCuv32055 for more information.

Procedure

Step 1

Create a VM with the following settings:

Setting Recommended Value

Configuration

Custom configuration

Name

A descriptive name that includes information about the Cisco UCS Central deployment

Virtual machine type

7 or later

Guest operating system

A supported operating system, such as Linux RHEL 5.0(64-bit)

Number of vCPU

4

Memory

No less than 12GB

Virtual adapter

1 virtual adapter with VM network

SCSI controller

LSI Logic parallel

Virtual disk

No less than 40GB of available disk space

You also need to create a second 40 GB virtual disk in Step 2.

Advanced options

Virtual device node SCSI

Step 2

In Edit Settings, add a new hard disk for the VM with no less than 40GB of available disk space for Standalone Installations and an additional 40GB for remote disk Cluster Installations.

Step 3

From the Options menu, do the following:

  1. Check Force BIOS Setup to change the boot options.

  2. Specify Power on Boot Delay.

  3. Check Failed Boot Recovery.

Step 4

Mount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image to the CD/DVD drive.

Step 5

Start the VM and connect to the console.

Step 6

From the Cisco UCS Central Installation menu on the ISO image, choose Install Cisco UCS Central.

The Cisco UCS Central installer checks that the VM has the required RAM and disk space (two disks, both disks should be 40GB). If the VM meets the requirements, the installer formats the disks, transfers the files, and installs Cisco UCS Central.

Step 7

When the Cisco UCS Central VM has completed the initial part of the installation process, answer the following questions in the VM console window:

  1. Setup new configuration or restore full-state configuration from backup [setup/restore] prompt, enter setup and press Enter.

  2. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    You must enter a static IP address that is reserved for this Cisco UCS Central VM. Cisco UCS Central does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

  3. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Netmask : prompt, enter the netmask assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  4. At the Enter the Default Gateway : prompt, enter the default gateway used by Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  5. At the Is this VM part of a cluster(select 'no' for standalone) (yes/no) prompt, select no and press Enter.

  6. At the Enter the UCS Central VM host name : prompt, enter the host name you want to use for the Cisco UCS Central VM and press Enter.

  7. (Optional) At the Enter the DNS Server IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address for the DNS server you want to use for Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to use a DNS server for Cisco UCS Central, leave this blank and press Enter.

  8. (Optional) At the Enter the Default Domain Name : prompt, enter the domain in which you want to include Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to include Cisco UCS Central in a domain, leave this blank and press Enter. Cisco UCS Central will use the default domain named localdomain.

  9. At the Enforce Strong Password(Yes/No) prompt, if you want to set up strong password alert, select yes and press Enter.

  10. At the Enter the admin Password : prompt, enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  11. At the Confirm admin Password : prompt, re-enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  12. At the Enter the Shared Secret : prompt, enter the shared secret (or password) that you want to use to register one or more Cisco UCS domains with Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  13. At the Confirm Shared Secret : prompt, re-enter the shared secret and press Enter.

  14. At the Proceed with this configuration. Please confirm[yes/no] prompt, enter yes and press Enter.

    If you think you made an error when completing any of these steps, enter no and press Enter. You will then be prompted to answer the questions again.

Step 8

Unmount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image from the virtual CD/DVD drive.

Step 9

Reboot the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Installing Cisco UCS Central ISO File in Microsoft Hyper-V

Procedure

Step 1

Create a VM with the following settings:

Setting Recommended Value

Name

A descriptive name that includes information about the Cisco UCS Central deployment

RAM

No less than 12GB

Network adapter

Default

Number of vCPU

4

Virtual disk

No less than 40GB of available disk space

You also need to create a second 40GB virtual disk under IDE Controller in Step 3.

Step 2

In the settings for the VM, do the following:

  1. Delete the default network adapter.

  2. Create a new legacy network adapter.

  3. Click Apply.

Step 3

Under the same IDE controller as the first virtual drive, create a second virtual drive for the VM with no less than 40GB of available disk space.

Step 4

In the VM settings > Management > Integration Services, uncheck Time synchronization to disable it.

Step 5

Mount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image to the CD/DVD drive.

Step 6

Start the VM and connect to the console.

Step 7

From the Cisco UCS Central Installation menu on the ISO image, choose Install Cisco UCS Central.

The Cisco UCS Central installer checks that the VM has the required RAM and disk space (two disks, both with 40GBs). If the VM meets the requirements, the installer formats the disks, transfers the files, and installs Cisco UCS Central.

Step 8

When the Cisco UCS Central VM has completed the initial part of the installation process, answer the following questions in the VM console window:

  1. Setup new configuration or restore full-state configuration from backup [setup/restore] prompt, enter setup and press Enter.

  2. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    You must enter a static IP address that is reserved for this Cisco UCS Central VM. Cisco UCS Central does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

  3. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Netmask : prompt, enter the netmask assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  4. At the Enter the Default Gateway : prompt, enter the default gateway used by Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  5. At the Is this VM part of a cluster(select 'no' for standalone) (yes/no) prompt, select no and press Enter.

  6. At the Enter the UCS Central VM host name : prompt, enter the host name you want to use for the Cisco UCS Central VM and press Enter.

  7. (Optional) At the Enter the DNS Server IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address for the DNS server you want to use for Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to use a DNS server for Cisco UCS Central, leave this blank and press Enter.

  8. (Optional) At the Enter the Default Domain Name : prompt, enter the domain in which you want to include Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to include Cisco UCS Central in a domain, leave this blank and press Enter. Cisco UCS Central will use the default domain named localdomain.

  9. At the Enforce Strong Password(Yes/No) prompt, if you want to set up strong password alert, select yes and press Enter.

  10. At the Enter the admin Password : prompt, enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  11. At the Confirm admin Password : prompt, re-enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  12. At the Enter the Shared Secret : prompt, enter the shared secret (or password) that you want to use to register one or more Cisco UCS domains with Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  13. At the Confirm Shared Secret : prompt, re-enter the shared secret and press Enter.

  14. At the Proceed with this configuration. Please confirm[yes/no] prompt, enter yes and press Enter.

    If you think you made an error when completing any of these steps, enter no and press Enter. You will then be prompted to answer the questions again.

Step 9

Unmount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image from the virtual CD/DVD drive.

Step 10

Reboot the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Installing Cisco UCS Central ISO File in KVM Hypervisor


Note

When you install Cisco UCS Central on KVM Hypervisor, the set up runs in graphics mode. Installing in text mode is not supported.

Procedure

Step 1

Create a VM with the following settings:

Setting Recommended Value

Name

A descriptive name that includes information about the Cisco UCS Central deployment

RAM

No less than 12GB

Network adapter

Default

Number of vCPU

4

Virtual disk

No less than 40GB of available disk space

You also need to create a second 40GB virtual disk under IDE Controller in Step 3.

Step 2

Under the same IDE controller as the first virtual drive, create a second virtual drive for the VM with no less than 40GB of available disk space.

Step 3

Mount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image to the CD/DVD drive.

Step 4

Start the VM and connect to the console.

Step 5

From the Cisco UCS Central Installation menu on the ISO image, choose Install Cisco UCS Central.

The Cisco UCS Central installer checks that the VM has the required RAM and disk space (two disks, both with 40GBs). If the VM meets the requirements, the installer formats the disks, transfers the files, and installs Cisco UCS Central.

Step 6

When the Cisco UCS Central VM has completed the initial part of the installation process, answer the following questions in the VM console window:

  1. Setup new configuration or restore full-state configuration from backup [setup/restore] prompt, enter setup and press Enter.

  2. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    You must enter a static IP address that is reserved for this Cisco UCS Central VM. Cisco UCS Central does not support Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

  3. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Netmask : prompt, enter the netmask assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  4. At the Enter the Default Gateway : prompt, enter the default gateway used by Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  5. At the Is this VM part of a cluster(select 'no' for standalone) (yes/no) prompt, select no and press Enter.

  6. At the Enter the UCS Central VM host name : prompt, enter the host name you want to use for the Cisco UCS Central VM and press Enter.

  7. (Optional) At the Enter the DNS Server IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address for the DNS server you want to use for Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to use a DNS server for Cisco UCS Central, leave this blank and press Enter.

  8. (Optional) At the Enter the Default Domain Name : prompt, enter the domain in which you want to include Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

    If you do not plan to include Cisco UCS Central in a domain, leave this blank and press Enter. Cisco UCS Central will use the default domain named localdomain.

  9. At the Enforce Strong Password(Yes/No) prompt, if you want to set up strong password alert, select yes and press Enter.

  10. At the Enter the admin Password : prompt, enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  11. At the Confirm admin Password : prompt, re-enter the password you want to use for the admin account and press Enter.

  12. At the Enter the Shared Secret : prompt, enter the shared secret (or password) that you want to use to register one or more Cisco UCS domains with Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  13. At the Confirm Shared Secret : prompt, re-enter the shared secret and press Enter.

  14. At the Proceed with this configuration. Please confirm[yes/no] prompt, enter yes and press Enter.

    If you think you made an error when completing any of these steps, enter no and press Enter. You will then be prompted to answer the questions again.

Step 7

Unmount the Cisco UCS Central ISO image from the virtual CD/DVD drive.

Step 8

Reboot the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Restoring the Cisco UCS Central VM in Standalone Mode

You cannot use a Cisco UCS Central, release 1.1 OVA file to restore a full-state backup from Cisco UCS Central, release 1.0.


Note

This procedure describes the process to restore using an OVA file.

Before you begin

You must have a backup file with extension .tgz from a Cisco UCS Central system that you want to use to restore the configuration of the Cisco UCS Central VM. For information on how to back up a Cisco UCS Central system, see Managing Back up and Restore in Cisco UCS Central User Manual and CLI Reference Manual.

Procedure

Step 1

Save the Cisco UCS Central OVA file to a folder that you can access from the hypervisor.

Step 2

Open or import the Cisco UCS Central OVA file into a supported hypervisor, as required by the hypervisor.

Do not continue with the next step until the VM has finished booting.

Step 3

If you have not already done so as part of importing the OVA file, power up the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Step 4

Open up a console window to the Cisco UCS Central VM.

Step 5

When the Cisco UCS Central VM has completed the initial part of the installation process, answer the following questions in the VM console window:

  1. Setup new configuration or restore full-state configuration from backup [setup/restore] prompt, enter restore and press Enter.

  2. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  3. At the Enter the UCS Central VM eth0 IPv4 Netmask : prompt, enter the netmask assigned to Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  4. At the Enter the Default Gateway : prompt, enter the default gateway used by Cisco UCS Central and press Enter.

  5. At the Enter the File copy protocol[tftp/scp/ftp/sftp] : prompt, enter the supported protocol that you want to use to copy the backup file to the Cisco UCS Central VM and press Enter.

  6. At the Enter the Backup server IPv4 Address : prompt, enter the IP address assigned to the server where the backup file is stored and press Enter.

  7. At the Enter the Backup file path and name : prompt, enter the full file path and name of the backup file on the server and press Enter.

  8. At the Enter the Username to be used for backup file transfer : prompt, enter the username the system should use to log in to the remote server and press Enter.

  9. (Optional) At the Enter the Password to be used for backup file transfer : prompt, enter the password for the remote server username and press Enter.

  10. At the Proceed with this configuration. Please confirm[yes/no] prompt, enter yes and press Enter.

    If you think you made an error when completing any of these steps, enter no and press Enter. You will then be prompted to answer the questions again.

After you confirm that you want to proceed with the configuration, the network interface reinitializes with your settings and Cisco UCS Central becomes accessible via the IP address.

What to do next

After Cisco UCS Central is restored, login to Cisco UCS Central and download the firmware images into Image library. If any firmware images are referenced in the service profiles, then you must make sure that the images are downloaded and available in the image library before you re-acknowledge a Cisco UCS domain from the suspended state.