Using Orchestration Workflows

Orchestration Workflows for Rack Servers

Cisco UCS Director includes orchestration features that allow you to create workflows to automate the configuration and management of tasks that are typically managed by Cisco Integrated Management Controller (Cisco IMC). Some tasks, such as associating a rack server profile with a rack server or adding a vNIC or a vHBA to a rack-mount server, can only be done through a workflow.

For an example of a workflow for a rack server, see Sample Workflow: Power Cycling a Rack Server. For more information about orchestration in Cisco UCS Director, see the Cisco UCS Director Orchestration Guide.

Orchestration Tasks for Rack Servers

Cisco UCS Director provides some orchestration tasks in the Task Library that you can include in workflows.

Location of Orchestration Tasks

A complete list of the Cisco IMC orchestration tasks is available in the Workflow Designer and the Task Library. The Task Library includes a description of the orchestration tasks. It can be accessed from the following locations in Cisco UCS Director:

  • Policies > Orchestration > Workflows

  • http://IP_address/app/cloudmgr/onlinedocs/cloupiaTaskLib.html where IP_address is the IP address of Cisco UCS Director.

In the Workflow Designer, you can access these tasks to add them to a workflow from the Available Tasks pane through Physical Compute Tasks > Rack Server Tasks.

Types of Orchestration Tasks

The Cisco IMC orchestration tasks include tasks to configure and manage the following:

  • Power On/Power Off CIMC Server

  • Configure Rack Server

  • Unconfigure Rack Server

  • Select Rack Server


Note

These Cisco IMC orchestration tasks are currently not supported on Cisco UCS S3260 servers.

Sample Workflow: Power Cycling a Rack Server

You can create workflows to automate many configuration and management tasks for rack servers. The following sample workflow power cycles a rack-mount server. You can find detailed information about each workflow task in the Task Library.

Workflow Task

Inputs

Outputs

Power On/Off CIMC Server

User input:

  • Manage Workflow User Inputs—Add CIMC Server Identity as a user input.

  • CIMC Server—Check the Map to User Input check box and choose the label you assigned to CIMC Server Identity to enable the user to choose a server.

Task input—Choose Power Off, Power On or Reset to perform respective power operation on the selected server.

Server identity, including information about the MAC address, VLAN, and WWPN of the vHBA.

Configure Rack Server

User inputs:

  • Manage Workflow User Inputs—Add CIMC Rack Server Profile Selector and CIMC Server Identity as user input.

  • Check the Map to User Input check box and choose the label you assigned to Rack Server Profile Selector to enable the user to choose the rack server profile to be associated with the server.

  • Select Rack Server—Check the Map to User Input check box and choose the label you assigned to CIMC Server Identity to enable the user to choose a server.

Task inputs:

  • Policy Type— Choose the type of policy to be applied to the server from the profile.

  • Rack Server Profile— Choose the rack server profile that includes the policy type that you selected.

  • Select Rack Server— Choose the rack server to which the policy type must be applied. The selected policy type from the profile is applied on the rack server.

Server identity, including information on the server profile identity, MAC address, VLAN and WWPN of the vHBA.

Unconfigure Rack Server

User input:

  • Select Rack Server—Check the Map to User Input check box and choose the label you assigned to Rack Server Identity to enable the user to choose a server.

Task input—None.

Server identity.