Managing Rack Servers

This chapter discusses the following topics:

Viewing Rack Server Details

Perform this procedure when you want to view the details of a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a server from the list.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose View Details or double-click the sever from the list.

Note

 

The More Actions drop-down list is visible only after you select a server from the list.

The following details are available for a rack mount server:

Tab

Description

Summary

Displays an overview of the rack server.

CPUs

Displays the details of the CPUs in the server.

Memory

Displays details of the memory cards used in the server.

PSUs

Displays details of the power supply units in the server.

PCI Adapters

Displays details of the PCI adapters in the server.

VIC Adapters

Displays details of the VIC adapters in the server.

Network Adapters

Displays details of the network adapters in the server.

Storage Adapters

Displays details of the storage adapters in the server.

FlexFlash Adapters

Displays details of the Cisco FlexFlash adapters in the server.

Communication

Displays all the communication protocols that are configured in the server.

Remote Presence

Displays information on vKVM, vMedia and Serial over LAN (SOL) for the server.

Faults

Displays the details of the faults logged in the server.

  • Severity

  • DN

  • Description

  • Code - Error code for the fault.

  • Created - Date and time the fault was logged.

  • Cause - Reason for the fault.

Hardware Compatibility Report

Displays the status against the current software version or a target software version.

Users

Displays the list of users for the server.

Cisco IMC Log

Displays the details of the Cisco IMC logs for the server. You can also clear the Cisco IMC logs.

System Event Log

Displays the details of the server logs.

TPM

Displays information on the TPM inventory.

BIOS

Displays BIOS-related information of the server.

Fault History

Displays historical information on the faults that occurred on the server.

Tech Support

Provides an option to upload tech-support log files to a remote server or to a local server.

Host Images

Details of an image such as name, size, MD5 checksum, last modified time, and if the image is mapped are displayed. You can select an image and click Map Image,Unmap Image, and Delete Image to perform the various actions.

Note

 

Host image mapping is applicable only for E-series servers.

Associated Hardware Profiles

Displays the server profiles that are associated with the server.

Viewing Fault Details of a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to view the fault details of a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is added as a rack account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Faults.

Step 4

Select a server from the list.

Step 5

Choose View Details.

The following details are available for a rack mount server:

Tab

Description

Explanation

Brief reason for the issue.

Recommendation

Steps to resolve the issue.

Step 6

Click Close to return to the previous screen.

Setting a Label for a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to set label for a rack mount server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select the server from the list.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose Set Label.

Step 6

Enter a new label.

Step 7

Click Submit.

Managing Tags for a Rack-Mount Server

Tagging is used to assign a label to an object, such as a resource group or a rack server. Tags can be used to provide information such as rack locations, responsible support groups, purpose, or operating system. Perform this procedure to add tags or modify tags.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a server from the list

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose Manage Tags.

Step 6

In the Manage Tags screen, click + to add an entry to the Manage Tags table.

Step 7

In the Add Entry to Tag screen, complete the required fields, including the following:

Field

Description

Tag Name

Select the tag name from the drop-down list and click Submit or create a new tag.

  1. Click the + icon.

  2. In the Create Tag window, do the following:

    1. In the Name field, enter a descriptive name for the tag.

    2. In the Description field, enter a description of the tag.

    3. In the Type field, select String or Integer from the drop-down list.

    4. In the Possible Tag Values field, enter a possible value for the tag.

    5. Click Next.

    6. Click the + icon to add a new category.

  3. In the Add Entry to Entities window, from the Category drop-down list, choose the category. It can be one of the following:

    • Physical_Compute category creates tag entities for a Rack Server.

    • Administration category creates tag entities for users.

    Note

     

    You can also add tags for a chassis. For more information about adding tags for a chassis, see Tagging Assets for a Cisco UCS S3260 Server.

  4. Check the Rack Servers or Chassis check box.

  5. Click Submit.

    Note

     
    The tags are displayed under the respective category according to the set taggable entities.

  6. In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.

Tag Value

Select the tag value from the drop-down list.

Step 8

Click Submit.

Step 9

Select a tag in the Manage Tags screen and click Edit to edit a tag.

Step 10

Choose the Tag Name and Tag Value to modify the tags.

Step 11

Click Submit.

Adding Tags for a Rack-Mount Server

Tagging is used to assign a label to an object, such as a resource group or a rack server. Tags can be used to provide information such as rack locations, responsible support groups, purpose, or operating system. Perform this procedure to add tags to a rack mount server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.


Note

You can also select multiple rack servers.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a server from the list

Step 5

Click Add Tags.

Note

 

The Add Tags option is visible only after you select a server from the list.

Step 6

In the Add Tags screen, complete the required fields, including the following:

Name

Description

Tag Name drop-down list

Choose a name from the drop-down list or you can create a new tag.

Click the plus icon to create a new tag. See Managing Tags for a Rack-Mount Server to create tags.

Tag Value drop-down list

Choose a tag value from the drop-down list.

Step 7

Click Submit.

Setting Locator LED for a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to set locator LED for a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a sever from the list.

Step 5

Click Locator LED.

Note

 

The Locator LED option is visible only after you select a server from the list.

Step 6

From the Turn the Locater LED for selected servers on/off drop-down list, choose ON or OFF.

Step 7

Click Submit.

Performing a Power Cycle on a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to power off and power on a rack mount server in one cycle.

Before you begin

The server is added as a rack account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to perform a power cycle.

You can select multiple servers.

Step 5

Click Power Cycle.

Step 6

In the Server Power Cycle page, click Submit.

Powering On a Rack Server

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to power on.

Step 5

Click Power ON.

Step 6

Click Submit.

Powering Off a Rack Server

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to power off.

Step 5

Click Power OFF.

Step 6

Click Submit.

Performing a Hard Reset on a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to hard reset a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as an account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a sever from the list.

Step 5

Click Hard Reset.

Rebooting a Server

Perform this procedure when you want to reboot the BMC on a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to reboot.

Step 5

Click Reboot.

Step 6

On the Server Reboot BMC page, click Submit.

Shutting Down a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to shut down a rack server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select the sever from the list.

Step 5

Click Shut Down.

Step 6

In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.

Tagging Assets for a Rack Server

An asset tag is a user-defined label for a rack server. Using the Asset Tag option you can set a user-defined label for a rack server or for a chassis. For information on adding an asset tag to a chassis, see Tagging Assets for a Cisco UCS S3260 Server.


Important

Asset tagging is supported on C-series and S-series servers that are running firmware versions of 3.0(1c) and above. For E-series and ENCS servers, asset tagging is supported on servers running firmware versions 3.2.1 and above.

Before you begin

The server is added as a rack account under a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to set a tag to.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose Asset Tag.

Step 6

In the Set Asset Tag page, enter the name of the asset tag in the Asset Tag field.

Step 7

Click Submit.

Launching the KVM Console for a Rack Server

Before you begin

You must have Java Run-Time Environment (JRE) installed on your system.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server for which you want to start the KVM console.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, click KVM Console.

Step 6

In the Launch KVM Console screen, click Submit.

Step 7

If the Cisco IMC version installed on the server is prior to version 4.1(1c), then a kvm.jnlp file is downloaded to your system. Double-click the kvm.jnlp file in your Downloads folder.

The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

Step 8

If the Cisco IMC version installed on the server is version 4.1(1c) and above, then clicking Submit in the Launch KVM Console screen displays a new tab with a link. Click this link to enter the KVM console credentials and login.

For more information about using the KVM Console, see the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller Configuration Guides.

Launching the Cisco IMC GUI for a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to launch the Cisco IMC GUI for a rack mount server.

Before you begin

The server is already added as a rack account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select the sever from the list.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, click Launch GUI.

Step 6

In the Launch GUI screen, click Submit.

The GUI for the server is launched in a separate browser.

Assign User Groups to a Rack Server

Perform this procedure when you want to assign a user group to the rack server.

Before you begin

The server is added as a rack account within a rack group.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Server.

Step 4

Choose the server that you want to assign a user group to.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose Assign Group.

Step 6

In the Assign User Group - Rack Server screen, complete the required fields, including the following:

Field

Description

Assign to Users check box

Check this check box to allow resource assignment to users.

User list

Expand this list, and check the names of the users.

Note

 

This field is displayed only if you have checked the Assign to Users check box.

Group list

Expand this list to check the names of the groups.

Note

 

This field is displayed only if you have not checked the Assign to Users check box.

Label field

Enter any comments, if required.

Step 7

Click Submit.

What to do next

At a later point in time, if you want to remove this user group from the rack server, you can return to this page, select the server, and choose Unassign Group.

Viewing Smart Information for Solid State Drives

Before you begin

The server is added as a Rack Account under a Rack Groups.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select the sever from the list that contains the solid state drive (SSD).

Step 5

On the Rack Server page, choose Storage Adapters.

Step 6

Double-click the solid state drive, and choose Controller Info.

The following settings are available:

  • Enable Copyback on SMART

  • Enable Copyback to SSD on SMART Error

Step 7

Double-click the solid state drive, and choose Physical Drives.

Step 8

Double-click a physical drive, and choose View Smart Information.

The following information is displayed:

Field

Description

Power Cycle Count field

Number of power cycles that the drive went through from the time it was manufactured.

Power on Hours field

Total number of hours that the drive is in the 'Power On' mode.

Percentage Life Left field

The number of write cycles remaining in a solid state drive (SSD). For instance, if an SSD is capable of 100 write cycles during its life time, and it has completed 15 writes, then the percentage of life left in the drive is 85%. Each percentage range is represented in a different color. For instance, green for 75% to 100% and red for 1 to 25%.

Note

 

You can see a bar graph added for SSDs in SSD - Percentage Life Left from the Controller Info tab.

Wear Status in Days field

The number of days an SSD has gone through with the write cycles.

SSD vendors provide a finite number of writes per day on the SSD, based on which, you can calculate the total number of years the SSD would continue to work.

Operating Temperature field

The current temperature of the drive at which the selected SSD operates at the time of selection.

PercentageReserved Consumed field

The total capacity (out of the percentage reserved for it) consumed by the SSD.

Time of Last Refresh field

Time period since the drive was last refreshed.

Step 9

Click Close.

On the Storage Adapter page, choose Controller Info to view the controller settings such as Percentage Life Left, Enable Copy back on SMART, and Enable Copy back to SSD on SMART Error.

What to do next

Controller Drive Security

Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) are used for encrypting data while writing it onto the drives and decrypting them before reading the data. This ensures that the data on the drives are secure. Cisco UCS Director supports enabling security at the controller, physical drive, and virtual drive level for this feature.

The controller level security has two options - Remote Key Management and Local Key Management. For Remote Key Management, the Security KeyId and the Security Key are retrieved from the KMIP server. In the case of Local Key Management, the Security KeyId and the Security Key are either provided by you or provided as a suggestion from the Ciso IMC server. These parameters are used to secure data on the drives.

The physical drive level security can have the SED drives in locked and foreign locked state. The locked state indicates that the drives have been locked with the security key of the controller in this server. The foreign locked state indicates that the drives are locked with the security key of another controller but the drives are placed in this controller. Unlocking the foreign locked drives require the security key of that controller. After inlocking the drive, you can perform any security related operations on the drive.

Viewing Controller Drive Security Information

Controller Driver Security information is displayed in the following tabs for a rack server:

  • Controller Info

  • Physical Drives

  • Virtual Drives

Before you begin

The M4 rack-mount server or the Cisco UCS S3260 storage server must have Self Encrypting Drives (SED) connected in it.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Physical > Compute.

Step 2

On the Compute page, choose the account under Pods.

Step 3

Click Rack Servers.

Step 4

Select a sever from the list.

Step 5

From the More Actions drop-down list, choose View Details.

Step 6

On the Rack Server page, choose Storage Adapters.

Step 7

Select the adapter from the list and choose View Details.

Step 8

On the Storage Adapters page, choose Controller Info.

The following details are available for a SSD drive:

Tab

Description

Power Cycle Count field

Number of power cycles that the drive went through from the time it was manufactured.

Power on Hours field

Total number of hours that the drive is in the Power On mode.

Percentage Life Left field

The number of write cycles remaining in a solid state drive (SSD). For instance, if an SSD is capable of 100 write cycles during its life time, and it has completed 15 writes, then the percentage of life left in the drive is 85%. Each percentage range is represented in a different color. For instance, green for 75% to 100% and red for 1 to 25%.

Note

 

You can see a bar graph added for SSDs in SSD - Percentage Life Left under Controller Info.

Wear Status in Days field

The number of days an SSD has gone through with the write cycles.

SSD vendors provide a finite number of writes per day on the SSD, based on which, you can calculate the total number of years the SSD would continue to work.

Operating Temperature field

The current temperature of the drive at which the selected SSD operates at the time of selection.

Percentage Reserved Consumed field

The total capacity (out of the percentage reserved for it) consumed by the SSD.

Time of Last Refresh field

Time period since the drive was last refreshed.

Step 9

On the Storage Adapter page, choose Physical Drives.

Details such as the controller name, physical drive number, status, health, serial number, firmware, FDE capable, FDE enabled, Secured, Locked, Foreign Locked and so on are displayed.

Step 10

On the Storage Adapter page, choose Virtual Drives.

Details such as the virtual drive number, name, status, health, size, RAID level, Boot drive, FDE capable, FDE enabled and so on are displayed.

Step 11

Click the rack server name on the top right corner of the page to return to the page listing the rack servers.

Managing System Tasks for Rack Servers

System tasks are available for single node and multi node systems. For more information about how to manage system tasks, including the system task policy, see the Cisco UCS Director Administration Guide.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > System.

Step 2

On the System page, click System Tasks.

Step 3

To access the system tasks you can use for rack servers, expand the following folders:

  • Rack Server Tasks—System tasks that are specific to rack servers, such as monitoring and inventory tasks.

  • General—System tasks that are available for all implementations, such as data purge, data aggregation, and deleted account clean-up tasks.

Step 4

After you choose a rack server task in the table, you can perform one or more of the following actions:

Name Description

Manage Task

In the Manage Task screen, complete the required fields, including the following:
  1. From the Task Execution drop-down list, choose Enable or Disable.
  2. From the System Task Policy drop-down list, choose default-system-task-policy or local-run-policy.
  3. To set the frequency at which the task needs to be executed, choose the number of hours from the Hours drop-down list and number of minutes from the Minutes drop-down list.
  4. Click .

Step 5

Click Submit.

Managing Schedules for Rack Servers

Overview of Managing Schedules

Defining a schedule allows you to defer certain tasks to occur at a different time. For example, tasks such as firmware updates, server discovery, or applying policies and profiles, can be scheduled to run at a pre-defined time or at a pre-defined interval. You could schedule tasks during off-peak hours where the workloads on servers are low.

Creating Schedules

Perform this procedure when you want to create a new schedule.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Policies > Physical Infrastructure Policies > Rack Server.

Step 2

On the Rack Server page, click Schedules.

Step 3

Click Add.

Step 4

In the Create Schedule screen, complete the required fields, including the following:

Field

Description

Schedule Name field

Enter a name for the schedule task.

Enable Schedule check box

Check this check box to enable a schedule. By enabling or disabling a schedule (using the Enable or Disable options), you can enable or disable the tasks associated with the schedule from running.

Scheduler Type drop-down list

Select a one time schedule or recurring schedule frequency.

If you choose a One Time schedule, select the date, time, and AM or PM radio buttons.

Note

 

The schedule time is based on the time on the appliance. However, the time zone is of the local client browser.

If you choose a Recurring schedule, select the days (0 to 30 days), hours and minutes from the drop-down lists.

Schedule Time field

Specify a date using the calendar, and specify a time using the drop-down list.

This field is visible only if you selected One Time option in the Scheduler Type drop-down list.

Days drop-down list

Select the number of days on which this task must be scheduled for.

Hours drop-down list

Select the number of hours.

Minutes drop-down list

Select the number of minutes.

Step 5

Click Submit.

What to do next

  • You can select an existing schedule and modify, delete, or view scheduled tasks. View Scheduled Tasks displays a report which allows you to view the status of the upgrade firmware, auto discovery, apply policy and profile tasks you associated with the schedule while Upgrading Firmware, Auto Discovering Servers.

  • You can select one or more tasks associated with the schedule and disassociate them from the schedule using the Remove Scheduled Tasks option.