Rack-Mount Server Hardware Management

Rack-Mount Server Management

You can manage and monitor all rack-mount servers that are integrated with a Cisco UCS domain through Cisco UCS Manager. All management and monitoring features are supported for rack-mount servers except power capping. Some rack-mount server management tasks, such as changes to the power state, can be performed from both the server and service profile. The remaining management tasks can only be performed on the server.

Cisco UCS Manager provides information, errors, and faults for each rack-mount server that it has discovered.


Tip

For information on how to integrate a supported Cisco UCS rack-mount server with Cisco UCS Manager, see the Cisco UCS C-series server integration guide or Cisco UCS S-series server integration guide for your Cisco UCS Manager release.

Rack-Enclosure Server Management

Beginning with release 4.0(1a), Cisco UCS Manager extends support for all existing features on Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server unless specifically noted in this guide.

Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers are housed in the Cisco UCS C4200 Series Rack Server Chassis. Each Cisco UCS C4200 Series Rack Server Chassis supports two to four Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server nodes. To manage the Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server nodes, Cisco UCS Manager supports the following:

  • Enclosures:

    Cisco UCS Manager GUI path - Equipment > Rack-Mounts > Enclosures

    Displays a list of all the Cisco UCS C4200 Series Rack Server Chassis managed by Cisco UCS Manager.

  • Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number:

    Cisco UCS Manager GUI path - Equipment > Rack-Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number

    Each Rack Enclosure is one Cisco UCS C4200 Series Rack Server Chassis, which can contain up to four Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server nodes, four fan units, and two PSUs. See Viewing Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server Slot ID for the slot IDs of the server.

Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers can be managed the same way as other rack servers from Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number.


Note

Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers support only Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect and 6300 Series Fabric Interconnect.

Guidelines for Removing and Decommissioning Rack-Mount Servers

Consider the following guidelines when deciding whether to remove or decommission a rack-mount server using Cisco UCS Manager:

Decommissioning a Rack-Mount server

Decommissioning is performed when a rack-mount server is physically present and connected but you want to temporarily remove it from the configuration. Because it is expected that a decommissioned rack-mount server will be eventually recommissioned, a portion of the server's information is retained by Cisco UCS Manager for future use.

Removing a Rack-Mount server

Removing is performed when you physically remove the server from the system by disconnecting the rack-mount server from the fabric extender. You cannot remove a rack-mount server from Cisco UCS Manager if it is physically present and connected to the fabric extender. Once the rack-mount server is disconnected, the configuration for that rack-mount server can be removed in Cisco UCS Manager.

During removal, management interfaces are disconnected, all entries from databases are removed, and the server is automatically removed from any server pools that it was assigned to during discovery.


Note

Only those servers added to a server pool automatically during discovery will be removed automatically. Servers that have been manually added to a server pool have to be removed manually.

If you need to add a removed rack-mount server back to the configuration, it must be reconnected and then rediscovered. When a server is reintroduced to Cisco UCS Manager it is treated like a new server and is subject to the deep discovery process. For this reason, it's possible that Cisco UCS Manager will assign the server a new ID that may be different from the ID that it held before.

Recommendations for Avoiding Unexpected Server Power Changes

If a server is not associated with a service profile, you can use any available means to change the server power state, including the physical Power or Reset buttons on the server.

If a server is associated with, or assigned to, a service profile, you should only use the following methods to change the server power state:

  • In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, go to the General tab for the server or the service profile associated with the server and select Boot Server or Shutdown Server from the Actions area.

  • In Cisco UCS Manager CLI, scope to the server or the service profile associated with the server and use the power up or power down commands.


Important

Do not use any of the following options on an associated server that is currently powered off:

  • Reset in the GUI

  • cycle cycle-immediate or reset hard-reset-immediate in the CLI

  • The physical Power or Reset buttons on the server

If you reset, cycle, or use the physical power buttons on a server that is currently powered off, the server's actual power state might become out of sync with the desired power state setting in the service profile. If the communication between the server and Cisco UCS Manager is disrupted or if the service profile configuration changes, Cisco UCS Manager might apply the desired power state from the service profile to the server, causing an unexpected power change.

Power synchronization issues can lead to an unexpected server restart, as shown below:

Desired Power State in Service Profile

Current Server Power State

Server Power State After Communication Is Disrupted

Up

Powered Off

Powered On

Down

Powered On

Powered On

Note 

Running servers are not shut down regardless of the desired power state in the service profile.

Booting a Rack-Mount Server

If the Boot Server link is dimmed in the Actions area, you must shut down the server first.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to boot.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Boot Server.

Step 6

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

After the server boots, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an OK status.

Booting a Rack-Mount Server from the Service Profile

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Servers.

Step 2

Expand Servers > Service Profiles.

Step 3

Expand the node for the organization where you want to create the service profile.

If the system does not include multitenancy, expand the root node.

Step 4

Choose the service profile that requires the associated server to boot.

Step 5

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 6

In the Actions area, click Boot Server.

Step 7

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

Step 8

Click OK in the Boot Server dialog box.

After the server boots, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an ok status or an up status.

Determining the Boot Order of a Rack-Mount Server


Tip

You can also view the boot order tabs from the General tab of the service profile associated with a server.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Click the server for which you want to determine the boot order.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

If the Boot Order Details area is not expanded, click the Expand icon to the right of the heading.

Step 6

To view the boot order assigned to the server, click the Configured Boot Order tab.

Step 7

To view what will boot from the various devices in the physical server configuration, click the Actual Boot Order tab.

Note 

The Actual Boot Order tab always shows "Internal EFI Shell" at the bottom of the boot order list.

Shutting Down a Rack-Mount Server

When you use this procedure to shut down a server with an installed operating system, Cisco UCS Manager triggers the OS into a graceful shutdown sequence.

If the Shutdown server link is dimmed in the Actions area, the server is not running.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to shut down.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Shutdown Server.

Step 6

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

After the server has been successfully shut down, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays a power-off status.

Shutting Down a Server from the Service Profile

When you use this procedure to shut down a server with an installed operating system, Cisco UCS Manager triggers the OS into a graceful shutdown sequence.

If the Shutdown Server link is dimmed in the Actions area, the server is not running.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Servers.

Step 2

Expand Servers > Service Profiles.

Step 3

Expand the node for the organization where you want to create the service profile.

If the system does not include multitenancy, expand the root node.

Step 4

Choose the service profile that requires the associated server to shut down.

Step 5

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 6

In the Actions area, click Shutdown Server.

Step 7

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

After the server successfully shuts down, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays a down status or a power-off status.

Resetting a Rack-Mount Server

When you reset a server, Cisco UCS Manager sends a pulse on the reset line. You can choose to gracefully shut down the operating system. If the operating system does not support a graceful shutdown, the server is power cycled. The option to have Cisco UCS Manager complete all management operations before it resets the server does not guarantee the completion of these operations before the server is reset.


Note

If you are trying to boot a server from a power-down state, you should not use Reset.

If you continue the power-up with this process, the desired power state of the servers become out of sync with the actual power state and the servers might unexpectedly shut down at a later time. To safely reboot the selected servers from a power-down state, click Cancel, then select the Boot Server action.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to reset.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Reset.

Step 6

In the Reset Server dialog box, do the following:

  1. Click the Power Cycle option.

  2. (Optional) Check the check box if you want Cisco UCS Manager to complete all management operations that are pending on this server.

  3. Click OK.

The reset may take several minutes to complete. After the server is reset, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an ok status.

Resetting a Rack-Mount Server to Factory Default Settings

You can now reset a rack-mount server to its factory settings. By default, the factory reset operation does not affect storage, including storage drives and flexflash drives. This is to prevent any loss of data. However, you can choose to reset these devices to a known state as well.


Important

Resetting storage devices will result in loss of data.

Perform the following procedure to reset the server to factory default settings.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to reset to its factory default settings.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance.

Step 6

In the Maintenance dialog box, click Reset to Factory Default, then click OK.

Step 7

From the Maintenance Server dialog box that appears, select the appropriate options:

  • To delete all storage, check the Scrub Storage checkbox.

  • To place all disks into their initial state after deleting all storage, check the Create Initial Volumes checkbox.

    You can check this checkbox only if you check the Scrub Storage checkbox. For servers that support JBOD, the disks will be placed in a JBOD state. For servers that do not support JBOD, each disk will be initialized with a single R0 volume that occupies all the space in the disk.

    Important 

    Do not check the Create Initial Volumes checkbox if you want to use storage profiles. Creating initial volumes when you are using storage profiles may result in configuration errors.

  • To delete all flexflash storage, check the Scrub FlexFlash checkbox.

Cisco UCS Manager resets the server to its factory default settings.

Reacknowledging a Rack-Mount Server

Perform the following procedure to rediscover the server and all endpoints in the server. For example, you can use this procedure if a server is stuck in an unexpected state, such as the discovery state.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to acknowledge.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance.

Step 6

In the Maintenance dialog box, do the following:

  1. Click Re-acknowledge.

  2. Click OK.

Cisco UCS Manager disconnects the server, then builds the connections between the server and the fabric interconnect or fabric interconnects in the system. The acknowledgment may take several minutes to complete. After the server is acknowledged, the Overall Status field on the General tab displays an OK status.

Deleting the Inband Configuration from a Rack-Mount Server

This procedure removes the inband management IP address configuration from a rack server. If this action is greyed out, no inband configuration was configured.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Servers.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers > Server Number.

Step 3

In the Work area, click the Inventory tab.

Step 4

Click the CIMC subtab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Delete Inband Configuration.

Step 6

Click Yes in the Delete confirmation dialog box.

The inband configuration for the server is deleted.

Note 

If an inband service profile is configured in Cisco UCS Manager with a default VLAN and pool name, the server CIMC automatically gets an inband configuration from the inband profile approximate one minute after deleting the inband configuration here.

Decommissioning a Rack-Mount Server

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to decommission.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance.

Step 6

In the Maintenance dialog box, click Decommission, then click OK.

The server is removed from the Cisco UCS configuration.

Note 

When you decommission the last Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server from a Rack Enclosure, Cisco UCS Manager removes the complete Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number entry from the navigation pane.

Recommissioning a Rack-Mount Server

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Under Equipment, click the Rack-Mounts node.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Decommissioned tab.

Step 4

On the row for each rack-mount server that you want to recommission, do the following:

  1. In the Recommission column, check the check box.

  2. Click Save Changes

Step 5

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

Step 6

(Optional) Monitor the progress of the server recommission and discovery on the FSM tab for the server.

Renumbering a Rack-Mount Server

Before you begin

If you are swapping IDs between servers, you must first decommission both servers, then wait for the server decommission FSM to complete before proceeding with the renumbering steps.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Expand the Servers node and verify that it does not include the following:

  • The rack-mount server you want to renumber

  • A rack-mount server with the number you want to use

If either of these servers are listed in the Servers node, decommission those servers. You must wait until the decommission FSM is complete and the servers are not listed in the node before continuing. This might take several minutes.

Step 4

Choose the rack-mount server that you want to renumber.

Step 5

On the Equipment tab, click the Rack-Mounts node.

Step 6

In the Work pane, click the Decommissioned tab.

Step 7

On the row for each rack-mount server that you want to renumber, do the following:

  1. Double-click in the ID field, and enter the new number that you want to assign to the rack-mount server.

  2. In the Recommission column, check the check box.

  3. Click Save Changes

Step 8

If a confirmation dialog box displays, click Yes.

Step 9

(Optional) Monitor the progress of the server recommission and discovery on the FSM tab for the server.

Removing a Non-Existent Rack-Mount Server from the Configuration Database

Perform the following procedure if you physically removed the server hardware without first decommissioning the server. You cannot perform this procedure if the server is physically present.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to remove from the configuration database.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance.

Step 6

In the Maintenance dialog box, click Remove, then click OK.

Cisco UCS Manager removes all data about the server from its configuration database. The server slot is now available for you to insert new server hardware.

Turning the Locator LED for a Rack-Mount Server On and Off

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to turn the locator LED on or off.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click one of the following:

  • Turn on Locator LED
  • Turn off Locator LED

Turning the Local Disk Locator LED on a Rack-Mount Server On and Off

Before you begin

  • Ensure the server, on which the disk is located, is powered on. If the server is off, you are unable to turn on or off the local disk locator LED.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to turn the local disk locator LED on or off.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the Inventory > Storage > Disks tabs.

The Storage Controller inventory appears.

Step 5

Click a disk.

The disk details appear.
Step 6

In the Details area, click Toggle Locator LED.

If the Locator LED state is On, it will turn Off. If the Locator LED state is Off, it will turn On.
Step 7

Click Save Changes.

Resetting the CMOS for a Rack-Mount Server

Sometimes, troubleshooting a server might require you to reset the CMOS. Resetting the CMOS is not part of the normal maintenance of a server.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to reset the CMOS.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Recover Server.

Step 6

In the Recover Server dialog box, click Reset CMOS, then click OK.

Resetting the CIMC for a Rack-Mount Server

Sometimes, with the firmware, troubleshooting a server might require you to reset the CIMC. Resetting the CIMC is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you reset the CIMC, the CIMC reboots the management controller of the blade server.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to reset the CIMC.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Recover Server.

Step 6

In the Recover Server dialog box, click Reset CIMC (Server Controller), then click OK.

Clearing TPM for a Rack-Mount Server

You can clear TPM only on Cisco UCS M4 and higher blade and rack-mount servers that include support for TPM.


Caution

Clearing TPM is a potentially hazardous operation. The OS may stop booting. You may also see loss of data.

Before you begin

TPM must be enabled.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to clear TPM.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Recover Server.

Step 6

In the Recover Server dialog box, click Clear TPM, then click OK.

Issuing an NMI from a Rack-Mount Server

Perform the following procedure if the system remains unresponsive and you need Cisco UCS Manager to issue a Non-Maskable Interrupt (NMI) to the BIOS or operating system from the CIMC. This action creates a core dump or stack trace, depending on the operating system installed on the server.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server that you want to issue the NMI.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click Server Maintenance.

Step 6

In the Maintenance dialog box, click Diagnostic Interrupt, then click OK.

Cisco UCS Manager sends an NMI to the BIOS or operating system.

Viewing Health Events for a Rack-Mount Server

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to view health events.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the Health tab

The health events triggered for this server appear. The fields in this tab are:

Name

Description

Health Summary area

Health Qualifier field

Comma-separated names of all the heath events that are triggered for the component.

Health Severity field

Highest severity of all the health events that are triggered for the component. This can be one of the following:

  • critical

  • major

  • minor

  • warning

  • info

  • cleared

Note 

The severity levels listed here are from highest to lowest severity.

Health Details area

Severity column

Severity of the health event. This can be one of the following:

  • critical

  • major

  • minor

  • warning

  • info

  • cleared

Note 

The severity levels listed here are from highest to lowest severity.

Name column

Name of the health event.

Description column

Detailed description of the health event.

Value column

Current value of the health event.

Details area

The Details area displays the Name, Description, Severity, and Value details of any health event that you select in the Health Details area.

Viewing the POST Results for a Rack-Mount Server

You can view any errors collected during the Power On Self-Test process for a server and its adapters.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Servers.

Note 

For Cisco UCS C125 M5 Servers, expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number > Servers.

Step 3

Choose the server for which you want to view the POST results.

Step 4

In the Work pane, click the General tab.

Step 5

In the Actions area, click View POST Results.

The POST Results dialog box lists the POST results for the server and its adapters.

Step 6

(Optional) Click the link in the Affected Object column to view the properties of that adapter.

Step 7

Click OK to close the POST Results dialog box.

Viewing the Power Transition Log

You can view the Power Transition Log, which displays the last five server power transitions. The information provided includes the Power Change Source and the Timestamp.

Only unique power transition events are displayed. In case of a UCSM initiated power transition, the FSM causing the power transition is displayed.

Procedure

Step 1

Navigate to Equipment > Rack-Mounts > Servers
Step 2

Choose the server for which you want to view the power transition log.

The Power Transition Log is under the General tab.

Viewing Cisco UCS C125 M5 Server Slot ID

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Rack Mounts > Enclosures > Rack Enclosure rack_enclosure_number.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Slots tab.