Configuring Ports

Contents

Configuring Ports

This chapter includes the following sections:

Server and Uplink Ports on the Fabric Interconnect

Each fabric interconnect has a set of ports in a fixed port module that you can configure as either server ports or uplink Ethernet ports. These ports are not reserved. They cannot be used by a Cisco UCS instance until you configure them. You can add expansion modules to increase the number of uplink ports on the fabric interconnect or to add uplink Fibre Channel ports to the fabric interconnect.

You need to create LAN pin groups and SAN pin groups to pin traffic from servers to an uplink port.

Each fabric interconnect can include the following types of ports:

Server Ports

Server ports handle data traffic between the fabric interconnect and the adapter cards on the servers.

You can only configure server ports on the fixed port module. Expansion modules do not include server ports.

Uplink Ethernet Ports

Uplink Ethernet ports handle Ethernet traffic between the fabric interconnect and the next layer of the network. All network-bound Ethernet traffic is pinned to one of these ports.

By default, Ethernet ports are unconfigured. However, you can configure them to function in the following ways:
  • Server

  • Uplink

  • FCoE

  • Appliance

You can configure uplink Ethernet ports on either the fixed module or an expansion module.

Uplink Fibre Channel Ports

Uplink Fibre Channel ports handle FCoE traffic between the fabric interconnect and the next layer of the network. All network-bound FCoE traffic is pinned to one of these ports.

By default, Fibre Channel ports are uplink. However, you can configure them to function as Fibre Channel storage ports. This is useful in cases where a Cisco UCS requires a connection to a Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) device.

You can only configure uplink Fibre Channel ports on an expansion module. The fixed module does not include uplink Fibre Channel ports.

Configuring Server Ports

You can only configure server ports on the fixed port module. Expansion modules do not include server ports.

This task describes only one method of configuring ports. You can also configure ports from a right-click menu, from the General tab for the port, or in the LAN Uplinks Manager.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   In the Equipment tab, expand Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name > Fixed Module > Unconfigured Ports.
Step 3   Click one or more ports under the Unconfigured Ports node.
Step 4   Drag the selected port or ports and drop them in the Server Ports node.

The port or ports are configured as server ports, removed from the list of unconfigured ports, and added to the Server Ports node.


Configuring Uplink Ethernet Ports

You can configure uplink Ethernet ports on either the fixed module or an expansion module.

This task describes only one method of configuring uplink Ethernet ports. You can also configure uplink Ethernet ports from a right-click menu or from the General tab for the port.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to configure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Click one or more of the ports under the Unconfigured Ethernet Ports node.

If you want to reconfigure a server port, appliance port, or FCoE storage port, expand the appropriate node.

Step 5   Drag the selected port or ports and drop them in the Uplink Ethernet Ports node.

The port or ports are configured as uplink Ethernet ports, removed from the list of unconfigured ports, and added to the Uplink Ethernet Ports node.


What to Do Next

If desired, change the properties for the default flow control policy and admin speed of the uplink Ethernet port.

Changing the Properties of an Uplink Ethernet Port

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to configure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   In the Uplink Ethernet Ports node, click the uplink Ethernet port that you want to change.
Step 5   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 6   In the Actions area, click Show Interface.
Step 7   In the Properties dialog box, complete the following fields:
  1. Optional: In the User Label field, enter a label to identify the port.
  2. From the Flow Control Policy drop-down list, select a flow control policy to determine how the port sends and receives IEEE 802.3x pause frames when the receive buffer fills.
  3. In the Admin Speed field, click one of the following radio buttons:
    • 1Gbps

    • 10Gbps

Step 8   Click OK.

Configuring an FCoE Storage Port

You can configure FCoE storage ports on either the fixed module or an expansion module.

This task describes only one method of configuring FCoE storage ports. You can also configure FCoE storage ports from the General tab for the port.

Before You Begin

The Fibre Channel switching mode must be set to Switching for these ports to be valid. The storage ports cannot function in end-host mode.


Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to configure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Click one or more of the ports under the Unconfigured Ethernet Ports node.

If you want to reconfigure an uplink Ethernet port, server port, or appliance port, expand the appropriate node.

Step 5   Right-click the selected port or ports and choose Configure as FCoE Storage Port.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 7   Click OK.

The port or ports are configured as FCoE storage ports, removed from the list of unconfigured ports, and added to the Storage Ethernet Ports node.


Reconfiguring a Port on a Fabric Interconnect

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to reconfigure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Click the port or ports you want to reconfigure.
Step 5   Drag the selected port or ports and drop them in the appropriate node.

The port or ports are reconfigured as the appropriate type of port, removed from the original node, and added to the new node.


Example: Reconfiguring an Uplink Ethernet Port as a Server Port


  1. Expand the Uplink Ethernet Ports node and select the port you want to reconfigure.

  2. Drag the port and drop it into the Server Ports node.

Enabling a Port on a Fabric Interconnect

After you enable or disable a port on a fabric interconnect, wait for at least 1 minute before you reacknowledge the chassis. If you reacknowledge the chassis too soon, the pinning of server traffic from the chassis may not be updated with the changes to the port that you enabled or disabled.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand Fabric_Interconnect_Name > Ports.
Step 4   Right-click the port that you want to enable and choose Enable Port.
Step 5   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Disabling a Port on a Fabric Interconnect

After you enable or disable a port on a fabric interconnect, wait for at least 1 minute before you reacknowledge the chassis. If you reacknowledge the chassis too soon, the pinning of server traffic from the chassis may not be updated with the changes to the port that you enabled or disabled.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand Fabric_Interconnect_Name > Ports.
Step 4   Right-click the port that you want to disable and choose Disable Port.
Step 5   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Unconfiguring a Port on a Fabric Interconnect

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to unconfigure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Click the port or ports you want to unconfigure.
Step 5   Drag the selected port or ports and drop them in the Unconfigured Ports node.

The port or ports are unconfigured, removed from the original node, and added to the new node.


Appliance Ports

Configuring an Appliance Port

You can configure Appliance ports on either the fixed module or an expansion module.

This task describes only one method of configuring appl ports. You can also configure appliance ports from the General tab for the port.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the ports you want to configure, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Click one or more of the ports under the Unconfigured Ethernet Ports node.

If you want to reconfigure a server port, uplink Ethernet port, or FCoE storage port, expand the appropriate node.

Step 5   Right-click the selected port or ports and choose Configure as Appliance Port.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 7   In the Configure as Appliance Port dialog box, complete the following fields:
Name Description

Priority drop-down list

The QoS priority assigned to this port. This can be:


  • best-effort—This priority is reserved for the Basic Ethernet traffic lane.

  • bronze—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • fc—Use this priority for vHBA traffic only.

  • gold—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • platinum—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • silver—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

Pin Group drop-down list

The LAN pin group that you want to use as the appliance pin target to the specified fabric and port, or fabric and port channel

Create LAN Pin Group link

Click this link if you want to create a LAN pin group.

Admin Speed field

The data transfer rate for this port. Select the value that matches the destination to which the port is linked. This can be:


  • 1Gbps

  • 10Gbps

Note   

The admin speed can only be changed for certain ports. For more information, see the Hardware Installation Guide for your fabric interconnect.

Port Mode field

The port mode used for the appliance port. By default, the mode is set to trunk. This can be:


  • trunk—If you click this radio button, check one or more check boxes in the table to assign VLANs to the appliance port.

  • access—If you click this radio button, choose a VLAN from the Select VLAN drop-down list to assign it to the appliance port. You can also assign an Ethernet target endpoint to the appliance port if you choose this mode.

You can also click Create VLAN to create a VLAN to assign to the appliance port.

Ethernet Target Endpoint check box

Check this check box if you want to assign a VLAN or target MAC address to the appliance port. This option is only available if you configure the appliance port to use the access port mode.

Name field

A user-defined name for the endpoint.

This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters, and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

MAC Address field

The MAC address for the endpoint in nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn format.

Step 8   Click OK.

The port or ports are configured as Appliance ports, removed from the list of unconfigured ports, and added to the Storage Ethernet Ports node.


Modifying the Properties of an Appliance Port

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Depending upon the location of the appliance port you want to modify, expand one of the following:
  • Fixed Module

  • Expansion Module

Step 4   Expand Appliance Ports.
Step 5   Click the appliance port for which you want to modify the properties.
Step 6   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 7   In the Actions area, click Show Interface.

You may need to expand or use the scroll bars in the Properties dialog box to see all the fields.

Step 8   In the Properties dialog box, modify the values in one or more of the following fields:
Name Description

User Label field

A user-defined name that can be used for internal tracking or customized identification.

Enter up to 32 characters. You can use any characters or spaces except ^ (carat), \ (backslash), > (greater than), < (less than), ' (single quote), " (double quote), ` (accent mark).

Admin Speed field

The data transfer rate for this port. Select the value that matches the destination to which the port is linked. This can be:


  • 1Gbps

  • 10Gbps

Note   

The admin speed can only be changed for certain ports. For more information, see the Hardware Installation Guide for your fabric interconnect.

Priority drop-down list


  • best-effort—This priority is reserved for the Basic Ethernet traffic lane.

  • bronze—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • fc—Use this priority for vHBA traffic only.

  • gold—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • platinum—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

  • silver—Use this priority for vNIC traffic only.

Pin Group drop-down list

The LAN pin group that you want to use as the appliance pin target to the specified fabric and port, or fabric and port channel

MAC Address field

The MAC address for the endpoint in nn:nn:nn:nn:nn:nn format.

If you do not see this field, the port does not have an Ethernet target endpoint set. Click Add Ethernet Target Endpoint in the Actions area to add an endpoint.

Port Mode field

The port mode used for the appliance port. By default, the mode is set to trunk. This can be:


  • trunk—If you click this radio button, check one or more check boxes in the table to assign VLANs to the appliance port.

  • access—If you click this radio button, choose a VLAN from the Select VLAN drop-down list to assign it to the appliance port. You can also assign an Ethernet target endpoint to the appliance port if you choose this mode.

Step 9   Click OK.

Fibre Channel Storage Ports

Configuring a Fibre Channel Storage Port

This task describes only one method of configuring FC storage ports. You can also configure FC storage ports from the General tab for the port.

Before You Begin

The Fibre Channel switching mode must be set to Switching for these ports to be valid. The storage ports cannot function in end-host mode.


Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Expand the Expansion Module node.
Step 4   Click one or more of the ports under the Uplink FC Ports node.
Step 5   Right-click the selected port or ports and choose Configure as FC Storage Port.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 7   Click OK.

The port or ports are configured as FC storage ports, removed from the list of uplink FC ports, and added to the Storage FC Ports node.


Restoring an Uplink Fibre Channel Port

This task describes only one method of restoring an FC storage port to function as an uplink FC port. You can also reconfigure FC storage ports from the General tab for the port.

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Expand the Expansion Module node.
Step 4   Click one or more of the ports under the Storage FC Ports node.
Step 5   Right-click the selected port or ports and choose Configure as FC Uplink Port.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 7   Click OK.

The port or ports are configured as uplink FC ports, removed from the list of FC storage ports, and added to the Uplink FC Ports node.


Default Zoning

Zoning allows you to set up access control between hosts and storage devices. When a zone is configured or the configuration is updated, this information is propagated to all the other switches in the fabric.

In Cisco UCS, the zoning configuration is inherited from an upstream switch. You cannot configure zoning or view information about your zoning configuration through Cisco UCS Manager. The only configurable zoning option in Cisco UCS Manager is whether default zoning is enabled or disabled for a specific VSAN.


Note


Default zoning is applied on a per-VSAN basis. You cannot enable default zoning at the fabric level.


Enabling Default Zoning

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   In the SAN tab, click the SAN node.
Step 3   In the Work pane, click the VSANs tab.
Step 4   Click one of the following subtabs, depending upon the type of VSAN for which you want to enable default zoning:
Subtab Description

All

Displays all VSANs in the Cisco UCS instance.

Dual Mode

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to both fabric interconnects.

Switch A

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to only fabric interconnect A.

Switch B

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to only fabric interconnect B.

Step 5   In the table, double-click the VSAN.

Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the General tab for the VSAN.

Step 6   In the Actions area, click Enable Default Zoning.
Step 7   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Disabling Default Zoning

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   In the SAN tab, click the SAN node.
Step 3   In the Work pane, click the VSANs tab.
Step 4   Click one of the following subtabs, depending upon the type of VSAN for which you want to disable default zoning:
Subtab Description

All

Displays all VSANs in the Cisco UCS instance.

Dual Mode

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to both fabric interconnects.

Switch A

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to only fabric interconnect A.

Switch B

Displays the VSANs that are accessible to only fabric interconnect B.

Step 5   In the table, double-click the VSAN.

Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the General tab for the VSAN.

Step 6   In the Actions area, click Disable Default Zoning.
Step 7   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Uplink Ethernet Port Channels

An uplink Ethernet port channel allows you to group several physical uplink Ethernet ports (link aggregation) to create one logical Ethernet link to provide fault-tolerance and high-speed connectivity. In Cisco UCS Manager, you create a port channel first and then add uplink Ethernet ports to the port channel. You can add up to eight uplink Ethernet ports to a port channel.


Note


Cisco UCS uses Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), not Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP), to group the uplink Ethernet ports into a port channel.


Creating an Uplink Ethernet Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect where you want to add the port channel.
Step 4   Right-click the Port Channels node and choose Create Port Channel.
Step 5   In the Set Port Channel Name page of the Create Port Channel wizard, do the following:
  1. Complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    ID field

    The identifier for the port channel.

    Enter an integer between 1 and 256. This ID cannot be changed after the port channel has been saved.

    Name field

    A user-defined name for the port channel.

    This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters, and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

  2. Click Next.
Step 6   In the Add Ports page of the Create Port Channel wizard, do the following:
  1. In the Ports table, choose one or more ports to include in the port channel.
  2. Click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.

    You can use the << button to remove ports from the port channel.

    Note   

    Cisco UCS Manager warns you if you select a port that has been configured as a server port. You can click Yes in the dialog box to reconfigure that port as an uplink Ethernet port and include it in the port channel.

Step 7   Click Finish.

Enabling an Uplink Ethernet Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect that includes the port channel you want to enable.
Step 4   Expand the Port Channels node.
Step 5   Right-click the port channel you want to enable and choose Enable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Disabling an Uplink Ethernet Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect that includes the port channel you want to disable.
Step 4   Expand the Port Channels node.
Step 5   Right-click the port channel you want to disable and choose Enable Port Channel.

Adding Ports to and Removing Ports from an Uplink Ethernet Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud > Fabric > Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel to which you want to add or remove ports.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, click Add Ports.
Step 6   In the Add Ports dialog box, do one of the following:
  • To add ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports table, and then click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.
  • To remove ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports in the port channel table, and then click the << button to remove the ports from the port channel and add them to the Ports table.
Step 7   Click OK.

Deleting an Uplink Ethernet Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > LAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect where you want to delete the port channel.
Step 4   Click the Port Channels node.
Step 5   In the General tab for the Port Channels node, choose the port channel you want to delete.
Step 6   Right-click the port channel and choose Delete.

Appliance Port Channels

An appliance port channel allows you to group several physical appliance ports (link aggregation) to create one logical Ethernet storage link for the purpose of providing fault-tolerance and high-speed connectivity. In Cisco UCS Manager, you create a port channel first and then add appliance ports to the port channel. You can add up to eight appliance ports to a port channel.


Note


Cisco UCS uses static mode, not Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), to group the appliance ports into a port channel.


Creating an Appliance Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > Appliances.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect where you want to add the port channel.
Step 4   Right-click the Port Channels node and choose Create Port Channel.
Step 5   In the Set Port Channel Name page of the Create Port Channel wizard, complete the following fields to specify the identity and other properties of the port channel:
Name Description

ID field

The unique identifier of the port channel.

Enter an integer between 1 and 256. This ID cannot be changed after the port channel has been saved.

Name field

A user-defined name for the port channel.

This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters.

Priority drop-down list

The quality of service setting associated with this port channel. This can be:


  • fc—Use this priority for QoS policies that control vHBA traffic only.

  • platinum—Use this priority for QoS policies that control vNIC traffic only.

  • gold—Use this priority for QoS policies that control vNIC traffic only.

  • silver—Use this priority for QoS policies that control vNIC traffic only.

  • bronze—Use this priority for QoS policies that control vNIC traffic only.

  • best-effort—Do not use this priority. It is reserved for the Basic Ethernet traffic lane. If you assign this priority to a QoS policy and configure another system class as CoS 0, Cisco UCS Manager does not default to this system class. It defaults to the priority with CoS 0 for that traffic.

Pin Group drop-down list

The pin group associated with this port channel.

Step 6   In the VLANs area, do the following:
  1. In the Port Mode field, click one of the following radio buttons to select the mode you want to use for the port channel:
    • trunk

    • access

    With either mode selected, you can click the Create VLAN link to create a new VLAN.

  2. If you clicked the trunk radio button, complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    Select column

    Check the check box in this column for each VLAN you want to use.

    Native VLAN column

    To designate one of the VLANs as the native VLAN, click the radio button in this column.

  3. If you clicked the access radio button, choose a VLAN from the Select VLAN drop-down list.
Step 7   (Optional)If you want to add an endpoint, check the Ethernet Target Endpoint check box and complete the following fields:
Name Description

Name field

The name of the endpoint.

This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters, and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

MAC Address field

The MAC address for the endpoint.

Step 8   Click Next.
Step 9   In the Add Ports page of the Create Port Channel wizard, do the following:
  1. In the Ports table, choose one or more ports to include in the port channel.
  2. Click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.

    You can use the << button to remove ports from the port channel.

    Note   

    Cisco UCS Manager warns you if your configuration could cause issues with service profiles or port configurations. You can click Yes in the dialog box if you want to create the port channel despite those potential issues.

Step 10   Click Finish.

Enabling an Appliance Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > Appliances.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect that includes the port channel you want to enable.
Step 4   Expand the Port Channels node.
Step 5   Right-click the port channel you want to enable and choose Enable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Disabling an Appliance Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > Appliances.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect that includes the port channel you want to disable.
Step 4   Expand the Port Channels node.
Step 5   Right-click the port channel you want to disable and choose Disable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Adding Ports to and Removing Ports from an Appliance Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > Appliances > Fabric > Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel to which you want to add or remove ports.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, click Add Ports.
Step 6   In the Add Ports dialog box, do one of the following:
  • To add ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports table, and then click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.
  • To remove ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports in the port channel table, and then click the << button to remove the ports from the port channel and add them to the Ports table.
Step 7   Click OK.

Deleting an Appliance Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the LAN tab, expand LAN > Appliances.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric interconnect that includes the port channel you want to enable.
Step 4   Expand the Port Channels node.
Step 5   Right-click the port channel you want to enable and choose Disable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Fibre Channel Port Channels

A Fibre Channel port channel allows you to group several physical Fibre Channel ports (link aggregation) to create one logical Fibre Channel link to provide fault-tolerance and high-speed connectivity. In Cisco UCS Manager, you create a port channel first and then add Fibre Channel ports to the port channel.

You can create up to four Fibre Channel port channels in each Cisco UCS instance. Each Fibre Channel port channel can include a maximum of 16 uplink Fibre Channel ports.

Creating a Fibre Channel Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud.
Step 3   Expand the node for the fabric where you want to create the port channel.
Step 4   Right-click the FC Port Channels node and choose Create Port Channel.
Step 5   In the Set Port Channel Name page of the Create Port Channel wizard, do the following:
  1. Complete the following fields:
    Name Description

    ID field

    The identifier for the port channel.

    Enter an integer between 1 and 256. This ID cannot be changed after the port channel has been saved.

    Name field

    A user-defined name for the port channel.

    This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters. You cannot use spaces or any special characters, and you cannot change this name after the object has been saved.

  2. Click Next.
Step 6   In the Add Ports page of the Create Port Channel wizard, do the following:
  1. From the Port Channel Admin Speed drop-down list, select the admin speed for traffic on the port channel.
  2. In the Ports table, choose one or more ports to include in the port channel.
  3. Click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.

    You can use the << button to remove ports from the port channel.

Step 7   Click Finish.

Enabling a Fibre Channel Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud > Fabric > FC Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel you want to enable.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, click Enable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Disabling a Fibre Channel Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud > Fabric > FC Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel you want to disable.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, click Disable Port Channel.
Step 6   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Adding Ports to and Removing Ports from a Fibre Channel Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud > Fabric > FC Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel to which you want to add or remove ports.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, click Add Ports.
Step 6   In the Add Ports dialog box, do one of the following:
  • To add ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports table, and then click the >> button to add the ports to the Ports in the port channel table.
  • To remove ports, choose one or more ports in the Ports in the port channel table, and then click the << button to remove the ports from the port channel and add them to the Ports table.
Step 7   Click OK.

Modifying the Properties of a Fibre Channel Port Channel


Note


If you are connecting two Fibre Channel port channels, the admin speed for both port channels must match for the link to operate. If the admin speed for one or both of the Fibre Channel port channels is set to auto, Cisco UCS adjusts the admin speed automatically.


Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the SAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud > Fabric > FC Port Channels.
Step 3   Click the port channel that you want to modify.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click the General tab.
Step 5   In the Actions area, change the values in one or more of the following fields:
Name Description

Name field

The user-defined name given to the port channel. This name can be between 1 and 16 alphanumeric characters.

VSAN drop-down list

The VSAN associated with the port channel.

Port Channel Admin Speed drop-down list

The admin speed of the port channel. This can be:


  • 1 Gbps

  • 2 Gbps

  • 4 Gbps

  • 8 Gbps

  • auto

Step 6   Click Save Changes.

Deleting a Fibre Channel Port Channel

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the LAN tab.
Step 2   On the SAN tab, expand SAN > SAN Cloud > Fabric > FC Port Channels.
Step 3   Right-click the port channel you want to delete and choose Delete.
Step 4   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Configuring Server Ports with the Internal Fabric Manager

Internal Fabric Manager

The Internal Fabric Manager provides a single interface where you can configure server ports for a fabric interconnect in a Cisco UCS instance. The Internal Fabric Manager is accessible from the General tab for that fabric interconnect.

Some of the configuration that you can do in the Internal Fabric Manager can also be done in nodes on the Equipment tab, on the LAN tab, or in the LAN Uplinks Manager.

Launching the Internal Fabric Manager

Procedure
Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Fabric Interconnects > Fabric_Interconnect_Name.
Step 3   Click Fixed Module.
Step 4   In the Work pane, click Internal Fabric Manager in the Actions area.

The Internal Fabric Manager opens in a separate window.


Configuring a Server Port with the Internal Fabric Manager

Procedure
Step 1   In the Internal Fabric Manager, click the down arrows to expand the Unconfigured Ports area.
Step 2   Right-click the port that you want to configure and choose Configure as Server Port.
Step 3   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 4   If you have completed all tasks in the Internal Fabric Manager, click OK.

Unconfiguring a Server Port with the Internal Fabric Manager

Procedure
Step 1   In the Internal Fabric Manager, click the server port in the Server Ports table.
Step 2   Click Unconfigure Port.
Step 3   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 4   If you have completed all tasks in the Internal Fabric Manager, click OK.

Enabling a Server Port with the Internal Fabric Manager

Procedure
Step 1   In the Internal Fabric Manager, click the server port in the Server Ports table.
Step 2   Click Enable Port.
Step 3   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 4   If you have completed all tasks in the Internal Fabric Manager, click OK.

Disabling a Server Port with the Internal Fabric Manager

Procedure
Step 1   In the Internal Fabric Manager, click the server port in the Server Ports table.
Step 2   Click Disable Port.
Step 3   If Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays a confirmation dialog box, click Yes.
Step 4   If you have completed all tasks in the Internal Fabric Manager, click OK.