Managing C-Series Standalone Servers at Scaled2zmdbbm9feqrf.cloudfront.net/2013/usa/pdf/BRKCOM-1006.pdf · Managing C-Series Standalone Servers at Scale BRKCOM-1006 ... As of Q3FY13

Managing C-Series Standalone Servers at Scale BRKCOM-1006

Jeff Foster Technical Marketing Engineer

Jason Shaw Technical Marketing Engineer

© 2013 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. BRKCOM-1006 Cisco Public

Agenda

Cisco C-Series Overview

Understanding Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) Cisco Software Feature History Cisco IMC 1.5 – What’s New?

Cisco UCS’s Programmatic Infrastructure and how this applies to Standalone C-Series Servers

What toolkits/resources are available for Cisco C-Series? Configuration Tools (Demo: PowerTool for C-Series)

Scripting Tools (Demo: goUCS Automation Tool)

Monitoring Tools (Demo: System Center Operations Manager)

Deployment/Update Tools (Demo: HUU-NI Tools)

Cisco Developer Network & Other Resources

3


As of Q3FY13 Data Center revenue reached a $2B annualized run rate.

In Q3FY13, Data Center revenue was $515M growing 77% Y/Y

As of May 2013, there are over 23,000 unique UCS customers which represents 89% Y/Y growth

More than half of all Fortune 500 customers have invested in UCS

Over 500 customers have booked over 1 Million in UCS solutions and over 1,200 have booked over $500,000

Over 3,400 Channel Partners are actively selling UCS worldwide and over 1700 UCS specialized

In CY13 Q1 Cisco is one of the Top 5 Server Vendors based on Worldwide Revenue Share1

73 World Record Performance Benchmarks to date

Cisco UCS Leadership and Momentum

Source: 1 IDC Worldwide Quarterly Server Tracker, Q1 2013, May 2013, Revenue Share

4


HPC, Web/IT Infrastructure Proxy/Caching

Database Java-based workloads

Virtualization ERP/CRM

UCS C22 M3

UCS C260 M2

UCS C24 M3

UCS C240 M3

UCS C460 M2

UCS C220 M3 Scale-Out

Big Data Storage Server Mainstream

Applications

Distributed DB Middleware, Collab

Web/IT Infrastructure

Data Warehouse Middleware, Collab

Big Data

Database Consolidation Virtualization ERP/CRM

Price / Performance Optimized

Performance Optimized

RAS and Performance Optimized

Mission Critical

UCS C420 M3

Database Consolidation Virtualization

High End HPC

UCS C-Series Rack Server Portfolio

5


New Levels of Rack Server Scalability

• Scale multiple rack server or blade chassis with one instance of UCS Manager

• Form-factor agnostic movement of service profiles

• Manage blades and rack servers consistently**

Entry Point to Unified Computing

• C-Series rack servers are building blocks of a unified computing environment; automated firmware management on UCS

• Lower initial price point than blades

Higher Performing Industry Standard Servers

• Intel Xeon E7 and E5 product families

• 28 total world records on C-Series Servers

VM FEX + Adapter FEX

• Consolidates network management

• FEX managed a line card of parent switch

World Record Performance

• More memory = faster performance

• Overall 73 World Records, 28 on the UCS C-Series servers

Benefits as a

Standalone Server

Benefits

Integrated with

UCS

UCS C-Series: Real Rack Server Innovation

6


1.2(x) NOV ’10

1.3(x) MAR ‘11

1.4(x) MAR ‘12

• Phase I UCSM integration

w 2248

• Support for Cisco VIC

Monterrey Park w

hypervisor by-pass

• NC-SI for 10G LOM

• TCG 1.2

• LV DIMM

• Server Software Bundles

• Adaptor Packs

• Offline Diagnostics

• OS Installation assistance

(Server Config Utility)

• Consistent features across

all C-Series

• CIMC integrated SNMP

• Cisco UCS VIC –config

and mgmt from CIMC

• Intel TXT suport

• PCIe inventory from

CIMC

• DIMM ECC error

logging

• XML API – UCS Model-based

management

• Enhanced RBAC

• LOM MAC addr Inventory

• vNIC performance

enhancements

• Expanded KVM support

• Phase I integrated storage

management

Maintenance releases cover new hardware when they are introduced

1.5(x) MAR ‘13

• Phase II integrated storage

management

• VIC 1225T

• Graphic DIMM Representation

• iSCSI Boot setup for VIC

• SNMP/XML Fault Engine, Expanded HW coverage

• New Hardware / FRU mgmt

• Scriptable vMedia

• RAID 1 for Dual Flex Flash

• Field Debug support

Today

Cisco Integrated Management Controller Software Release History

7


Cisco Integrated Management Controller Version 1.5 - Key Features

• Non-Interactive Host Update Utility (FW Mgmt)

• Multi-Server Utilities (Windows & Python)

• Scriptable vMedia

• Fault Management Engine

• Expanded XML API

• Configure BIOS Settings

• Configure Boot Order

• Dual Flex Flash (RAID enablement)

• Cisco VIC Configuration & Management

• Local Storage Configuration

• SNMP Configuration options

New Features & Capabilities

Enhanced Capabilities

Availability:

• March 2013

Supported Platforms:

• C22/24 M3

• C220/240 M3

• C420 M3

• C260 M2

• C460 M1/M2

3rd Party Integration:

• Microsoft SCOM

• Microsoft PowerShell

• HP OM

• Python SDK

8


Cisco Integrated Management Controller Integrated ‘Agent-less’ Out of Band Remote Management

• Embedded Management Solution

• No host agents required

• No additional license fees

• Consistent Server Definition (‘look and feel’) between

Standalone and UCSM modes

• XML API (UCS Programmatic Interface)

• SNMP

• Out of Band Management

• Scriptable Interface – Large Scale Management

• Firmware Management

• BIOS Configuration

• Export Technical Support Data

• Power Shell Support

• RAID Controller, Battery Backup Unit, Storage Media

Configuration and Monitoring

• All FRU Components

Customer Benefits

Feature Details

9


Cisco Integrated Management Controller Fault Engine – Constant Fault Reporting

• Consistent representation of faults across different protocols.

• Single point of fault reporting for all applications.

• Legibility and simple English language representation of faults that are

not bound to IPMI conventions like the SEL.

• No more long lists to peruse to find out what went wrong with the system.

Fault Engine Capabilities

Time when the fault occurred – Most recent fault displayed at the top.

Severity – Adheres to UCSM conventions of fault severity reporting.

Fault Code – This code is derived from the list of UCSM Fault Codes.

DN – Distinguishing name of the entity that reported the fault.

Probable Cause – Probable cause string.

Description – A brief description along with the remedial action to be taken.

Fault Engine Contents

10


Cisco Integrated Management Controller Remote/Scriptable vMedia

• Virtual Media can be attached from a remote file location through XML

API, CLI and also WebUI

• Support NFS, CIFS, WWW remote share types

• Enables automated/scripted vMedia attach

Scriptable vMedia Capabilities

• Communication between mounted media and target stays local (inside datacenter)

• Media mounts can be scripted/automated

• No vKVM requirements for media connection

• Multiple share types supported

• Connections supported through all CIMC interfaces

Note: If vMedia is not working, check the following setting in BIOS parameters and make sure it is enabled.

Benefits

Remote Boot

Images

• NFS

• CIFS

• WWW Admin KVM

Console

11


Cisco Integrated Management Controller FlexFlash

• FlexFlash is an (optional) embedded storage solution leveraging SD-Cards

• Available on the C220 M3, C240 M3, C420 M3, C260 M2 and C460 M2 Servers

• Designed to host utilities and drivers including SCU, HUU and Drivers

• One partition designated as a user defined (HV) partition

FlexFlash Overview

• The FlexFlash has four pre-sized partitions:

• HUU – Hardware Upgrade Utility (bootable ISO) – 1.2 GB Read Only Space

• SCU – Software Configuration Utility (bootable ISO) – 3.0GB Read Only Space

• Drivers – Cisco Drivers ISO – 6.7GB Read Only Space

• HV (Hypervisor) – User Space – 3.0GB Read/Write Space

• The HV Partition is protected by RAID1 across two FlexFlash

FlexFlash Contents

PCH USB 2.0

Astoria

CIMC

Mirror

Flex Flash Flexible customer configuration,

redundant local SD.

PARTITIONS:

Drivers Firmware

Utilities User Partition

12


Agenda









13


UCS C-series Server Mgmt with System Center 2012 Ease IT management through a single interface

Operations Manager

Orchestrator

Unified Compute System

Software

Integration

Infrastructure

UCS C-series CIMC

Physical Virtual &

SCCM

.NET Library

Integration Pack Integration Pack Mgmt Pack

14


Don’t reinvent the wheel…

PowerShell is the common management platform used across all Microsoft operating systems and applications

UCS PowerTool is a Cisco-built, user-friendly, PowerShell-based library that Microsoft tools understand

A simple way to utilize Windows PowerShell and customize tools to business needs

…build on it

UCS & C-Series

UCS PowerTool

UCS PowerTool Bringing More Power to PowerShell

15


PowerTool for standalone rack servers

Extend the power of PowerTool for standalone c-series servers

– Manage both UCSM managed and standalone C-series from PowerShell

– Cmdlets library for c-series management

Support for complete management of servers

Cmdlets to compare, clone configuration settings between servers

16

Demo #1: (~8 Minutes) PowerTool for C-Series

In this demo we will review: - Using PowerShell to configure the Cisco Integrated - Management Controller including Users and LDAP - Demo of this configuration process at scale


1

2

3

Supports UCS Manager and C-Series Systems

Create script in goUCS framework with variable substitutions

Re-run script over and over against single or multiple Cisco IMC

What’s new with goUCS v2.0

Linux & Mac OS X Support

HTTPS Communication Support

Tagged Based User Arguments

Performance Enhancements

goUCS Automation Toolkit

Cisco IMC: Know XML, no problem

With goUCS: No XML, no problem

Import/Export XML specific configuration actions from one to many systems

18

Demo #2: (~8 Minutes) Using goUCS Automation Tool

In this demo we will review: - Using the goUCS Automation Tool to configure BIOS tokens, list faults, and change boot order for an individual system and at scale


System Center Operations Manager Management Pack for standalone C-Series servers

Holistic View of Converged Infrastructure Health

– Monitor alerts and faults

– Manage multiple UCS domains with single management pack

Simple and Powerful Visualizations

– Graphical Views of UCS topology

– Graphical views of physical and logical entities and relationships

Reliable Information

– UCS XML API provides a powerful, supported interface for Operations Manager

20


System Center Operations Manager Management Pack for standalone C-Series servers

Get the same capabilities for standalone rack servers!

– Single console for monitoring both UCSM managed and Standalone rack servers Agentless monitoring!

Single pane of glass for fault isolation and troubleshooting

– Summary and Detailed views of inventory, health, faults Launch server KVMs directly from SCOM

Easier monitoring with grouping of related servers

– Group servers based on orgs, geographies, functions, server types

21

Demo #3: (~7 Minutes) Microsoft System Center Operation Manger

In this demo we will review: - Using Microsoft System Center Operation Manager to manage Standalone S-Series Servers


Cisco Standalone C-Series Servers Host Update Utility

Simplify firmware & system software updates

• BIOS

• CIMC

• LOM

• RAID Controller

• Cisco VIC

Updates can be initiated from the following tools:

• Native Update Tool (Interactive GUI) – Supports Single System Updates

• Windows Tool (Non-Interactive) – Supports Single/Multi System Updates

• Python Tool (Non-Interactive) – Supports Single/Multi System Updates

Host Upgrade Utility (HUU) Capabilities

Available HUU Tools

23

Demo #4: (~7 Minutes) Using Non-Interactive Host Update Utility

In this demo we will review: - Using the Cisco developed Non-Interactive Host Update Utilities (Windows & Python)


Agenda









25


Cisco Developer Network

26

http://developer.cisco.com/web/unifiedcomputing/home

http://developer.cisco.com/web/unifiedcomputing/home


White Papers – C-series OS Deployment

27

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns340/ns517/ns224/ns944/whitepaper_C11-721701.html














White Papers – C-series OS Deployment

28









Where to find more information

Cisco Developer Network C-Series Main Page: – http://developer.cisco.com/web/unifiedcomputing/ucs-c-series

– Sub-pages for XML API, Host Update Utility & goUCS Samples

C-Series Server Product Information – http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/index.html

Data Sheets, Ordering Guides, White Papers & Other Resources – http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/prod_literature.html

Install and Upgrade Guides – http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/tsd_products_support_install_and_upgrade.html

Hardware & Software Interoperability Matrix – http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/ps10265/interoperability.html

29

http://developer.cisco.com/web/unifiedcomputing/ucs-c-series





http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/index.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/index.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/prod_literature.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/prod_literature.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/tsd_products_support_install_and_upgrade.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/ps10265/interoperability.html

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/ps10265/interoperability.html


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Documents

Managing C-Series Standalone Servers at Scaled2zmdbbm9feqrf.cloudfront.net/2013/usa/pdf/BRKCOM-1006.pdf · Managing C-Series Standalone Servers at Scale BRKCOM-1006 ... As of Q3FY13