Cisco UCS 6200 Fabric InterConnects Needed?

Currently looking to put Cisco UCS 5100 blades into our datacenter. Our core currently has a 7K with F2 48-Port blades with FCOE licenses. We currently have our ESXi servers terminating directly to the 7K for both 10G Ethernet and storage via FCOE. If we decide to replace our standalone rackmount servers with UCS blades, can we connect the blade chassis directly to the 7K, or are the 6200 fabric interconnects required? If so, what purpose do they serve. Thanks.

Yes, fabric interconnect is required for a UCS blade solution; it can aggregate a maximum of 20 chassis a 8 blades, or a total of 160 blades.
On the fabric interconnect runs UCS manager as a application, which allows you to do firmware management for the server farm (bios, I/O adaptor, CIMC,....); the concept of service profiles implements server abstraction and mobility across hardware.

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Cisco UCS 6324 Fabric Interconnect Used as a FEX?

Hi,
Is it possible to use the Cisco UCS 6324 Fabric Interconnect as a FEX to uplink UCS 5108 Blade Chassis to Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects? Thank you.

How does it work if I want to add a second 5108 to a pair of 6324's? Having the 6324's replace the IOM (FEX) modules is cool but would you need to buy IOM's for the second chassis and then use up either 4 x 10GB ports or the 1 x 40GB or would I need to purchase 2 more 6324's?
Thanks in advance.

UCS 6248 Fabric Interconnect loud fan RPM noise

Hello,
Our currently installed 6248 Fabric Interconnect pair are generating a loud FAN noise.
Is there any way to reduce theirs RPM? So then can be quieter? The server room have proper air conditioning.
Some logs as bellow:
FABRIC-A(nxos)# show environment fan detail
Fan:
Module Fan Airflow        Speed(%) Speed(RPM)
             Direction
1       1    Front-to-Back 60        15428
1       2    Front-to-Back 60        11065
1       3    Front-to-Back 60        14835
1       4    Front-to-Back 60        10997
2       1    Front-to-Back 60        15000
2       2    Front-to-Back 60        11134
2       3    Front-to-Back 60        14835
2       4    Front-to-Back 60        11065
Power Supply:
Module Airflow        Configured
        Direction      Speed (%)
1       Front-to-Back 60
2       Front-to-Back 60
FABRIC-A(nxos)#
FABRIC-A(nxos)#
FABRIC-A(nxos)# show environment
Fan:
Fan             Model                Hw         Status
Chassis-1       UCS-FAN-6248UP       --         ok
Chassis-2       UCS-FAN-6248UP       --         ok
PS-1            UCS-PSU-6248UP-AC    --         ok
PS-2            UCS-PSU-6248UP-AC    --         ok
Temperature
Module   Sensor     MajorThresh   MinorThres   CurTemp     Status
                    (Celsius)     (Celsius)    (Celsius)
1        Outlet     67            58           35          ok
Power Supply:
Voltage: 12 Volts
PS Model                Input Power       Power     Status
                         Type (Watts)     (Amp)
1   UCS-PSU-6248UP-AC    AC     780.00     65.00     ok
2   UCS-PSU-6248UP-AC    AC     780.00     65.00     ok
Mod Model                   Power     Power       Power     Power       Status
                            Requested Requested   Allocated Allocated
                            (Watts)   (Amp)       (Watts)   (Amp)
1    UCS-FI-6248UP-SUP      492.00    41.00       492.00    41.00       powered-up
3    UCS-FI-DL2             24.00     2.00        24.00     2.00        powered-up
Power Usage Summary:
Power Supply redundancy mode:                 Redundant
Power Supply redundancy operational mode:     Redundant
Total Power Capacity                             1560.00 W
Power reserved for Supervisor(s)                  492.00 W
Power currently used by Modules                    24.00 W
Total Power Available                            1044.00 W
FABRIC-A(nxos)#

UPDATE
I opened a TAC, then after several reviews of the LOGs and huge sh tech files, we concluded that all was normal. This loud noise is normal   and within in normal operational ranges.
However as the server room is not fully acoustics proof and located near production work desks, we managed to get a RMA for the fan modules for the version 2 modules which are MUCH quieter than V1 due new design.
I have upload both pictures for comparison of the designs.
Thank You!

Benefits to vPC on 6200s (Fabric interconnects) in UCS

I'm a network guy, not VMware. There are benefits to having the Nexus 5Ks vPC'd together and have a single port channel going upstream to a pair of vPC'd 7Ks. I've heard this refered to as a 'bowtie' or 'figure 8'.
Are there similar benefits with the UCS 6Ks to the 7Ks or with the ensuing VMware cfg? Like maybe simplifying the pinning to the uplinks.
Or is it just a plain bad idea?
Thanks,
Ken J

Ken,
The 6200's are not clustered switches as you might find with a pair of N5Ks/N7Ks. Best practice for UCS uplinks in thei regard would be to create port channels on from each 6200 side, going up to separate N5K/N7Ks as VPCs. This gives full mesh redundancy from each fabric.
From a VMware perspective, you would not do any specialized channeling at the vSwitch/vDS level. You woud use the default vSwitch teaming method - which is Source-Base-On-Virtual-Port-ID. This allows multlple uplinks connected to the same vSwitch wtihin VMware, without having to aggregate any of the links. This would completely complement the UCS configuration.
Hope this makes sense, if not let me know.
These two deployement guide would be a good read for you:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Borderless_Networks/Smart_Business_Architecture/February2012/SBA_Mid_DC_UnifiedComputingSystemDeploymentGuide-February2012.pdf
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns340/ns414/ns742/ns743/ns748/landing_dcServer-blade.html
Regards,
Robert

6200 Fabric Interconnect licensing with 2232 FEX

I have searched and searched but can't find the document to answer this. I know that every port on a 6248 or 6296 needs to be licensed to work whether it's Ethernet, FC, or FCoE.
We know it's supported and we want to connect a pair of 2232PP FEX up to our 6200 FI for C-series server connectivity.
When connecting a 2232PP FEX up to a 6200 FI, there are a potential of 8 uplink ports from the FEX to the FI. Do all 8 of those ports need to be licensed to work? Do any of the new 32 ports that show up once the FEX is connected need to be licensed as well?
Thanks!
Chris

Hello Chris,
The ports on FI connecting to FEX ( Server ports ) needs to have licenses. The ports on FEX connecting to hosts ( rack servers - backplane ports ) is not counted for licenses.
You can use all of those back plane ports without worrying about licenses.
HTH
Padma

Download firmware to UCS PE Fabric Interconnect fails

I think because the Local Storage Information shows the bootflash partition, opt partition and workspace partition all have a size of 0MB.
How can I increase the size of the Local Storage in the UCS Platform Emulator?
Thanks

Hello,
the upgrade through CLI is too complicated compared with the same process done through the GUI. If you have access through CLI, can you tell me what is the version of firmware running on the FI?
Also, what is the specific error you receive when you try to connect through the GUI? Could provide an screenshot of it?
Rate ALL helpful answers
-Kenny

Cisco UCS with FEX system Component requirements

Hi ,
I am looking for quick suggestion for required components to have a VMware vSAN implemented using FEX system with maximum Fabric trough put. Ideally a configuration for without multipath using single Fabric switch and later on to be able to upgrade to Multipath fabric.
We are in great rush to provide POC concept and was looking if you folks can suggest me on this. If need be you want to talk to me more in detail I can available.
Appreciate your help here.
Who can I reach to able to pull up build and quote the configurations for implementing complete UCS solution.
Are these below components absolutely required ?
2 x Nexus 2232PP 10GE Fabric Extenders
The Cisco Nexus 2232PP 10GE provides 32 x 10Gb loss-less low latency Ethernet and Fiber Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE) Small Form-Factor Pluggable Plus (SFP+) server ports and eight 10 Gb Ethernet and FCoE SFP+ uplink ports in a compact 1 rack unit (1RU) form factor. They enable Seamless inclusion of UCS rack servers into UCS Manager domain with UCS blade servers when connected to the UCS 6200 Fabric Interconnects, providing converged LAN, SAN, and management connectivity.
We currently have these below servers :
2 x UCSC-BASE-M2-C460
        524 GB RAM
        No SSDs
        No VIC Card
        4 x SAS 1 TB Drives
        1 x L1 Intel 1 Gbps Ethernet Adapter
        1 x L2 10Gbps Ethernet Adapter
        1 x LSI Mega RAID SAS 9240-8i (no RAID 5 support, Need a card that supports RAID5)
1 x UCSC-C240-M3L
        132 GB RAM
        30 TB SAS HDD
        1 x VIC Card
        1 x Intel I350 Gigabit Ethernet Card with 4 ports
        1 x LSI Mega RAID SAS 9240-8i (no RAID 5 support, Need a card that supports RAID5)
1 x 5548UP Nexus Switch ( Will I be able to use this switch in place of Nexus 2232PP 10GE Fabric Extenders to achieve complete UCS solution)

Cisco UCS Manager 2.2 supports an option to connect the C-Series Rack-Mount Server directly to the Fabric Interconnects. You do not need the Fabric Extenders. This option enables Cisco UCS Manager to manage the C-Series Rack-Mount Servers using a single cable for both management traffic and data traffic.
If you need high performance low latency (storage, for VMware VSAN), direct connection to UCS Fabric Interconnect and/or N5k is recommended.

Ask the Expert : Initial Set Up and LAN Connectivity for Cisco UCS Servers

Welcome to the Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions about related to the initial setup of UCS C & B Series which include LAN connectivity from the UCS perspective with Cisco subject matter expert Kenny Perez.
In particularly, Kenny will cover topics such as: ESXi/Windows installations, RAID configurations (best practices for good performance and configuration), VLAN/Jumbo Frames configuration for B series and C series servers, Pools/Policies/Upgrades/Templates/Troubleshooting Tips for blade and rack servers, Fabric Interconnects configuration, general compatibility of Hardware/Software/drivers amongst other topics
Kenny Perez is a technical leader in Cisco Technical Assistance Center, where he works in Server Virtualization support team. His main job consists of supporting customers to implement and manage Cisco UCS B series and C series. He has background in computing, networking, and Vmware ESXi and has 3+ years of experience support UCS servers and is VCP certified.
Remember to use the rating system to let Kenny know if he has given you an adequate response.
This event lasts through October 10th, 2014. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other Cisco Support Community members.

Hi,
Actually we have UCS 6248 fabric interconnect - first twelve ports are enabled and same in Cisco UCS Manager.
But when more port will be active by expansion module then UCSM can manage that too or need any other licence for UCSM too?

Error: Failed to parse path in URl (Cisco UCS 6100 Series Fabric Interconnect)

I have to shut down parts of my network due to an electrical outage this weekend. I have a Cisco UCS 6100 Server Fabric Interconnect. I am trying to backup the configuration. This is the command I am using create backup tftp://*.24.1.88 full-state enabled. The error I receive is Error: failed to parse URI. Which I believe URI means URL.

Hi Parakiteiz,
Looks like the format is incorrect and you have an extra 't' on the tftp command you provided. Please take a look at the link below for configuration assistance.
Creating backup operaiton.
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/cli/config/guide/1-1-1/b_CLI_Config_Guide_1_1_1/CLI_Config_Guide_1_1_1_chapter38.html#task_4704260519853629974
Please let me know if this help

Is there a way to see SAN luns from the UCS fabric interconnect.

Hello,
I have recently added a 3rd and 4th vHBA to a B440 running RHEL5.
Originally I had 2 vHBAs', and each created a path to 172 luns. (I was multipathed to 172 luns)
Now I have added two additional vHBA's and my SAN admin assures me he has mapped, zoned and masked all 172 luns to the 2 new vHBA's.
So, at this time I should have 4 paths to 172 luns....but I don't.
What I see is 4 paths to 71 luns.
I still see 2 paths to all 172 luns, but only see 4 paths on 71 of them.
Its almost like my SAN admin either mapped or masked only 71 of the 172 luns to my 3rd and 4th path.
Via the RHEL5 OS I have rescaned the FC paths, rebooted, done lsscsi, looked in the lowest level places for what devices are present on my FC channels, always I see 172 devices on the 2 original FC paths and 71 devices on the 2 new FC paths.
My question is....is there a way to see all devices (luns) accociated with an vHBA from the command line in the Fabric Interconnect?
My configuration is UCS w 2 FI's, using 8Gb FC connections to Cisco 9500 directors, to an EMC DMX4.
Thanks in advance,
Gene

wdey,
The link you supplied in your response is the answer.
You can look at the devices on the FC boot paths, but not while the OS is running.
I have a test server I could reeboot to try what you have in your document, and it does work.
Too bad Cisco could not create a linux util rpm that would allow looking down the fabric while running. Im quit sure emulex has this kind of util, called HBAanywhere...at least for solaris.
In any case, thanks for the link to your article, it was VERY good!
My problem with seeing a shorter list of luns on 2 of my FC paths may get solved this afternoon by a change my SAN admin is going to make.. If it does I will post the fix.

Info about Cisco Fabric Interconnect 6140 Operating System

Hello. We're looking for tech specs about Cisco Fabric Interconnect 6140 Operating System. For us is important to know if the os is NX-OS or not.
Posted by WebUser Federica Rossi

The underlying OS is built on NX-OS, but there is a lot of software running on top that is the actual UCSM itself.
The UCSM software controls the NXOS portions directly - there is no ability to actually configure the system from an NXOS level.
UCS-250-A(nxos)# sh ver
Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software
TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Software
BIOS:      version 1.5.0
loader:    version N/A
kickstart: version 5.0(3)N2(2.1m)
system:    version 5.0(3)N2(2.1m)

UCS Fabric Interconnect Stuck on Loader

Hi,
I've UCS with 2 Fabric interconnect, today one of FI not working and from Console its boot but not respond to Ctrl+J or Crtl+Shft+R then Hung on "Loader>" ?
Any suggest Please

Hi Balhomaish,
for this particular issue I would recommend you to call cisco TAC and open a case with them.

Can 6200 series Interconnects act as FC Fabrics?

Greetings.
I know with UCS 2.1 you can plug the FC SAN directly into the fabric without the need for an upstream mds switch for zoning.
Can you plug the SAN directly into the interconnect as well as an external host (say some random rackmount server) and gain access to the luns on the SAN, or is there some magic with the interconnects where only the blades in the fabric can be zoned and see the storage?

Samdeep,
UCS can be directly connected with the storage array, however any Non-UCS server will not be able to access the array via fabric Interconnect. With UCSM 2.1 default zoning has been disabled. and each initiator has to be specifically mapped to the target for zoning to work. Since UCSM only recognizes UCS blade and rackmount servers, only these type of servers can be zoned via UCSM to access the FC storage.
Ali

Use UCS Fabric Interconnect 6100 with Extension Module E0060 (6 FC Ports)

Hi Everybody,
I have problem in my Architecture !!! I THINK
I want to use Extension Module E0060 (6 FC Ports) for UCS Fabric Interconnect 6100 for interconnectiong my Storage Array ( 2 Controlers with 2 FC Ports by cont.) instead of use Nexus 5000 between FI 6100 and my Storage Array
I tried to find details or case study for this way but No thing find !!!!!!!!!!!!
I just find that th e best practices is to use Nexus 5000 but I have enough FC Ports with this Module ...... I THINK but I m not an Expert
Thanks for your help.

Thanks for your answer Michael,
But I really don't understand why I can't use the Module E0060 (6 FC Ports) in the FI 61xx instead of NEXUS 500 (I hope that's not commercial goal ) ????
As you now the hardware architecture of FI 61xx is the same that Nexus 5000, the difference is that 61xx have features added and UCS Manager embedded.
Now, If they have a features limited in 61xx like NPV or other things, I wil understand But until this moment I don't find Real ANswer in Cisco site of forum ( Al cisco documents mentionned that the best practices and the perfect design is to use 61xx and Nexus 5000 and MDS Switch between UCS and Storage Array ???????
I Hope that you understand my problem

Monitoring traffic between UCS fabric extenders and fabric interconnect?

What is the best way to monitor the traffic between UCS fabric extenders (chassis) and fabric interconnect? Specifically I am looking for parameters to keep an eye on to determine when we may need to move from 2 links per fabric extender to 4 to handle greater IO needs.
Thanks.
- Klaus

One way you could monitor usage is by looking at the interface stats just as you would for any switch uplink.
Connect to the Cluster CLI
connect NXOS
Look at the input/output rate of your Server Uplink interfaces.
In my example I'm using fixed ports 1 through 4 on my FI's connecting to the IOM of the Chassis.
UCS-A(nxos)# show int eth1/1-4 | include rate
30 seconds input rate 17114328 bits/sec, 1089 packets/sec
30 seconds output rate 8777736 bits/sec, 693 packets/sec
    input rate 5.07 Mbps, 198 pps; output rate 1.03 Mbps, 99 pps
30 seconds input rate 2376 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
30 seconds output rate 1584 bits/sec, 2 packets/sec
    input rate 1.58 Kbps, 0 pps; output rate 1.58 Kbps, 3 pps
30 seconds input rate 2376 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
30 seconds output rate 31680 bits/sec, 20 packets/sec
    input rate 1.58 Kbps, 0 pps; output rate 30.89 Kbps, 18 pps
30 seconds input rate 2376 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
30 seconds output rate 1584 bits/sec, 1 packets/sec
    input rate 1.58 Kbps, 0 pps; output rate 1.58 Kbps, 3 pps
If you notice your two links pushing near 10G consistently, it might be time to add another 2 link.
Other than this you can use SNMP to log the stats and look based on daily/weekly/monthly usage.
Robert

Cisco UCS 6200 Fabric InterConnects Needed?

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