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At-a-Glance

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers extend unified

computing innovations to a rack-mount form factor. They

are the only servers that can be used either standalone

or integrated as part of the Cisco Unified Computing

System (Cisco UCS).

When used as standalone servers, these systems can

be managed through the Cisco Integrated Management

Controller (IMC), integrated management software thatprovides network-based access to every aspect of

server management, from power state and firmware

revisions to remote keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM)

devices.

The flexibility to manage rack servers as standalone

servers or as part of Cisco UCS makes Cisco UCS

C-Series Rack Servers the preferred choice for many

organizations. These organizations may also prefer Cisco

UCS C-Series Rack Servers for their high I/O bandwidth,

the massive amount of memory they can support,

and the massive amount of internal disk space that isavailable.

Comprehensive, Flexible, Standards-Based Standalone Server Management

As standalone systems, Cisco UCS C-Series servers

provide a flexible, comprehensive, standards-based set

of management interfaces that enable organizations to

take advantage of Cisco servers innovative features in

heterogeneous data centers. The Cisco IMC provides

administrators with the tools they need to control

servers and manage servers, including remote KVM

devices, power state, and firmware revisions. The Cisco

IMC supports industry-standard protocols, including

Intelligent Platform Monitoring Interface Version 2

(IPMIv2) and Simple Network Management Protocol

Version 3 (SNMPv3), and an open XML API and a

command-line interface (CLI).

Physical Management Interfaces

Cisco UCS C-Series servers provide up to three

management interfaces that can be accessed by in-

band or out-of-band tools and techniques (Figure 1):

Ethernet networkaccess to the Cisco IMC

Agent and agentless management with third-party

tools through in-band data-plane connections

Front-or back-panel access for video, USB (with the

capability to boot from a USB CD/DVD drive), and

serial console access

Logical Management Interfaces

The Cisco IMC runs in the systems baseboard

management controller (BMC) and can be accessed

through the server network management ports. It

provides out-of-band management that can be

accessed through standard management protocols,

CLIs, and web-based interfaces.

IPMIv2

IPMI supports out-of-band management through third-

party tools including commercial enterprise management

systems and open-source tools such as ipmitool. IPMI

allows these tools to manage server power states

In-B

andN

etw

orkM

anag

em

ent

Out-of-Band

Managment

Through Network

Management Ports

Front- or Back-Panel Access

Video, USB, and

Serial Console

Third-Party Enterprise

Management Systems

IPMIv2, SNMPv3, and Open XML API

Command-Line Interface

Web User InterfaceVirtual Media

CiscoIntegrated

ManagementController

Virtual KVM

In-Band OS Connection

Figure 1. Organizations Can Manage Cisco UCS Rack Servers Through Physical and Logical Management Interfaces

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At-a-Glance

and monitor operation parameters available through

temperature, fan-speed, power-supply voltage, and

power sensors.SNMPv3

SNMP supports out-of-band management with third-

party tools including network management tools that use

SNMP to monitor system status variables and receive

SNMP traps in the event that the status falls outside

predetermined ranges.

Open XML API

The Cisco IMC supports an open XML API that enables

third-party software to access all the systems features

and capabilities discussed in Cisco IMC Features and

Capabilities later in this document.

Command-Line Interface

The Cisco UCS IMC CLI can be accessed through

a Secure Shell (SSH) connection to the Cisco IMC.

Through this interface, administrators can perform

server control and administration tasks, and they can

script configuration tasks so that they can be reliably

reproduced on a number of servers without errors.

Web User Interface

The web user interface supports out-of-band

management through a standard web browser. Itincludes server management, remote KVM, virtual

media, and administration capabilities:

Server management includes power management,

server reset, component inventory, and event logging.

Virtual media enables peripherals such as CD and

DVD drives to appear as if they were connected

directly to the server, facilitating remote OS and

application software installation.

Remote KVM capability gives remote administrators

the same level of control, including console video, as

when they are physically connected to the server.

Managing Through Enterprise Management Tools

Third-party management tools typically use a

combination of in-band and out-of-band managementtechniques, both of which are supported by Cisco UCS

C-Series servers.

In-band management is performed through the

servers data network connection. Different tools

use different techniques, including interaction with

the host operating system with and without the use

of agents. In-band management can interact with

OS-based management tools to accomplish tasks

including inventory, performance management,

troubleshooting, and OS and interface provisioning.

Out-of-band management tools such as AltirisDeployment Solution, BMC BladeLogic, CA Spectrum,

HP IT Performance Suite, IBM Tivoli, and Microsoft

System Center use Cisco IMC interfaces available

through the network management port. These tools

typically interact with servers through IPMI, SNMP, or

the open XML API.

Cisco IMC Features and Capabilities

With the Cisco IMC, administrators can perform the

following server management tasks with role-based

access that is easily defined on a per-user basis:

Power on, power off, power cycle, reset, and shut

down the server

Manage server BIOS settings

Toggle the locator LED

Configure the server boot order

Configure Cisco virtual interface cards (VICs)

View server properties and sensors

Create and manage local user accounts and connect

to external authentication and authorization systems,

including Microsoft Active Directory

Configure network-related settings, including network

interface card (NIC) properties, IPv4, VLANs, and

network security Configure communication services, including HTTP,

SSH, and IPMI over LAN

Specify events to trigger platform event traps

Manage certificates

Update system firmware

Monitor faults, alarms, and server status

Why Cisco?

Cisco UCS continues Ciscos long history of innovation

in delivering integrated systems for improved business

results based on industry standards. Cisco delivers

foundational technologies, including the Cisco Nexus

Family, supporting unified fabric and server virtualization.

Cisco UCS delivers innovation in architecture,

technology, partnerships, and services. Cisco is well

positioned to deliver innovation through a systems

approach to computing that unifies network intelligence

and scalability with innovative application specific

integrated circuits (ASICs), integrated management, and

standard computing components.

Cisco Services

Cisco Unified Computing Services helps you quicklydeploy servers, optimize ongoing operations to better

meet your business needs, and migrate to Ciscos

unified computing architecture.

For More Information

Please visit http://www.cisco.com/go/ucs.

Managing Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers with Cisco

UCS Manager discusses how Cisco UCS C-Series

Rack Servers integrate with Cisco UCS for greater

management scalability.

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