Introduction to Cisco UCS-Server Configuration Utility

This chapter introduces the UCS-Server Configuration utility along with the features added in release 2.0(1).

This chapter contains the following sections:

Overview

New Features in UCS-SCU 2.0(1)

Overview

The Cisco UCS-SCU (Server Configuration Utility) is an application that helps you manage various tasks on your server. The utility helps you easily set up and manage your servers from a single application.

USC-SCU is intended for system administrators responsible for upgrading, troubleshooting, and configuring the UCS C-Series server. As a system administrator, you can use it to view server inventory, update a server with the most recent system software, configure the BIOS boot order, configure a RAID volume on attached hard drives, install an operating system, perform interactive offline diagnostics and view server health and logs.

New Features in UCS-SCU 2.0(1)

UCS-SCU reduces the complexity and time associated with setting up and maintaining Cisco C-series servers. Server deployment is made easier. The wizard automatically locates and retrieves the most recent drivers, BIOS, and firmware updates. It guides you through questions to help quickly configure the server through automatic recognition of server hardware, with minimal reboots and an automated unattended operating system installation.

UCS-SCU is packaged onto a single CD which contains its own operating system (Linux), a GUI, and supporting files for setup and deployment. The utility can be booted off a CD (physical or vMedia) and runs completely in a RAMDISK.

These are the new features introduced in UCS-SCU 2.0(1):

•Interactive Offline Diagnostics—Allows you to run the quick test and the comprehensive test to help identify sources of failure on your server.

•BIOS and CIMC update on C-460 servers.

•Improved method to install Windows 2008 operating system, using the WinPE boot.wim method.

•Support for assisted OS installation of new OSes-RHEL6 and SLES11-SP1.

•Application for updating drivers on C-series servers running the Windows operating system.

•A unified framework to perform the following:

–Server Inventory—View an inventory of your server's CPU, memory, power supplies, fans, IO, storage, BIOS and CIMC.

–Server Configuration—Set the BIOS boot order and configure a RAID volume on attached hard drives of your server.

–Firmware Update—Update your server with the most recent system software. You can get updates from a set URL, a network drive, or removable media. The firmware components that can be updated are - BIOS and CIMC.

–OS Installation—Install the RHEL, SLES, and Windows operating systems in a fully unattended mode. The most recent drivers for all on-board components are added from the Tools and Drivers CD or from other supported locations during the operating system installation.

–Diagnostic Tools—Allow you to run the Quick Test and Comprehensive Test to detect server failure.

–Server Health—View the health of the subsystems on your server like CPUs, memory, power supplies, fans, storage, PCI devices, BIOS and CIMC.

–Server Logs—View the System Log, System Event Log, and MCE Log of your server.