Cisco UCS Blade Server Procedure¶
Complete procedure for managing Cisco UCS blade servers using UCS Manager, including blade discovery, service profile association, Blancco erasure, RAID configuration, and OS installation.
Overview¶
This guide covers the complete lifecycle of a Cisco UCS blade server in a rental environment: - Discovering and acknowledging new blades - Associating service profiles for PXE boot and erasure - Running Blancco data sanitization - Reconfiguring RAID arrays - Installing Windows Server (optional) - Decommissioning blades for removal
Prerequisites¶
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| UCS Manager Access | Browser access to https://192.168.21.230 |
| Credentials | admin / password |
| Service Profiles | Pre-configured profiles (e.g., Blancco, Windows boot) |
| Ghost Server | Network boot server configured |
| Blancco USB | If using USB-based erasure |
Default Credentials¶
| Interface | Username | Password |
|---|---|---|
| UCS Manager | admin | password |
| KVM Console | (uses UCS Manager auth) |
Part 1: Accessing UCS Manager¶
Launch UCS Manager¶
- Open browser and navigate to:
https://192.168.21.230 - Click Launch UCS Manager
- Enter credentials:
admin/password - You will see the chassis overview
Browser Compatibility
UCS Manager works best with Chrome or Firefox. Java may be required for older UCS Manager versions.
Part 2: Blade Discovery & Acknowledgement¶
Physical Installation¶
- Insert blade into available chassis slot
- Blade will appear in UCS Manager but shows red (needs resolution)
Acknowledge New Blade¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Double-click on the chassis icon to view slots |
| 2 | Double-click on the red blade icon |
| 3 | Click Re-acknowledge Slot |
| 4 | Click Yes to confirm |
| 5 | Wait for successful acknowledgement |
Monitor Discovery Progress¶
- Click the FSM tab to see progress
- Click Status Details in left pane for detailed output
- Discovery can take several minutes
Discovery Time
Full blade discovery typically takes 5-10 minutes depending on hardware configuration.
Part 3: Service Profile Association¶
Service profiles define blade configuration including network boot, storage, and identity.
Associate a Profile¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Double-click on the blade to open properties |
| 2 | Click Associate Service Profile in left pane |
| 3 | Select the appropriate profile (e.g., Blancco) |
| 4 | Select profile number matching blade slot |
| 5 | Click OK |
| 6 | Click Yes to confirm |
Available Service Profiles¶
| Profile | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Blancco | Network boot to Blancco erasure |
| allserv_boot_windows2019 | Windows Server installation |
| Custom | Client-specific configurations |
Monitor Association¶
- Double-click blade to open properties
- Click FSM tab to view association progress
- Wait for completion (may take several minutes)
Profile Association Time
Service profile association can take 10-15 minutes. Do not interrupt this process.
Part 4: KVM Console Access¶
The KVM console provides remote access to the blade's display.
Launch KVM Console¶
- Double-click on the blade
- Select KVM Console in left pane
- New browser window opens
- Accept any security prompts
KVM Console Features¶
| Feature | Access |
|---|---|
| Virtual Keyboard | Tools menu (top right) |
| Virtual Media | Activate Virtual Devices icon |
| Screen Capture | Tools menu |
| Power Control | Power menu |
Part 5: Blancco Data Erasure¶
Boot to Blancco¶
- Open KVM Console
- Blade should auto-boot from Ghost network
- Select Blancco entry from boot menu
- Follow Blancco procedure to erase internal disks
Data Destruction
Blancco performs complete data erasure. Ensure correct blade is selected before proceeding.
After Erasure¶
- Reboot the blade
- Press F2 to enter BIOS (disks need reconfiguration)
- Internal disks will need RAID reconfiguration
Part 6: RAID Reconfiguration¶
After Blancco erasure, the RAID configuration must be recreated.
Access RAID Controller¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Boot blade and press F2 for BIOS |
| 2 | Select LSI MegaRAID Controller |
| 3 | Select Configuration Management |
Initialize Disks¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Select Make Unconfigured Good |
| 2 | Select each disk and set to Enable |
| 3 | Click OK |
| 4 | Select Enable confirm and Yes |
Create Virtual Drive¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click Create Virtual Drive |
| 2 | Select RAID level (typically RAID1) |
| 3 | Select drives to include |
| 4 | Apply changes |
| 5 | Set Virtual Drive Name to VD0 |
| 6 | Click Save Configuration and Confirm |
Verify Configuration¶
- Press Esc to go back
- Select View Drive Group Properties
- Verify configuration is correct
- Select Save & Exit
Part 7: Decommissioning a Blade¶
Use this procedure to safely remove a blade from the chassis.
Disassociate Service Profile¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shutdown the blade (if running) |
| 2 | Check FSM for shutdown completion |
| 3 | Click on Service Profile in server properties |
| 4 | Click Disassociate Service Profile |
| 5 | Click Yes to confirm |
| 6 | Check FSM for disassociation status |
Disassociation Time
Profile disassociation can take several minutes. Wait for FSM to show completion.
Decommission Server¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Once disassociation complete, select Server Maintenance |
| 2 | Select Decommission |
| 3 | Confirm the action |
| 4 | Blade powers off and is removed from chassis inventory |
Physical Removal¶
- Wait for blade to fully power off
- Remove blade from chassis slot
- Blade can now be processed for next deployment
Part 8: Windows Server Installation (Optional)¶
Prepare Service Profile¶
- Associate a Windows boot profile (e.g.,
allserv_boot_windows2019) - Wait for profile association to complete
Mount ISO Image¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Open KVM Console |
| 2 | Click Activate Virtual Devices (top right toolbar) |
| 3 | Click again and select CD/DVD |
| 4 | Browse to ISO image on your laptop |
| 5 | Click Map to mount the drive |
Boot from ISO¶
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Power on blade (Boot Server option) |
| 2 | At Cisco banner, press F6 for boot options |
| 3 | Activate virtual keyboard in Tools menu if needed |
| 4 | Select Cisco vKVM-Mapped vDVD1.22 |
| 5 | Proceed with Windows installation |
Boot Failure
If blade fails to power on, clear all faults in Faults tab and run a Rediscover.
Post-Installation¶
- Log into Windows (create new password)
- Click Tools icon and unmap the ISO drive
- Map device drivers ISO:
ucs-bxxx-drivers-windows.3.1.1.iso(from Cisco)cisco-ucs-drivers-1.2006.2.0-microsoft.iso(from Microsoft)- Install chipset drivers from ISO
- Install Ethernet drivers from ISO
- Run Windows Update for remaining drivers
Re-acknowledging a Problematic Blade¶
If a blade shows errors after decommissioning:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Double-click on the blade showing red status |
| 2 | Click click here link in the middle of the page |
| 3 | Follow re-acknowledgement prompts |
| 4 | Blade returns to normal status |
Boot Key Reference¶
| Key | Function |
|---|---|
| F2 | BIOS Setup / RAID Configuration |
| F6 | Boot Device Selection |
| F8 | Boot Manager |
| F12 | PXE Network Boot |
FSM Status Reference¶
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| In Progress | Operation currently running |
| Complete | Operation finished successfully |
| Failed | Operation failed - check details |
| Pending | Waiting for resources |
Troubleshooting¶
Blade Not Discovered¶
- Verify blade is fully seated in slot
- Check power to chassis
- Verify fabric interconnect connectivity
- Try manual re-acknowledgement
Service Profile Association Fails¶
- Check for conflicting profiles
- Verify server pool availability
- Check FSM for detailed error messages
- Clear faults and retry
KVM Console Black Screen¶
- Verify blade is powered on
- Try refreshing the console
- Check Java/browser compatibility
- Restart KVM session
RAID Configuration Issues¶
- Clear existing configuration first
- Ensure all disks show as "Unconfigured Good"
- Check for failed disks in controller
- Verify supported RAID levels for disk count
Process Verification Checklist¶
| Task | Verified | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Blade physically installed | ☐ | |
| Blade acknowledged in UCS Manager | ☐ | |
| Service profile associated | ☐ | |
| Blancco erasure completed | ☐ | |
| RAID reconfigured | ☐ | |
| Service profile disassociated | ☐ | |
| Server decommissioned | ☐ |