Installing the BFC › Configuration Requirements for Cisco UCS

Configuration Requirements for Cisco UCS

Before you install CA 3Tera AppLogic on a Cisco UCS system, review the following prerequisites and configuration requirements. This process assumes that you are working with an installed and functioning UCS system. In the following process you first complete the configuration requirements for your Cisco UCS hardware, then proceed with the installation of the BFC and post-installation tasks.

Prerequisites

To complete the configuration tasks, you must have the following:

• Cisco UCS system
• Cisco UCS Manager, version 1.3(1)
• Appropriate administrative privileges for the relevant servers

Configuration Requirements

Note: For more information about using features in the UCS Manager, refer to your copy of the Cisco UCS Manager GUI Configuration Guide, Release 1.3(1).

• Create the backbone and external networks.
  • AppLogic requires two distinct networks: backbone and public.
  • Use one or two VLANs, assigned in the Service Profile to appropriate vNICs, to create these distinct networks. Whether you use one or two VLANs, they should be configured to meet the following restrictions:
    • The public network must have the external connectivity required of the applications that will be running on the grid.
    • Backbone vNICs must, specifically, NOT be able to communicate directly to public network vNICs.
    • vNICs assigned to the backbone network may only communicate with 1) other backbone vNICs for this grid, 2) backbone vNICs for other grids, and 3) this grid’s BFC which is typically shared with other grids.
  • Assign or create NIC/vHBA Placement Policies so that all of the vNICs for the backbone network are connected to the same Fabric.
• Configure the power/management network.

  Configure your power networks per UCS requirements. Note the IP addresses which you will use later for server discovery in the BFC.

• Create a boot policy.

  When you are ready to install the Backbone Fabric Controller or to make a server available for BFC to discover at any time, assign a boot policy of “PXE then Local Disk” to the server. Note the following:

  • In your boot policy, indicate LAN (Network) as the first item in the Boot Order followed by Local Disk.
  • After you create the boot policy, assign it to all servers that you plan to be part of your grids.
• Create an IPMI Profile.

  This step is required if you have configured power/management network in the earlier step. Create a UCS IPMI profile indicating a username and password and choose 'admin' as the role.

  Finally, associate all the Cisco UCS policies you created to Service Profiles for the servers being prepared for grids.

• You can now begin the BFC installation process.
• Perform post-installation setup tasks after you complete the installation process.
• Specify IPMI authentication information

  After installation, complete the following step to specify power network settings.

  • Enter the login credentials on the BFC tab of the Administration page. Work with the Backup IPMI Authentication option to specify the same IPMI username/password that was used during the creation of IPMI Profile in UCS Manager.
  • Alternatively, you can assign a specific IPMI user name and password for each server discovered by the BFC. On the Servers page, click the server you want to work with. On the Power tab, select the server, then click the Power Action drop-down menu and select Set Password. You are prompted to set User ID and Password credentials. Note that the server-specific IPMI username/password should match with the credentials of IPMI Profile associated to the respective server in UCS Manager.