Getting Started Guide for Cisco UCS E-Series Servers and the Cisco UCS E-Series Network Compute Engine - Installing the Operating System or Hypervisor [Cisco UCS E-Series Servers] (2024)

Note

If you purchased E-Series Server or NCE Option 1 (E-Series Server or NCE without a preinstalled operating system or hypervisor), you must install an operating system or hypervisor.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Operating System or Hypervisor Installation Methods

E-Series Servers and NCE support several operating systems and hypervisors. Regardless of the platform being installed, you can install it on your server using one of the following methods:

KVM console
PXE installation server
Host image mapping

Caution

You must use only one method to map virtual drives. For example, you must use either the KVM console or the Host Image Mapping method. Using a combination of methods will cause the server to be in an undefined state.

KVM Console

The KVM console is an interface accessible from the CIMC that emulates a direct keyboard, video, and mouse connection to the server. The KVM console allows you to connect to the server from a remote location. Instead of using CD/DVD or floppy drives physically connected to the server, the KVM console uses virtual media, which are actual disk drives or disk image files that are mapped to virtual CD/DVD or floppy drives. You can map any of the following to a virtual drive:

CD/DVD or floppy drive on your computer
Disk image files (ISO or IMG files) on your computer
USB flash drive on your computer

You can use the KVM console to install an operating system or hypervisor on the server and to do the following:

Access the BIOS setup menu by pressing F2 during bootup.
Access the CIMC Configuration Utility by pressing F8 during bootup.

Installing an Operating System or Hypervisor Using the KVM Console

Before you begin

Locate the operating system or hypervisor installation disk or disk image file.

Note

The VMware vSphere Hypervisor requires a customized image. To download the customized image, see Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image.

Procedure

Step1	Load the operating system or hypervisor installation disk into your CD/DVD drive, or copy the disk image files to your computer.
Step2	If CIMC is not open, log into the CIMC GUI.
Step3	From the top menu, click Launch KVM.
Step4	From the Launch KVM menu, click Java Based KVM. The KVM Console opens in a separate window.
Step5	From the KVM console, click the Virtual Media tab.
Step6	In the Virtual Media tab,click Activate Virtual Devices
Step7	Select Accept this Session and then click Apply .
Step8	Click the Virtual Media tab and click Map CD/DVD.
Step9	Click Browse, navigate to and select the operating system or hypervisor installation disk image. Click Open to mount the disk image, and then check the Mapped check box for the mounted disk image in the Virtual Media tab.
Step10	Set the boot order to make the virtual CD/DVD drive as the boot device.
Step11	Reboot the server. When the server reboots, it begins the installation process from the virtual CD/DVD drive. Refer to the platform installation guide for the installation process.
Step12	If the disk drives are not displayed after you install the operating system or hypervisor, you must install drivers. See the appropriate operating system or hypervisor documentation for instructions on how to install drivers. For instructions on how to install drivers on a Microsoft Windows operating system, see Installing Drivers for the Microsoft Windows Server.

What to do next

After the installation is complete, reset the virtual media boot order to its original setting.

PXE Installation Servers

A Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) installation server allows a client to boot and install an operating system or hypervisor from a remote location. To use this method, a PXE environment must be configured and available on your VLAN, typically a dedicated provisioning VLAN. In addition, the server must be set to boot from the network. When the server boots, it sends a PXE request across the network. The PXE installation server acknowledges the request, and starts a sequence of events that installs the operating system or hypervisor on the server.

PXE servers can use installation disks, disk images, or scripts to install the operating system or hypervisor. Proprietary disk images can also be used to install the platform, additional components, or applications.

Note

PXE installation is an efficient method for installing a platform on a large number of servers. However, considering that this method requires setting up a PXE environment, it might be easier to use another installation method.

Installing an Operating System or Hypervisor Using a PXE Installation Server

Before you begin

Verify that the server can be reached over a VLAN.

Procedure

Step1

Set the boot order to PXE.

Step2

Reboot the server.

Caution

If you are using the shared LOM interfaces to access CIMC, make sure that you do not use the CIMC GUI during the server reboot process. If you use the CIMC GUI, the GUI will disconnect during PXE installation as the boot agent overrides the IP address that was previously configured on the Ethernet ports.

If a PXE install server is available on the VLAN, the installation process begins when the server reboots. PXE installations are typically automated and require no additional user input. Refer to the installation guide for the operating system or hypervisor being installed to guide you through the rest of the installation process.

What to do next

After the installation is complete, reset the LAN boot order to its original setting.

Host Image Mapping

TheHost Image Mapping feature allows you to download, map, unmap, or delete a host image. Download a host image, such as Linux, or VMware from a remote FTP or HTTP server onto the CIMC internal repository, and then map the image onto the virtual drive of a USB controller in the E-Series M6 Servers. After you map the image, set the boot order to make the virtual drive, in which the image is mounted, as the first boot device, and then reboot the server. The host image must have .iso or .img as the file extension.

Mapping the Host Image

Before you begin

Log in to CIMC as a user with admin privileges.
Obtain the host image file from the appropriate third party.

Note

The VMware vSphere Hypervisor requires a customized image. To download the customized image, see Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image.

Note

If you start an image update while an update is already in process, both updates will fail.

Procedure

Step1

In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step2

On the Server tab, click Host Image Mapping.

Step3

From the Host Image Mapping page, click Add Image.

The Download Image dialog box opens. Complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Download Image From drop-down list

The type of remote server on which the image is located. This can be one of the following:

FTP
HTTP

Note

Depending on the remote server that you select, the fields that display change.

FTP or HTTP Server IP Address field

The IP address of the remote FTP or HTTP server.

FTP or HTTP File Path field

The path and filename of the remote FTP or HTTP server.

The path and filename can contain up to 80 characters.

If you are installing a host image, that image must have .iso or .img as the file extension.
If you are installing a diagnostics image, that image must have .diag as the file extension.

Username field

The username of the remote server.

The username can contain 1 to 20 characters.

Note

If the username is not configured, enter anonymous for the username and any character(s) for the password.

Password field

The password for the username.

The password can contain 1 to 20 characters.

Note

If the username is not configured, enter anonymous for the username and any character(s) for the password.

Step4

Click Download.

The Host Image Mapping page opens. You can view the status of the image download in the Host Image Mapping Status area. After the image is downloaded and processed successfully, refresh the page. After the page refreshes, the new image displays in the Image Information area.

Step5

From the Image Information area, select the image to map, and then click Map Selected Image.

The image is mapped and mounted on the virtual drive of a USB controller. The virtual drive can be one of the following:

HDD—Hard disk drive
FDD—Floppy disk drive
CD/DVD—Bootable CD-ROM or DVD drive

Step6

Set the boot order to make the virtual drive in which the image is mounted as the first boot device.

Tip

To determine in which virtual drive the image is mounted, see the Host Image Update Status area in the Host Image Mapping page.

Step7

Reboot the server.

Step8

If the image contains an answer file, the operating system or hypervisor installation is automated and the image is installed. Otherwise, the installation wizard is displayed. Follow the wizard steps to install the image.

Step9

If disk drives are not displayed after you install the operating system or hypervisor, you must install drivers. See the appropriate operating system or hypervisor documentation for instructions on how to install drivers.

For instructions on how to install drivers on a Microsoft Windows operating system, see Installing Drivers for the Microsoft Windows Server.

What to do next

After the installation is complete, reset the virtual media boot order to its original setting.
Unmap the host image. See Unmapping the Host Image.

Installing Drivers for the Microsoft Windows Server

Note

If you purchased an E-Series Server or NCE Option 1 (E-Series Server or NCE without a preinstalled operating system or hypervisor), and you installed your own version of the Microsoft Windows Server, you must install drivers.

The Microsoft Windows operating system requires that you install the following drivers:

On-Board Network Drivers for Windows 2008 R2
LSI Drivers (On-Board Hardware RAID Controller) for Windows 2008 R2
Intel Drivers for Windows 2008 R2
Intel Server Chipset Driver for Windows
Intel Network Adapter Driver for Windows Server 2012 R2

Note

The driver 'Intel Network Adapter Driver for Windows Server 2012 R2' is applicable only for the following servers:

UCS-E160S-M3 Server
UCS-EN140N-M2 Server
UCS-EN120E-M2 Server
UCS-E180D-M3/K9 Server
UCS-E1120D-M3/K9 Server

Note

Additional drivers are not needed for Windows 2012.

If you have purchased a 10-Gigabit add-on card, you must also install the 10G PCIe Network Drivers for Windows 2008 R2.

Procedure

Step1	Download the drivers from Cisco.com. See Obtaining Software from Cisco Systems.
Step2	Copy the driver files into a USB flash drive.
Step3	Install your own version of Microsoft Windows Server. During the installation process, you will be prompted for the LSI Drivers.
Step4	Plug the USB flash drive into the USB slot in the E-Series Server and then install the LSI Drivers. This step is applicable to E-Series Servers and the SM E-Series NCE. This step is not applicable to the EHWIC E-Series NCE and the NIM E-Series NCE.
Step5	After the Microsoft Windows Server installation is complete, install the On-Board Network Drivers (Broadcom) and the Intel Drivers.

Obtaining Software from Cisco Systems

Use this procedure to download BIOS and CIMC firmware.

Procedure

Step1	Navigate to http://www.cisco.com/.
Step2	If you are not already logged in, click Log In at the top right-hand edge of the page and log in using your Cisco.com credentials.
Step3	In the menu bar at the top, click Support. A roll-down menu appears.
Step4	From the Downloads (center) pane, click All Downloads (located at the bottom right corner). The Download Software page appears.
Step5	From the left pane, click Products.
Step6	From the center pane, click Unified Computing and Servers.
Step7	From the right pane, click Cisco UCS E-Series Software.
Step8	From the right pane, click the name of the server model for which you want to download the software. The Download Software page appears with the following categories. Unified Computing System (UCSE) Server Firmware—Contains the Host Upgrade Utility.
Step9	Click the appropriate software category link.
Step10	Click the Download button associated with software image that you want to download. The End User License Agreement dialog box appears.
Step11	(Optional) To download multiple software images, do the following: Click the Add to cart button associated with the software images that you want to download. Click the Download Cart button located on the top right . All the images that you added to the cart display. Click the Download All button located at the bottom right corner to download all the images. The End User License Agreement dialog box appears.
Step12	Click Accept License Agreement.
Step13	Do one of the following as appropriate: Save the software image file to a local drive. If you plan to install the software image from a TFTP server, copy the file to the TFTP server that you want to use. The server must have read permission for the destination folder on the TFTP server.

What to do next

Install the software image.

Unmapping the Host Image

Before you begin

Procedure

Step1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step2

On the Compute tab, click Host Image Mapping.

Step3

Click Unmap Image.

The mapped image is unmounted from the virtual drive of the USB controller.

Basic Workflow for Downloading and Installing the VMware vSphere Hypervisor

Caution

If you are using the VMware FL-SRE-V-HOST license (equivalent to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.X), make sure that the RAM that you are using is 32 GB or less. If the RAM is more than 32 GB, you will get an error message, and you will not be able to apply the license. If you want to use 48 GB of RAM, upgrade your license to FL-SRE-V-HOSTVC.

Download the customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor image.
Install the VMware vSphere Hypervisor image.
Assign a static IP address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.
Download and install the vSphere Client.

Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image

Procedure

Step1	Navigate to https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/login. The VMware login page appears.
Step2	Enter your VMware credentials, and then click Log In. If you do not have an account with VMware, click Register to create a free account.
Step3	Click Downloads, and then select All Products from the drop-down list.
Step4	Do one of the following as appropriate: To download the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 image, enter ESXi-5.1.0-799733-custom-Cisco-2.1.0.3.iso in the Search field, and then click the Search icon. From the Search Results, click VMware vSphere > Drivers & Tools > Cisco Custom Image for ESXi 5.1.0 GA Install CD, and then click Download. To download the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.5 image, enter ESXi-5.5.0-1331820-custom-Cisco-5.5.0.1.iso, in the Search field, and then click the Search icon. From the Search Results, click VMware vSphere > Drivers & Tools > CISCO Custom Image for ESXi 5.5.0 GA Install CD, and then click Download.

What to do next

Install the VMware vSpere Hypervisor image.

Assigning a Static IP Address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor

Use this procedure to assign a static IP address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.

Before you begin

Download the customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor image. See Downloading the Customized VMware vSphere Hypervisor Image.

Note

You must have an account with VMware to download the customized image.
Install the image onto the E-Series Server or NCE. For installation instructions, see Mapping the Host Image.

Procedure

Step1

In your web browser, enter the IP address that you configured to access CIMC during initial setup and then log into CIMC.

The CIMC Home page, which is the Server Summary page, appears.

Step2

From the Actions area of the Server Summary page, click the Launch KVM Console icon.

The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

Step3

From the KVM console, click the KVM tab, and then do the following to configure the IP address:

Press F2 to access the VMware vSphere Hypervisor DCUI customization menu.

The DCUI login page appears.
Log into the DCUI.

The System Customization page appears.
From the System Customization page, click Configure Management Network.

The Configure Management Network page appears, which has several menu options, including Network Adapter. The Network Adapter menu option allows you to view the existing network adapters and activate them.

Note

By default, the network adapter, vmnic0, is activated. Make sure that it stays activated.
From the Configure Management Network page, click the IP Configuration menu option.
To assign a static IP address, do the following:
- In the IP Configuration dialog box, click the radio box to specify that a static IP address will be used.
- In the appropriate fields, enter the IP address, network mask, and the gateway IP address, and then press Enter. The Configure Management Network page appears.
- In the Configure Management Network page, click the ESC key. The Configure Management Network Confirm dialog box appears.
- Enter y to accept the changes and restart the management network.
In the router configuration, add a route to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor host IP address.
For example, if the host IP address is 192.168.1.25 and the ucse interface is ucse 2/0, add the following route:
```
ip route 192.168.1.25 255.255.255.255 ucse2/0
```
Install the vSphere Client. See Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client. From the vSphere Client, use the host IP address to log in to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.

Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client

Before you begin

Make sure that you have assigned a static IP address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor. See Assigning a Static IP Address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.
Verify that you have network connectivity. To download the vSphere Client, connection to the Internet is required.

Note

The vSphere Client contains an online tutorial for first time users. It also contains embedded in-line getting started assistance, which allows you to set up your virtual infrastructure through an easy to use, step-by-step process. If you are an experienced user, you can choose to turn-off the getting started in-line assistance.

Procedure

Step1

Go to https://hypervisor-ip-address. You are directed to the VMware website and the Welcome page opens.

Step2

Click Download vSphere Client, and then click Run to download the vSphere Client. The VMware vSphere Client is installed and a shortcut icon to the client appears on your desktop.

Step3

Click the VMware vSphere Client icon to open the login window.

Step4

To manage the VMware vSphere Hypervisor, enter the IP address or hostname of the VMware vSphere Hypervisor and the username and password, and then click Login. The vSphere Client GUI opens.

Note

The default username for the preinstalled VMware vSphere Hypervisor is root, which cannot be changed; and the default password is password (for VMware 6.7 version, the default password is password@123; for VMWare 7.0 version, the default password is Password1$). After you log in, we recommend that you change the password.

Downloading and Installing the Operating System Using the Cisco IOS CLI

Procedure

	Command or Action	Purpose
Step1	Router> enable	Enters privileged EXEC mode on the host router. Enter your password if prompted.
Step2	Router# ucse slot imc file download URL ftp\|ftps\|http\|https: `server-ip-address/path/filename.iso`	Downloads the ISO image file from a remote FTP, FTPS, HTTP, or HTTPS server onto the local file system.
Step3	Router# show ucse `slot` imc download progress	(Optional) Displays the progress of the download.
Step4	Router# ucse `slot` server start boot url imc-file: `filename.iso`	Installs and boots the image file from a local file system.

Example

This example downloads and installs the operating system:

Router> enableRouter# ucse 2 imc file download URL ftp 10.20.34.56 pub/hostimage.isoStarted downloading file from ftp 10.20.34.56 pub/hostimage.isoRouter# show ucse 2 imc file download progressDownloaded 23% Router# ucse 2 server start boot url imc-file: hostimage.iso

Configuring the Server Boot Order

You can use the CIMC GUI or the BIOS setup menu to configure the server boot order.

Configuring the Server Boot Order Using the CIMC GUI

Before you begin

Log into CIMC as a user with admin privileges.

Procedure

Step1

In the Navigation pane, click the Compute menu.

Step2

On the Compute tab, click BIOS.

Step3

In the Configure Boot Order area, click Configure Boot Order.

The Configure Boot Order dialog box appears.

Step4

In the Configure Boot Order dialog box, complete the following fields as appropriate:


Name	Description
Device Types table	The server boot options. This can be the following: HDD—Hard disk drive. FDD—Floppy disk drive. CDROM—Bootable CD-ROM. PXE—PXE boot. EFI —Extensible Firmware Interface.
Add >	Moves the selected device type to the Boot Order table.
< Remove	Removes the selected device type from the Boot Order table.
Boot Order table	Displays the device types from which this server can boot, in the order in which the boot will be attempted.
Up	Moves the selected device type to a higher priority in the Boot Order table.
Down	Moves the selected device type to a lower priority in the Boot Order table.

Step5

Click Apply.

Additional device types may be appended to the actual boot order, depending on what devices you have connected to your server.

What to do next

Reboot the server to boot with your new boot order.

Configuring the Server Boot Order Using the CIMC GUI

Before you begin

Log into CIMC as a user with admin privileges.

Procedure

Step1

In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step2

On the Server tab, click BIOS.

Step3

In the Actions area, click Configure Boot Order.

The Configure Boot Order dialog box appears.

Step4

In the Configure Boot Order dialog box, complete the following fields as appropriate:

Name

Description

Device Types table

The server boot options. This can be the following:

HDD—Hard disk drive. Contains the following options:
- Cypress
- PCI RAID Adapter
- Linux Virtual FDD/HDD
- SSD Hard Drive
FDD—Floppy disk drive. Contains the following option:
- Linux Virtual Floppy
CD/DVD—Bootable CD-ROM. Contains the following option:
- Linux Virtual CD/DVD
Network Devices (PXE)—PXE boot. Contains the following options:
- Console
- GE1
- GE2
- GE3
- TE2
- TE3
Note

The PXE boot options vary depending on the platform. For instance, the M3 servers use TE2 and TE3 instead of GE2 and GE3.
Internal EFI Shell—Internal Extensible Firmware Interface.

Add >

Moves the selected device type to the Boot Order table.

< Remove

Removes the selected device type from the Boot Order table.

Boot Order table

Displays the device types from which this server can boot, in the order in which the boot will be attempted.

Moves the selected device type to a higher priority in the Boot Order table.

Down

Moves the selected device type to a lower priority in the Boot Order table.

Step5

Click Apply.

Additional device types may be appended to the actual boot order, depending on what devices you have connected to your server.

What to do next

Reboot the server to boot with your new boot order.

Configuring the Boot Order Using the BIOS Setup Menu

Use this procedure if you want the server to boot from an external bootable device, such as a USB or an external CD-ROM drive that is directly connected to the E-Series Server or NCE.

Procedure

Step1	In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.
Step2	In the work pane, click Host Image Mapping tab.
Step3	From the Actions area, click Launch KVM Console. The KVM Console opens in a separate window.
Step4	From the Server Summary page, click Power Cycle Server to reboot the server.
Step5	When prompted, press F2 during bootup to access the BIOS setup menu. The Aptio Setup Utility appears, which provides the BIOS setup menu options.
Step6	Click the Boot tab.
Step7	Scroll down to the bottom of the page below the Boot Options Priority area. The following boot option priorities are listed: Floppy Drive BBS Priorities Network Device BBS Priorities Hard Drive BBS Priorities CD/DVD ROM Drive BBS Priorities
Step8	Use the Up or Down arrow keys on your keyboard to highlight the appropriate option.
Step9	Press Enter to select the highlighted field.
Step10	Choose the appropriate device as Boot Option 1.
Step11	Press F4 to save changes and exit. The Main tab of the BIOS setup displays the device that you configured as Boot Option 1.

Configuring the Server Boot Order Using the Cisco IOS CLI

Procedure

Command or Action

Purpose

Step1

Router> enable

Enters privileged EXEC mode on the host router. Enter your password if prompted.

Step2

Router# show ucse slot server boot devices

Displays the devices available from which you can boot the server.

Step3

Router# ucse slot server boot order device_1 [device_2] [device_3] [device_4]

Specifies the devices from which to boot the server.

Note

The name of the devices must exactly match the names displayed by the output of the show ucseslot server boot devices command.

The device can be any of the following, but you can only use each device name once:

PXE—PXE boot
FDD—Floppy disk drive
HDD—Hard disk drive
CDROM—Bootable CD-ROM

Step4

Router# show ucse slot server boot order

(Optional) Displays the order in which the device boot is attempted.

Example

This example configures the boot order:

Router> enableRouter# show ucse 2 server boot devicesPXEFDDHDD:HDD3HDD:RAID-MD0HDD:USB-FF5D6CC3DAA67F12-1CDROM:USB-CDRouter# ucse 2 boot order PXE CDROM:USB-CD FDD HDD:RAID-MD0Router# show ucse 2 server boot orderCurrently booted from CDROM:USB-CDBoot order:1) PXE2) CDROM:USB-CD3) FDD4) HDD:RAID-MD0

Verifying Operating System and Hypervisor Installation

Accessing the Microsoft Windows Server from CIMC

Before you begin

A CIMC IP address is configured for CIMC access.
The Microsoft Windows Server is installed on the E-Series Server.

Procedure

Step1	In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.
Step2	In the work pane, click Host Image Mapping tab.
Step3	From the Actions area of the Server Summary page, click the Launch KVM Console icon. The KVM Console opens in a separate window.
Step4	From the KVM console, access the installed Microsoft Windows Server operating system.

Accessing the VMware vSphere Hypervisor from CIMC

Before you begin

A CIMC IP address is configured for CIMC access.
The VMware vSphere Hypervisor is installed on the E-Series Server.

Procedure

Step1

In the Navigation pane, click the Server menu.

Step2

In the work pane, click Host Image Mapping tab.

Step3

From the Actions area of the Server Summary page, click the Launch KVM Console icon.

The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

Step4

From the KVM console, click the KVM tab.

The VMware vSphere Hypervisor Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) appears. If VMware vSphere Hypervisor has assigned an IP address to the host, then that IP address is displayed on the DCUI page, or you can specify a static IP address. See Assigning a Static IP Address to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.

Step5

Make sure that you have installed vSphere Client. If not, install it. See Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client.

Step6

From the vSphere Client, log in to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor.

To log in, use either the IP address that is assigned by VMware vSphere Hypervisor or the static IP address that you specified in Step 4.

Note

The default username for the preinstalled VMware vSphere Hypervisor is root, which cannot be changed, and the default password is password (For VMware version 7.0, the default password is Password1$). After you log in, we recommend that you change the password.

What to Do Next

Configure a connection between the router and the server. See Configuring a Connection Between the Router and the E-Series Server or NCE.