4th Gen APIC Controller Hardware

[SIMMN]

I have following questions about the 4th Gen APIC controller after reading the installation guide and datasheet...Hope someone would be able to help clarify...

1. Is 4th Gen APIC based on UCS C220 M6? I assume so but can not find any confirmation. Also the reference rear panel view of the APIC-M/L4 is different than the C220 M6...

2. According to the APIC installation guide, Figure 2 in the link below, the 4th Gen APIC rear panel either does not show the CIMC port OR it does not have the OOB MGMT Ports anymore built-in if the "Dedicated 1 GB Ethernet management port" is actually for CIMC...? But the doc also states "2 10GBase-T Ethernet LAN over Motherboard (LOM) ports for network connectivity" which I assume would be the built-in ports for APIC OOB MGMT connection, right?

3. According to 4th Gen APIC datasheet as well as CCW, either "Intel E810XXVDA2 2x25/10 GbE SFP28 PCIe NIC" or "Intel X710T2LG 2x10 GbE RJ45 PCIe NIC" must be selected. But will either be used for APIC fabric connection to Leaf?

4. Assuming negative for #3, the installation guide also states that VIC15428, VIC1477 and VIC1467 are supported for the 4th APIC which I can see them being used for apic fabric connection. But there is also a note: "Cluster formation isn't supported for UCSC-PCIE-C25Q-04"...Does this mean VIC1467 can not be used for APIC fabric connection?

5. Assuming postive for #3, then what are the purpose of the VIC15428, VIC1477 and VIC1467 on 4th Gen APIC?

6. VIC 1455 is referenced in the guide but it does not seem it would be supported by 4th Gen APIC anymore... as if the 1455 content was just copied over from 3rd Gen APIC doc...

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/server/m4-l4-server/APIC-M4-L4-Server/m_overview.html

[Robert Burns · Accepted solution]

Comments inline.

Robert

1. Is 4th Gen APIC based on UCS C220 M6? I assume so but can not find any confirmation. Also the reference rear panel view of the APIC-M/L4 is different than the C220 M6...

[Robert] No.  Both the APIC-M4 and APIC-L4 are based on the same C225 M6 platform.

2. According to the APIC installation guide, Figure 2 in the link below, the 4th Gen APIC rear panel either does not show the CIMC port OR it does not have the OOB MGMT Ports anymore built-in if the "Dedicated 1 GB Ethernet management port" is actually for CIMC...? But the doc also states "2 10GBase-T Ethernet LAN over Motherboard (LOM) ports for network connectivity" which I assume would be the built-in ports for APIC OOB MGMT connection, right?

[Robert] It will be almost identical as the Gen3 APICs- will have dual onboard LOM (1G) for the APIC OS management, and a dedicated IMC interface for platform management.

3. According to 4th Gen APIC datasheet as well as CCW, either "Intel E810XXVDA2 2x25/10 GbE SFP28 PCIe NIC" or "Intel X710T2LG 2x10 GbE RJ45 PCIe NIC" must be selected. But will either be used for APIC fabric connection to Leaf?

[Robert] Yes.  There's an intel 10G SFP based NIC and Intel 10Ge Copper 10G NIC option.  Eventually we will offer a Cisco VIC adapter option once supply chain permit it.  These are for fabric (to Leaf) connections.  

4. Assuming negative for #3, the installation guide also states that VIC15428, VIC1477 and VIC1467 are supported for the 4th APIC which I can see them being used for apic fabric connection. But there is also a note: "Cluster formation isn't supported for UCSC-PCIE-C25Q-04"...Does this mean VIC1467 can not be used for APIC fabric connection?

[Robert] This is just calling out that the VIC 1455 isn't supported for fabric uplink on APIC (not sure why we call this out), but should be safe to ignore if you're using another NIC/VIC.

5. Assuming postive for #3, then what are the purpose of the VIC15428, VIC1477 and VIC1467 on 4th Gen APIC?
[Robert] These are the VIC adapter options, or you can go with an Intel NIC option listed above as fabric connections.

6. VIC 1455 is referenced in the guide but it does not seem it would be supported by 4th Gen APIC anymore... as if the 1455 content was just copied over from 3rd Gen APIC doc...

[Robert] Likely, just ignore this.  I'll have the docs updated.

[SIMMN]

Thanks Robert for the updates! I guess “doc should be updated” would be a quick summarized the answer…Lol…

[Robert Burns]

Yeah you're not wrong!  I've submitted the changes, they should be live in the next day or so.

Cheers,
Robert

[Ezzedine]

hello @Robert Burns 

is the 4th generation APIC in GA status?  btw i coudn't open the posted link in the original post
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/server/m4-l4-server/APIC-M4-L4-Server/m_overview.html

[Robert Burns]

It's not GA yet but will be mid March. The article will be republished soon with some changes that were recently made. It had to be taken down to reauthor temporarily.

Robert

[Min Myo]

Hello @Robert Burns, Need help with M4 (C225 M6) loading APIC 6.0.2h. Have both 1gig onboard and Intel 10/25g SFP NIC. CIMC doesn't show VIC nor Intel-NIC option under CIMC|Networking.  The issue I have now is APIC can't detect adjacent Leaf Switches. Is it because of firmware related?

I tried swapping out different SFPs as well as cables. No link-light showed up at both ends.  Any clue/tip? Appreciated. 

[Robert Burns]

@Min Myo  as you have a separate/unrelated question I'd ask you to start a new thread and we'll be happy to assist. (@RedNectar would never forgive me if I answered in this thread!)

Thanks,
Robert

[ThinMan]

Hi both, the issue seems to have been resolved but not sure if there was solution for the below question ? 

"2. According to the APIC installation guide, Figure 2 in the link below, the 4th Gen APIC rear panel either does not show the CIMC port OR it does not have the OOB MGMT Ports anymore built-in if the "Dedicated 1 GB Ethernet management port" is actually for CIMC...? But the doc also states "2 10GBase-T Ethernet LAN over Motherboard (LOM) ports for network connectivity" which I assume would be the built-in ports for APIC OOB MGMT connection, right?

[Robert] It will be almost identical as the Gen3 APICs- will have dual onboard LOM (1G) for the APIC OS management, and a dedicated IMC interface for platform management."

But on the rear of our APIC M4 (C225-M6) onboard cards, we only have  2x RJ45, one with label M used for CIMC ( with which we can access the cimc) but the second rj45 port is labeled as COM serial port. There is no dedicated OOB MGMT ports C220-M5s (Apic M3).

so how do you configure OOB? even the cisco document for C225-M6 doesnt have any dedicated ports for OOB (see attached)

[Robert Burns]

In that Picture @ThinMan it's #3 where the modular LOM ports are shown.  Those are the 1/10G OOB Management Ports for the APIC.
Robert

[Robert Burns]

FYI

[ThinMan]

Thanks for that Robert. It was indeed there, sorry had to rely on the info from the DC smart hands, who informed there was no other ethernet ports on the server. hence the confusion! all good now. Thank you for your help.

[Robert Burns]

All good - Glad the mystery has been solved.  Never trust anyone!

Cheers,
Robert