Cisco Intersight: Cloud Based Management of UCS and HyperFlex

[dsoper]

Cisco Intersight Overview

This document provides an overview of the Cisco Intersight Service which can be used for cloud based management of UCS devices including HyperFlex, UCS Manager domains, and standalone UCS C-Series Servers.  The Intersight service is currently available to anyone with a cisco.com ID and devices capable of connecting to the Intersight Service.  Be sure to read more on Cisco Intersight - Cisco

Also be sure to visit the main Intersight Communities space for detailed overviews and discussion forums: Intersight

Demo Overview and Additional Information

• Be sure to watch the video demo of account creation and other management operations that can be performed from Cisco Intersight!

Currently Supported Devices

• HyperFlex version 2.5
  • Navigate to Settings->"Cloud Management Preview" to enable an Intersight connection to your HyperFlex cluster
• UCS Manager 3.2
  • Navigate to Admin->"Device Connector" to enable an Intersight connection to your UCS Manager domain
  • Read more on how UCS Manager 3.2(1) ushers in the UCS M5 generation servers and the next generation UCS management platform
• C-Series Standalone Software 3.1
  • Navigate to Admin->"Device Connector" to enable an Intersight connection to your Integrated Management Controller (IMC)
  • Read more on Cisco IMC Software 3.1(1): Enabling UCS C-Series M5 servers and the next generation UCS management platform

Accessing Devices from Intersight

• Once you have a device ready for connection, visit https://intersight.com to sign in with your cisco.com ID
• After signing in, select "Create an account" and provide a Device ID and Claim Code from a UCS or HyperFlex device.
• Note that the "Device ID" and "Claim Code" requested when claiming a device will need to be captured from the device in the menus mentioned above.  Here is an example screen shot:

Deleting (Unclaiming) a Device

• The following steps can be used to remove a device from an account:
  1. Navigate to the Devices menu in Intersight
  2. Select the device (or multiple devices) using the checkbox to the left of the device Name
  3. Click the delete icon at the top left of the devices table and confirm to remove the device:
     

Intersight Service Status, Feedback, and Troubleshooting

• Visit https://intersight.com/help/ to access help documentation and user guides.
  
• To check overall status of the Intersight Service, visit https://status.intersight.com
• There are a few options for providing product feedback (including defect reports):
  1. From Intersight, navigate to the help menu and select
     
  2. Directly access the Feedback Form (useful if you are unable to login to Intersight).
     
  3. Send an e-mail to the address provided at the top of the Feedback Form.

[DominikPecak]

How it is licensed? Customer who wants to use UCS Starship have to have valid service contract?

When will be added support for UCS Manager and UCS standalone servers?

[alamatth]

I followed all of the steps to connect my HX 2.5 cluster to Starship, but Starship shows no cluster info at all, and HX Connect still shows as unclaimed.  Is there a substantial delay once HX is joined to Starship.

[dsoper]

There will not be significant delay if the claim has been successful.  Can you let me know which of these steps had an issue?

1. Security Code was visible on the device
2. Security Code entered as "Claim Code" along with other device data at https://ucs-starship.com
3. Account created within Starship (Beam Me Up! screen visible)

[alamatth]

Thanks David. Yes, all of those things were done. I can see my cluster as a claimed device within the StarShip portal, but when I look at the cloud connecter on my HX Connect it doesn't show claimed. This is a lab connected to the Cisco prod network using the lab proxy to get internet access. Could any of that be causing the issue?

Alan Matthews

Cisco Systems

Data Center Technical Solutions Architect

CCIE #51933

309-661-7771

[hlorenda]

I have the same exact issues with our lab in Cisco Sweden LAB, HX 2.5.1b connected to UCS-StarShip . No HX Connect pops up.

[alamatth]

Hello Henrik. Eventually everything showed up. Not sure what changed or why it took so long, but it is working now.

Alan Matthews

Cisco Systems

Data Center Technical Solutions Architect

CCIE #51933

309-661-7771

[grerose]

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to give a quick plug for the upcoming Cisco Customer Connection Program - Data Center Track briefing on UCS Starship that will take place September 15, 2017 at 8AM PST. This will be your chance to learn more about UCS Starship and ask questions to the UCS Starship team. Interested in attending? Join the Customer Connection Program and sign up for the Data Center Track. Once accepted into this program (Cisco customers and Partners only) you will be able to register for the briefing. Visit the Cisco Customer Connection to sign up!

[ikokubun]

Hello Team,

We have connected HX2.5 to startship. But would it be possible to have your advice how to connect UCS Manager to Starship?   Thank you for your support.  Our UCS firm version is already 3.1.3c.

Regards,

Isao 

[dsoper]

3.1 versions of UCS Manager do not support connecting to Starship, but look for a new release in near future that will have support.

[dsoper]

UCS Manager 3.2 is now available and supports connections to Starship as described in the updated document above.

[jhighsmi]

After learning about Starship and its powerful infrastructure management capabilities, would you be interested in becoming a customer reference for Starship?

Current opportunities include:

• Participation in TechWise TV Episode (recorded in San Jose, CA on September 21, 2017)
• Providing a quote for Cisco's Sept. 19th Press Release announcing Starship
• Participation in a survey conducted by an industry analyst on the ROI and other benefits experienced from Starship (survey results will be summarized in a white paper)
• Sharing your experience with Starship in a testimonial video

Participation Benefits:

Participation in these Starship launch activities and collateral provides an opportunity for you to drive more awareness about your company, position yourself as an industry thought leader and innovator to your peers and customers, talk with industry influencers and be positioned as an IT leader/innovator in key analyst research, and refer to the videos and assets in your own marketing campaigns.

If interested, please sign up here. A member of the customer reference team will follow up with you.

Thanks for your consideration!

[jay.hawkins]

How will this replace or augment UCS Supervisor and UCS Central? Will there be Transport Gateways similar to SmartCallHome - allowing dark and isolated environments to report and be managed?

[jay.hawkins]

Also, I understand this is a tech preview - but our organization and most large enterprises block public EC2. Will you be moving this to Cisco hosted address space for production?

[Matthew Faiello]

Greetings Jay, those capabilities will be developed into Starship. IMC Supervisor capabilities will materialize before a replacement for UCS Central, roadmap wise, but eventually all will be there.

[Matthew Faiello]

Jay, we realize not all customers can or wish to have management in EC2, that is why there will be an on-prem capability as well.