HX M6 nodes not showing as available nodes - unable to create cluster

[flash53]

We have 4 new HX m6 nodes that are showing a PID of UCSC-C240-M6SN instead of HXAF-240C-M6SN in both UCSM and Intersight and Intersight does not show them as available HX nodes during the cluster profile creation. Firmware is 4.2(1n), and so far we have tried the following without any change: 1. Re-acknowledged the nodes after the firmware was updated. 2. Decommissioned and recommissioned and them. 3. Decommissioned them, unconfigured the server ports, deleted the decommissioned nodes from UCSM, then reconfigured the server ports.

Any idea how do we fix this issue?

Thank you.

[RedNectar]

Hi @flash53 ,

[Edit: Future visitors - read this one first https://community.cisco.com/t5/other-data-center-subjects/hx-m6-nodes-not-showing-as-available-nodes-unable-to-create/m-p/4759030/highlight/true#M9665]

I'd strongly advise raising a TAC case - you may have been shipped the wrong products.

One way of partially checking would be to plug in a keyboard and monitor. If it boots to the familiar ESXi server screen, 

then you have probably got HX nodes - but again, you'd need TAC assistance to continue. 

But if you don't get the ESXi screen... then you have UCS nodes - they MAY have to be returned.

[flash53]

Thanks for your reply. We have a TAC case opened, thought to check if someone had same issue and got a way around. TAV engineer replied this:

"I took a look at the logs and I could see the servers have  PID UCSC-C240-M6SN which is totally expected since Hyperflex starting from M6 is going PIDless which means you can use UCS-C M6 servers for either regular UCS clusters or Hyperflex clusters"

We are still working with TAC, no fix yet.

[RedNectar]

Hi @flash53 ,

Yes - I'd forgotten that little point:

Hyperflex starting from M6 is going PIDless

and TBH I've only done one M6 install, and we had no problems.

So, a couple more questons:

To get started, you need to have set up your Fabric Interconnects either in UCSM managed mode or Intersight managed mode - I'm assuming you've gone with Intersight managed

1. If you set them up as Intersight managed (Cisco recommended) then you are stuck with Intersight for everything from this day forward, including the HX Install
2. If you set them up as UCSM managed, the Install process is a LOT easier, but... you are diluting the Cisco Kool Aide - remember I said option 1 was the Cisco preferred option, and I imagine that one day Cisco will stop supporting UCSM managed altogether - they have already stopped development of UCSM

Having said that, and seeing the situation you are in, if I was doing the install I'd redeploy the FIs as UCSM managed, download the HXv5.0 installer .ova and do the install using the good old and trusted installer.

Once HX is up and running, you can run the (almost impossible to find) Cisco Intersight Managed Mode Transition Tool sometime. 

---

PS. One more thing you could check with the keyboard and monitor plugged in - make sure that the BIOS is set up for single cable management - but this is NOT necessary if UCS Manager can "see" the nodes.

[flash53]

Yes, we could use UCSM and do the install using HX installer as our other clusters, for the new HX cluster we are deploying is using IMM as Cisco recommended understanding point 1. UCS manager can see the nodes, so I think at this moment we have to wait for TAC's investigation.

[RedNectar]

Hi @flash53 (and anyone else reading this later)

So. I tried my first HX Install using IMM today.

Should have exercised the RFM option first.

Quote:

• Cisco HyperFlex hyperconverged infrastructure is currently not supported in IMM.

Big FAIL Cisco from the way I see it!