From Setup to Optimization: Navigating Cisco UCS C-Series Servers AMA

[Brooke Hammer]

Ask Me Anything Event

Welcome to the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers session! Whether you're setting up your first server or optimizing an existing deployment, this event is your one-stop destination for everything UCS C-Series. Our expert engineers, Prabhu Subramanian, Joy Pal, Shashanka Tripathy and Anshuman Garg will be available from February 24, 2025 through March 14, 2025 to assist you with any queries or features during Deployment, Maintenance and Troubleshooting.

Join us for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) event where you can dive deep into Cisco Data Center C-Series Servers!

What is it?

The Cisco UCS C-Series servers provide a flexible, scalable, and high-performance platform for data centers. From initial setup to advanced configurations and optimization, UCS C-Series offers a comprehensive solution for your business needs.

Get Expert Advice!

This is your chance to get advice from Cisco UCS experts. Whether you're a network admin, server engineer, or part of a larger IT team, we’ll be here to answer your questions about UCS C-Series deployment, performance enhancements, and system troubleshooting.

Official Resources:

• Cisco UCS C-Series Documentation
• Cisco UCS C-Series Best Practices Guide
• Cisco UCS Faults and Error Messages Reference Guide 4.2

Join us for this insightful Ask Me Anything session and take your UCS C-Series skills from setup to optimization.  Let's uncover the solutions to your challenges and explore the vast possibilities in this dynamic field.

Note: Please post your post as a comment below no later than March 14, 2025.

Post your question below by clicking "Reply"

(Answers will be processed depending on the availability of the experts)
Don't forget to thank the expert by giving it a helpful vote!

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Our experts

Prabhu Subramanian Technical Consulting Engineer

Joy Pal Technical Consulting Engineer

Shashanka Tripathy Technical Consulting Engineer

Anshuman Garg Technical Consulting Engineer

 If you have questions or are experiencing technical problems with any of the Cisco products, post your question, request information or use the Cisco Community before opening a case with the TAC.

[Elliot Dierksen]

Why do the SAS HBA MRAID cards cause the fans to run at higher speed? Do they really run hotter than the RAID cards? I haven't tried to measure that, but seems odd to me.

[jopal]

Hi Elliot,

Many thanks for the post, could you please share us the Server Model, CIMC firmware version, RAID Controller firmware version and the RAID or HBA Card model or Part ID, where you are experiencing the issue. Usually, in general, it's because of high CPUs or RAMs usage the temperature of the Server rises, which causes the FANs to run at HIGH RPM.

[Elliot Dierksen]

This is less of an issue in my current UCSC-C240-M5SX (BIOS C240M5.4.3.2c.0.0905240129, CIMC 4.3(2.240107)) with UCSC-SAS-M5HD versus UCSC-RAID-M5HD.

It was a huge issue in my previous UCSC-C240-M4SX (BIOS C240M4.4.1.2f.0.1024230116, CIMC 4.1(2m)) with UCSC-SAS12GHBA versus UCSC-MRAID12G. Since both of these platforms are EOS, I guess it isn't really relevant now.

[Shashank Tripathy]

Hi Elliot,

The difference in fan speeds between the UCSC-SAS12GHBA and UCSC-MRAID12G on the Cisco UCS C240 M4 server can be attributed to the different functionalities and configurations of these controllers.

The UCSC-SAS12GHBA is a non-RAID SAS HBA that supports JBOD mode only, which is ideal for environments demanding high IOPS, such as those using external SSDs. This setup can lead to higher fan speeds due to increased thermal output from high IOPS operations.

On the other hand, the UCSC-MRAID12G is a RAID controller that supports various RAID levels, which might not demand as high IOPS as the JBOD configuration, potentially resulting in lower fan speeds.

Please refer the documents below :

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-c-series-rack-servers/c240m4-sff-spec-sheet.pdf (Table 11, Page 31)

[Vaibhav Supugade]

Hi Team,

Could you please confirm the inbuilt firmware version of the UCS C220 M6 appliance?

Additionally, is it possible to upgrade or downgrade the DNAC version via CIMC? If so, please share the relevant documentation.

[Shashank Tripathy]

Can you please clarify on the inbuilt firmware? Is this regarding Appliance firmware or CIMC firmware?

Additionally, DNAC cannot be upgraded from UCS CIMC.

[Vaibhav Supugade]

Thanks for your response.

It's CIMC firmware?

[prabsub2]

Hello Vaibhav, Thank you for the clarification. The C220 M6 servers are supported from the release 4.2(1) and later. Please check the release notes below:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/release/notes/b_release-notes-for-cisco-ucs-rack-server-software-release-4_2_1.html

[Marcelo Morais]

Hi,

Cisco SNS is a Cisco ISE Appliance based on Cisco UCS C220.

On Cisco SNS 3500 and 3600 Series it supports the UEFI Secure Boot feature and this ensures that only a Cisco-signed ISE image can be installed, in other words, unfortunately, it can only be used for Cisco ISE (it cannot be repurposed).

In the Cisco SNS 3700 Series documentation, this is not clear.

Any news about using Cisco SNS 3700 Series (a Cisco UCS C220 hardware) for something other than Cisco ISE?

Regards.

[Shashank Tripathy]

Hi Marcelo,

The Cisco SNS 3700 Series appliances are specifically configured to support the Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and are not intended for repurposing for other applications. Like previous generations, the SNS 3700 series is designed to deliver high performance and efficiency for workloads related to Cisco ISE. The documentation does not indicate support for other applications beyond Cisco ISE.

Documentation : 
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/identity-services-engine/sns-3700-aag.html

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/sns3700hig/sns_3700_hardware_install_guide/m_sns37xxoverview.html

[apulluru]

How do HyperFlex’s storage capabilities integrate with local storage on UCS C-Series servers, and how does this combination provide high availability and redundancy?

[kishangupta9911]

How does the UCS C-Series server handle firmware management updates, especially in a multi-server environment, and what best practices would you recommend for minimizing downtime during updates?

[prabsub2]

Hi Kishan,
Nice meeting you here. Thank you for your interest. It would be a reasonable consideration to bring multiple C-series servers into a single point of management, such as integrating the standalone servers with UCSM or Cisco Intersight. This approach allows us to manage firmware and other activities effectively under a unified management umbrella.

[Ankit Singh Rajput]

How does the Cisco Intersight platform integrate with the UCS C-Series servers for lifecycle management, and what benefits does it provide over traditional local management tools like Cisco UCS Manager?