Using b-series blade as a physical server, assigning physical nic in FI

[Joe Costello]

I have a UCS with multiple blades in multiple chassis.  Looking to separate 1 physical blade from the rest and run it as a separate bare metal server segmented from the rest. (specifically on the LAN side)  All of my blades communicate through the uplinks I have setup on redundant paths to a core switch BUT for this one, I need it to be setup to use 2 1gig interfaces on my FI-A.  I was looking around on how to accomplish this on the UCS LAN side but wasn't sure how to do it.  Has anyone done this before? I know on the storage side you use a vsan to associate paths to physical connections but can't figure it out on lan side.  Maybe 2 new uplinks that are only assigned to that blade server?  Looking to just plug the 2 FI interfaces into my core switch to give the blade server connectivity.

Thanks in advance.

[Steven Tardy]

What you are looking to do is called disjoint layer 2 within UCSM. There are many documents covering disjoint layer 2.

Basically:

• Server X uses VLAN Y.
• VLAN Y is pinned/assigned/forced to use uplink Z.

[Wes Austin]

As Steven mentioned, you will setup disjointed layer 2 and separate your "new" VLAN from the existing in the "LAN Uplinks Manager" in UCSM.

LAN > LAN Cloud > LAN Uplinks Manager.

Here you will choose your 1G uplinks and your "new" VLAN and effectively remove the VLAN from all uplinks and only allow it on the 1G uplinks. Then when you create your Service profile for the blade, only create vNIC that are using the "new" VLAN. That way, when those vNIC come online, they pin ONLY to your 1G uplink and not to any other LAN Uplinks that you have existing already.

[Joe Costello]

Ah, this is good.  Thank you!  One layer 2 question related to this config, just to confirm.  The 2 vlans that I want to connect this server to are already in my VLAN config in my UCSM BUT it should be fine to just create 2 new ones with different names with the same vlan tag, correct?  I saw a check overlap button when adding a new vlan so wasn't sure if it could cause any problems adding the same vlan with 2 different names.  Thanks!

[Wes Austin]

I would create unique VLAN ID for these uplinks specifically. If there are multiple disjointed uplinks with the same VLAN #, your vNIC that you want to pin to 1G uplinks could still pin to the other uplinks if that VLAN is available on it. While what you mentioned may work, I would have to test it to confirm.

[Steven Tardy · Accepted solution]

If that VLAN already exists, then I'm pretty sure that won't work like you are wanting.

You could get creative. . . .

1. Leave existing Servers on VLAN 3 (just picked a number.)
2. Create a new VLAN 3003 (just picked another number.)
3. Assign Server X vNICs to VLAN 3003 as untagged/native and make sure the OS doesn't add a VLAN tag.
4. Follow UCS disjoint layer 2 docs to pin VLAN 3003 out Eth 1/Y.
5. In the same disjoint layer 2 configuration page, set VLAN 3003 out Eth 1/Y to be *native*.
6. On the upstream switch make the port an "access" port on VLAN 3.

This may violate some state and federal laws (just joking), but should work.