remove 3 ESX host from cluster and create new cluster

[JeddGo80482]

Hello Cisco community

We have configured our ESX cluster and all the vNIC templates per the FlexPod documentation. We are in need right now to segment 3 ESX hosts and create a new cluster (already done)

We have to create new VLAN's and assign those new VLAN's to the 3 ESX hosts (disjointed L2 network).

We don't need to add anymore vNIC's to the template or service profiles.

Can someone suggest what would be the proper way to proceed with this?

Our thought was

1. Unbind service profile from the service profile template

2. either leave it as independent service profile or create a new template that will only need have 3 hosts (seems too much work)

3. if we decide to create new SP template, will this require new pools e.g. MAC, WWPN, etc.... this might decide on #2

4. what is the difference with disassociating and unbinding service profile? what would be the best for our scenario

A separate question

1. for the disjointed L2 network. do we need to do any configuration for the VLAN's to ensure the traffic goes through the specific uplink ports?

Thanks everyone. really appreciate. 

[Steven Tardy]

Doing #1 to disassociate the Service Profile from the Service Profile Template is the fewest number of steps.

Doing #2 to recreate the Service Profile Template is probably overkill from the sounds of it. Would be nice if UCSM let you clone/copy Service Profile Templates (even doing so via the CLI fails in my experience.)

To answer #3, a new Service Profile Template can (but doesn't have to) reuse the same Pools/etc depending on sub-org structure (which is rarely used for basic installations).

#4 is really two different things.

• The disassociating the Service Profile is removing that SP from the physical hardware to either do maintenance on the physical hardware or move the Service Profile to different hardware.
• The unbinding of the Service Profile is to disconnect the Service Profile from the Service Profile Template. Basically the Service Profile Template allows changing something (like a BIOS setting or adding a vNIC or etc) in ONE place (the Service Profile Template) and that change be propagated to all N-number of children (Service Profiles).

For bonus question #1 yes, you will need to configure Disjoint Layer 2. See:

  https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/solutions/collateral/data-center-virtualization/unified-computing/white_paper_c11-692008.pdf

Probably just create a new vNIC template and then apply that vNIC template to the vNICs of the 3x Service Profiles which you unbound from the Service Profile Template.

[JeddGo80482]

hi @Steven Tardy 

Follow-up question

So we just completed the disjointed L2 network and now ready to assign the VLAN's to the vNIC templates. We cloned a service profile template

We have defined the VLAN ID's in the LAN cloud section, but when we go ahead and attempt to modify the vNIC template for the new VLAN, we are not able to see any of the new VLAN ID's

any thoughts??

Thanks