UCS C210 M2 - add UCS VIC P81E

[Dean Brandt]

Hi guys, I have added this CNA to the UCS server and drom CIMC I only see it as a PCI device, not a network adapter. I need to see it as a network adapter so I can configure VNIC on it. How do I ensure CIMC sees it as a network adapter?

[Kirk J · Accepted solution]

Greetings.

Please make sure your C210M2 server has recent firmware applied to it.

In inventory, there should be a Cisco Vic card tab, that allows for the vnic configuration.

Thanks,

Kirk...

[Dean Brandt]

Hi Kirk and yes this is sort of correct, although I had to downgrade from 1.4.x to 1.3.x and now I can see the card under Network Adapters. I only found this as the other server was running 1.3.x and I could see it so a downgrade worked.

Does anyone now where I can find a good reference for VNIC creation in CIMC and then the Nexus side of it all? I have a 5548UP

[Kirk J]

When you ran the HUU firmware, did you have it 'update all'?  There may be VIC card firmware that needs to be in play when you are running the later 1.43x firmware.  The 1.3x overall firmware has an annoying CIMC memory leak issue in it, and I would not recommend running it, not to mention that the interop matrix is going to refer to 1.43 related firmware.

For the CIMC VNIC management, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/sw/gui/config/guide/1-4-1/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_141/b_Cisco_UCS_C-Series_GUI_Configuration_Guide_141_chapter_01001.html#d31886e3719a1635

Thanks,

Kirk...

[Dean Brandt]

Yes I upgraded everything, and now on 1.4.3z.

Still the same issue though. CMIC sees the PCI card, but no network adapter. I read somewhere that it may be a good idea to shut unused PCI ports in the BIOS, I did that but still no go here.... weird because I could see the PCI adapter and network adapter in 1.3

[Dean Brandt]

Here is what I see when I try and run the upgrade. CIMC sees the PCI card, but no network adapter. Upgrade can't see a VIC either (image attached)

[Kirk J]

Hmm, that doesn't look right.

After confirming the P81E is in a supported slot (slot 1 or 2), you may want to open a TAC case.

You'll want to get this straightened out before November of 2017 as the C210m2 is End of Support as of Nov 2017.

Kirk..

[Dean Brandt]

Yeah this is weird. If I roil back to 1.3 I can see the device.

Does this look right?

ucs2-mgmt /cimc # show detail
CIMC:
    Firmware Version: 1.4(3z)
    Current Time: Mon Apr 24 23:51:16 2017
    Boot-loader Version: 1.4(2).16

Boot-loader also need to be 1.4(3z)?

[Dean Brandt]

If I roll back the CIMC firmware the HUU sees the CNA and tells me the firmware version is 4.0

Research here tells me the latest CNA firmware version is 2.2(2c) and it appears that the version 4.0 firmware may have been installed if that's the word as part of a UCS Manager task when the CNA was in a Fabric Connect - UCS blade kind of deal. Does this sound right and if so how do you change the firmware in this instance when CIMC upgrades wont "downgrade". I get a failed 255 error there