Cisco UCS Service Profile Configuration
The service profile is a logical object in the Cisco UCSM that is created by the administrator. To create a service profile, the administrator needs to start the Service Profile Wizard. It is located at the Servers tab, under the Service Profiles option. The wizard, shown in Figure 17-23, consists of 11 pages (or steps), as per the current version of the Cisco UCSM. Each step allows you to focus on a certain aspect of the server’s configuration.
Figure 17-23 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard Start
At the first step, you have to specify a name for the service profile. Here it is important to note that the names in the Cisco UCSM are important to be unique for the same type of objects. As the UCSM is an XML-based application, it refers to the objects using their names, and if two objects have different names, they are different for the UCSM, no matter what their content is, even if it is the same. That’s why it’s important to use unique names.
After a name for the service profile is specified, the next thing to do is to specify the UUID that will be used for the server (see Figure 17-24). There are three options:
Figure 17-24 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Identity Service Profile
- Hardware Default: The service profile will not provide a UUID value. Instead, it will use the UUID in the BIOS. This means this service profile will not be mobile.
- Manual Using OUI: Allows the administrator to enter a UUID value manually.
- Domain Pools: Select a UUID pool from which a UUID value will be taken. If the administrator hasn’t created UUID pools in advance, there is a link that allows a UUID pool to be created without exiting the Service Profile Wizard.
The second step is for storage-related configuration (see Figure 17-25). Here you can select or create a storage profile that defines the number of storage disks, roles, and the use of these disks, and other storage parameters. With it you can configure multiple virtual drives and select the physical drives used by a virtual drive. Additionally, you can configure the local disk configuration policy, which defines the local RAID controller and disks configuration.
Figure 17-25 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Storage Provisioning
The third step is for networking (see Figure 17-26). The vNICs that will be used by the server are created and configured here. You have to switch to Expert mode to be able to add vNICs. A vNIC can use one communication path at a time. You have to specify a name for the vNIC, which will be the method to acquire a MAC address value, as the options are to create it manually or use a MAC address pool. You have to select through which Fabric Interconnect this vNIC will communicate, A or B, and whether you want to enable the hardware-based failover. The vNICs in the Cisco UCS are capable of switching the paths of communication in case of a failure in the hardware. This is extremely fast switching, and it practically cannot be detected.
Figure 17-26 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Networking and vNIC Creation
The next thing that needs to be defined is which VLANs are allowed to communicate through this vNIC. Optionally, you can configure the MTU size, a QoS policy, and some other operational policies.
The SAN Connectivity step, shown in Figure 17-27, allows you to create and configure the vHBAs that will be used by the server to communicate with the SAN infrastructures. Just like with the network configuration, you have to switch to Expert mode to be able to add vHBAs. There is no hardware failover supported for the vHBAs because of the design standards for the SANs; that’s why, if you need to have redundancy, it is strongly recommended that you have at least one vHBA per communication path.
Figure 17-27 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – SAN Connectivity and vHBA Creation
Once the WWNN assignment method is selected, manually or from a WWNN address pool, you can add the vHBA.
For the vHBA you have to specify a name, the WWPN assignment method, which fabric path will be used (A or B), which VSAN, the QoS, and so on.
The Zoning step, shown in Figure 17-28, allows you to create a Fibre Channel zoning configuration that will apply to the vHBAs of the server.
Figure 17-28 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Zoning
The vNIC/vHBA Placement step, shown in Figure 17-29, allows you to manually change which lane on the midplane will be used by which vNIC and vHBA. The general recommendation is to let the system make this decision, but in case of issues, you can change it here.
Figure 17-29 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – vNIC/vHBA Placement
If you need to map a specific image to the server, you can create a vMedia policy in the vMedia Policy step of the wizard (see Figure 17-30). The supported protocols are NFS, CFS, HTTP, and HTTPS, as the software image can be mapped as a CDD or an HDD.
Figure 17-30 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – vMedia Policy
The Server Boot Order step, shown in Figure 17-31, allows you to create the boot order for the server. Here you can specify the local and remote boot devices and their order. You can select a remote network-based boot, over the vNIC or an iSCSI vNIC, or specify a boot from a specific storage system over the vHBA.
Figure 17-31 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Server Boot Order
The next step allows for the selection of a maintenance policy (see Figure 17-32). If there isn’t one, you can create a new one. The maintenance policy, a highly recommended component, allows you to specify when any disruptive changes in the service profile will be applied to the server: immediately, after acknowledgment from the administrator, or scheduled.
Figure 17-32 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Maintenance Policy
The Server Assignment step, shown in Figure 17-33, is where you can select the physical server that will be used by the service profile. It is not mandatory to select a server at this point. You can just skip this step and assign a physical server later. The other options here are to select from the existing server and to select a server pool.
Figure 17-33 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Server Assignment
Another important option at this step is to select whether you need to use a firmware management policy. With it, you can specify the versions of the firmware for the different components of the server, such as BIOS, mezzanine adapter, and so on.
The last step, shown in Figure 17-34, is where you specify the operational policies. Here you can select or create a custom configuration for the following items:
Figure 17-34 Cisco UCS Service Profile Wizard – Operational Policies
- BIOS
- External IPM/Redfish Management Configuration
- Management IP Address
- Monitoring Configuration (Thresholds)
- Power Control Policy Configuration
- Scrub Policy
- KVM Management Policy
- Graphics Card Policy
- Persistent Memory Policy
Once you click the Finish button, the service profile will be created. The system will warn you of any conflicting situations. The service profile will appear under the appropriate area in Service Profiles, and you can make changes (see Figure 17-35).
Figure 17-35 Cisco UCS Service Profile General Information
At this point the service profile can be associated with a physical server, if such was not selected during the wizard.
In the FSM tab you can see information for the association or disassociation processes, as well as any firmware upgrades.