Day 1: Cisco UCS X-Series Solution Architecture & Key Components
Module 1: Cisco UCS X-Series and Intersight Solution Architecture
- Cisco UCS-X 5th Generation overview and architecture details
- Cisco Intersight SaaS and on-prem management overview
- UCS-X chassis (X9508), compute nodes (X210c M6/M7, X410c M7)
- Fabric Interconnects (6400, 6500 models—Gen 4, Gen 5)
- Networking and storage infrastructure options
Module 2: Cisco Intersight Foundation
- Introduction to Cisco Intersight (cloud and on-prem architecture, SaaS model) vs legacy UCSM
- Intersight foundational elements: GUI navigation, inventories, profiles, policies, firmware baselines
- Core features: IMM-mode principles, pools, policies, templates
- Intersight Licensing
- Lab 0: Connecting to Lab Environment
- Lab 1: Exploring Cisco Intersight Interface and Setting Up IMM in Cisco Intersight
- Lab 2: Initial UCS-X Hardware Setup, component inventory, and IMM discovery
Module 3: Cisco UCS X-Series Management with Intersight Managed Mode (IMM)
- Configuring Pools, Policies (Firmware, Server, Network, Storage)
- Service profiles and templates management with Intersight
- Intersight Infrastructure Services & troubleshooting overview
- Lab 3: Configuring UCS-X with Intersight IMM – Profiles, Policies & Templates
Day 2: Installation, Migration, and Advanced Operations
Module 4: UCS X-Series Installation Considerations
- Detailed IMM deployment procedures, prerequisites, planning
- Migration strategies from classic UCS Manager to IMM/Intersight
- Cisco Intersight IMM Transition Tool deployment and operations
- Lab 4: Migration and Validation using Cisco Intersight IMM Transition Tool
Module 5: Advanced Day-2 Operations in Intersight
- Firmware lifecycle management & best practices
- Advanced resource optimization: Server, storage, network
- Monitoring, logging, alerts, and automated remediation
- Lab 5: Firmware management, monitoring, and Day-2 operational tasks
Module 6: UCS-X Power & Cooling Management
- Airflow optimization, thermal policy management
- Advanced power policies and future-proof cooling best practices
- Lab 6: Configure advanced thermal and power policies
Module 7: Structured Troubleshooting Approach with Intersight and CLI
- Troubleshooting fabric connectivity, IOM, vNIC/vHBA, and bandwidth issues
- Firmware and configuration issues; logs and CLI analysis techniques
- VLAN, VSAN, QoS, and CRC error troubleshooting
- Lab 7: Hands-on troubleshooting using CLI and Intersight GUI
Day 3: Red Hat OpenShift Integration with Cisco UCS-X and Intersight
Module 8: Deployment Considerations for Managing Container Platforms with Red Hat OpenShift Clusters
- UCS-X Hardware requirements for OpenShift deployment (compute, storage, network)
- Designing robust network fabric and storage for container platforms
- Provisioning OpenShift clusters through Cisco Intersight
- Lab 8: OpenShift Deployment using Cisco-validated methodologies
Module 9: Operational Management of Red Hat OpenShift on UCS-X
- Managing OpenShift lifecycle (upgrade, updates, node scaling) via Intersight
- Cross-platform observability, integration, and resource optimization
- Lab 8: OpenShift Operations through Intersight Automation
Day 4: AI Infrastructure Design, GPU Deployment & Optimization
Module 10: AI/ML Infrastructure Planning & GPU Integration with Cisco UCS-X
- GPU technology overview (Nvidia Ampere/Hopper architectures, CUDA cores, VRAM types)
- Selecting the right GPUs: performance, required quantities per workload, supported UCS-X GPUs/adapters
- Optimizing GPU-to-server ratios for typical AI model/training scenarios
- Lab 9: Validating GPU Performance, Monitoring GPU health and resource utilization in Intersight
Module 11: GPU Optimization and Best Practices
- GPU virtualization and orchestration via VMware/Nutanix/OpenShift/Kubernetes
- GPU tuning parameters for AI workloads (multi-instance GPU, vGPU modes)
- Troubleshooting GPU resource allocation and infrastructure bottlenecks
- Lab 10: Optimization for GPU-intensive workloads and troubleshooting GPU deployment
Day 5: Advanced Cisco Intersight Topics & API Automation
Module 12: Intersight API Integration and Automation Overview
- Cisco Intersight REST API fundamentals, architecture, authentication and endpoint exploration
- Automating Intersight operations via REST API, Ansible Modules, Terraform Providers
- Developing customized automation scripts and workflows with Cisco-provided SDKs (Python, PowerShell)
- Practical automation: typical workflows and SDK use-case demonstrations
Module 13: Advanced Cisco UCS-X and Intersight Topics
- Automated workload optimization and resource recommendations
- Partner Solution: IBM Turbonomic
- Hybrid Kubernetes cluster orchestration and container workload management
- Cisco Intersight Kubernetes Service (IKS)
- Infrastructure automation via Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies
- Cisco Intersight Service for Terraform (IST)
- Workflow and orchestration automation
- Intersight and ACI Application Profiles
- Design and operation of automated workflows
- Cisco Intersight Cloud Orchestrator (ICO)
- Advanced Forecasting and Optimization Tools in Cisco Intersight
- Resource usage prediction, infrastructure health analytics and recommendations
- Unified Observability with AppDynamics, ThousandEyes & Splunk
- Real-time insights and predictive analytics for seamless digital performance
- Other Third-Party Integrations
Lab Outline:
- Lab 1: Initial UCS-X Hardware Setup, component inventory, and IMM discovery
- Lab 2: Configuring UCS-X with Intersight IMM – Profiles, Policies & Templates
- Lab 3: Migration and Validation using Cisco Intersight IMM Transition Tool
- Lab 4: Firmware management, monitoring, and Day-2 operational tasks
- Lab 5: Configure advanced thermal and power policies
- Lab 6: Hands-on troubleshooting using CLI and Intersight GUI
- Lab 7: OpenShift Deployment using Cisco-validated methodologies
- Lab 8: OpenShift Operations through Intersight Automation
- Lab 9: Validating GPU Performance, Monitoring GPU health and resource utilization in Intersight
- Lab 10: Optimization for GPU-intensive workloads and troubleshooting GPU deployment