vic1280 connectivity

[ataranen]

We replaced vic1240 with vic1280 in B200M3 with IOM2204 and FI6248, and the blades don't see any vNIC's vHBA's during bootup anymore. 

Checked all firmware versions - FI's, IOM's, adapters, bios and CIMC are all running version 2.05f

The blade is supposed to boot from SAN using vHBA's, but when it boots up it goes into EFI shells because it doesn't see any vHBA's. 

Same goes for vNICS, when I try loading ESXi, it says there are no network adapters. 

One suspicion - we have 2 links from each IOM to FI set to port-channel; does 1280 require more than 2 links to work ? Once again there is no problem running this same environment with 1240. 

[Walter Dey · Accepted solution]

Not supported !

A B200-M3 with only one adaptor has to be a VIC-1240 ! In a dual adaptor configuration, one can have a VIC-1240 and a VIC-1280 (in the mezzanine slot)

see

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-b-series-blade-servers/B200M3_SpecSheet.pdf

The connectivity options are:
•VIC 1240 installed in VIC 1240 slot and no adapter installed in the mezzanine slot
•VIC 1240 installed in VIC 1240 slot and a Port Expander Card for VIC 1240 installed in the mezzanine slot.

[ataranen]

Thank you very much wdey, that explains it. Who would have thought that top of the line adapter vic1280 can't work in the latest hardware B200M3 unless you install a lesser adapter vic1240 first ? 

I believe one solution is to put vic1280 into B200M2, I don't see any limitations there based on the specs:

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/servers-unified-computing/ucs-b-series-blade-servers/spec_sheet_c17-644236.pdf

[Walter Dey]

Correct !

VIC-1280 was built for M2 Familiy blades, and as a second adaptor in M3 Family blades !

The drivers are of course 100% identical; the difference is the electrical interface.