20 Cisco Unified Computing System Interview Questions and Answers

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server platform that offers increased performance, scalability, and energy efficiency. When interviewing for a position that involves Cisco UCS, it is important to be prepared to answer questions about your experience and knowledge of the system. In this article, we review some of the most common Cisco UCS interview questions and provide tips on how to answer them.

Cisco Unified Computing System Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Cisco Unified Computing System interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is the Cisco Unified Computing System?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server computer product line composed of modular blade servers, chassis, network switches, and software. The modular design of the system allows for easy expansion and customization, and the system as a whole is designed to reduce total cost of ownership and increase energy efficiency.

2. What are some of the main features of the UCS system?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server platform that offers a number of features designed to improve performance, scalability, and manageability. Some of the main features of the UCS system include:

– Unified Fabric: The UCS system uses a unified fabric architecture in which all server components are connected via a single high-speed network. This simplifies connectivity and helps to improve performance.

– Scalability: The UCS system is designed to be highly scalable, with the ability to support up to 4096 servers in a single domain.

– Management: The UCS system offers a centralized management console that makes it easy to manage large numbers of servers.

3. Can you explain what a fabric interconnect is in context with the Cisco UCS system?

A fabric interconnect is a device that connects all of the components in a Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) together. It provides both network connectivity and power to all of the devices in the system. The fabric interconnect is the heart of the UCS system, and it is what allows all of the components to work together seamlessly.

4. How does the Cisco UCS manager help simplify data center management?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) is a data center server computer product line designed to facilitate remote management and reduce operational costs. The Cisco UCS manager is a software application that helps users to configure and manage the Cisco UCS system. The manager provides a single point of control for all aspects of the system, and it helps to simplify data center management by automating many tasks and providing a unified view of the system.

5. What are the main hardware components of the Cisco UCS system?

The main hardware components of the Cisco Unified Computing System are the chassis, the blade servers, the Fabric Extenders, and the I/O Modules. The chassis is the main housing for all of the other components and provides power and cooling for the system. The blade servers are the actual servers that are housed in the chassis and provide the computing power for the system. The Fabric Extenders are used to connect the blade servers to the network and provide additional storage and I/O capabilities. The I/O Modules are used to provide input and output for the system, and can be used for things like connecting to a keyboard or monitor.

6. What are the different types of I/O modules that can be used on the chassis of a Cisco UCS system?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) chassis can be outfitted with various types of input/output (I/O) modules to support the needs of the system. Some of the I/O module options include the following:

Cisco Fabric Extender (FEX)
Cisco Network Adapter (NA)
Cisco Storage Adapter (SA)
Cisco Unified Port Adapter (UPA)

7. Can you explain the difference between FCoE and FC interfaces?

FCoE is a new standard that allows Fibre Channel traffic to be carried over Ethernet networks. This provides a number of advantages, including simplifying infrastructure and reducing costs. FC interfaces, on the other hand, are the traditional Fibre Channel interfaces that have been used for many years.

8. What are virtual adapters? What’s their purpose?

A virtual adapter is a software adapter that is used to connect a virtual machine (VM) to a network. The purpose of a virtual adapter is to provide the VM with network connectivity so that it can communicate with other devices on the network.

9. Which operating systems are supported by the Cisco UCS platform?

The Cisco Unified Computing System platform supports a wide variety of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Linux, and VMware.

10. What do you understand about QoS policies for storage?

QoS policies for storage help to ensure that storage devices are able to provide the necessary quality of service for applications. This can be important in ensuring that mission critical applications are able to run smoothly and without interruption. QoS policies can help to ensure that storage devices are able to provide the necessary level of performance by allocating resources appropriately.

11. What do you understand about service profiles in the context of the UCS system?

Service profiles are a key concept in the Cisco Unified Computing System. They provide a way to define and manage server configuration in a consistent and repeatable way. A service profile contains all the configuration information for a server, including things like networking, storage, and boot order. This makes it easy to deploy new servers or move existing servers around without having to reconfigure everything manually.

12. What is the best way to implement server redundancy using the UCS platform?

The best way to implement server redundancy using the UCS platform is to use the built-in redundancy features of the system. This includes using redundant power supplies, fans, and storage controllers.

13. Do all traffic flows through Fabric Interconnects? If not, then when doesn’t it go through them?

All traffic flows through Fabric Interconnects when the system is operating in end-to-end mode. In this mode, all traffic goes through the Fabric Interconnects regardless of where it is originating or destined. If the system is operating in switch mode, then traffic will only flow through the Fabric Interconnects if it is destined for another server that is also connected to the Fabric Interconnects.

14. What are the differences between vHBA and vNIC? In which situations would you use one over another?

A vHBA is a virtual host bus adapter, which is used to connect a server to a storage device. A vNIC is a virtual network interface card, which is used to connect a server to a network. You would use a vHBA when you need to connect a server to a storage device, and you would use a vNIC when you need to connect a server to a network.

15. What do you know about the role of EPGs in the Nexus 1000V switch solution?

The Nexus 1000V switch uses EPGs (External Policy Groups) to allow administrators to control traffic flow between virtual machines and external networks. EPGs are used to define traffic policies that can be applied to specific virtual machines or groups of virtual machines. This allows administrators to granularly control the traffic that flows in and out of their virtual environment.

16. What are port channels? Why are they important?

Port channels are important because they allow multiple physical ports to be bundled together to form a single logical port. This has a number of benefits, including increased bandwidth and redundancy.

17. What is an SNMP trap? What information does it provide?

An SNMP trap is a notification sent by an SNMP-enabled device to indicate that something has occurred that requires attention. The trap includes information about the event, such as the specific object that was affected, the time the event occurred, and the severity of the event.

18. What are some common network issues faced while implementing the Cisco UCS system?

There are a few common network issues that can be faced while implementing the Cisco Unified Computing System. One is that the system can have difficulty connecting to an existing network if the network is not properly configured. Another is that the system can experience high latency or packet loss if the network is congested.

19. What are the different ways to connect to the Cisco UCS system?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) can be connected to in several ways, depending on the needs of the user. The system can be accessed via the Cisco UCS Manager, which is a web-based graphical user interface. The system can also be accessed via the Cisco UCS CLI, which is a command-line interface. Additionally, the system can be accessed through the Cisco UCS XML API, which allows for programmatic access to the system.

20. How do you monitor performance metrics of the Cisco UCS system?

The Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) Manager provides a comprehensive set of tools for monitoring the performance of the system. These tools include a dashboard that displays key performance indicators (KPIs), a performance monitor that shows detailed information about system performance, and a report generator that produces customizable reports.