Course Catalog
INTUCSX - Administering Cisco UCS X-Series Solutions with Intersight
Code: INTUCSX
Duration: 5 Day
$4495 USD

OVERVIEW

Cisco UCS X-Series represents the latest generation of converged computing solutions optimized for hybrid and cloud-native workloads—critical for modern enterprises focusing on agility, workload portability, automation, and resource optimization. By attending this intensive 5-day course, participants will acquire comprehensive knowledge and practical skills required to successfully deploy, configure, optimize, operate, and troubleshoot Cisco UCS X-Series platforms integrated through Cisco Intersight.

This course is crucial for Infrastructure teams, Data Center professionals, Systems Engineers, Solutions Architects, AI/ML Infrastructure Designers, and technical leads responsible for implementing and managing hybrid datacentre/computing environments leveraging Cisco UCS-X technology, Intersight management, container platforms (Red Hat OpenShift), and GPU-enhanced AI infrastructure.

This course is worth 40 CE credits towards recertification.

DELIVERY FORMAT

This course is available in the following formats:

Virtual Classroom

Duration: 5 Day
Classroom

Duration: 5 Day

CLASS SCHEDULE
Call 800-798-3901 to enroll in this class!

GOALS

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

  • Articulate the solution-level architecture, differentiators, and capabilities of Cisco UCS XSeries platforms integrated with Cisco Intersight.
  • Identify and configure UCS-X hardware components, including chassis, compute nodes, GPU components, and fabric interconnects.
  • Deploy and configure Cisco UCS X-Series systems using Cisco Intersight Managed Mode (IMM), including migration and monitoring processes.
  • Describe advanced power/cooling management techniques and configure relevant thermal and power policies.
  • Understand integration principles and perform deployments of Red Hat OpenShift on Cisco UCS-X platforms via Intersight.
  • Plan and implement GPU-enabled AI infrastructures, ensuring correct GPU quantity selection, deployment optimization, and configuration best practices.
  • Diagnose issues and perform structured troubleshooting of common hardware, software, and configuration errors through Intersight management and command-line tools
OUTLINE

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

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

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

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

Module 6: UCS-X Power & Cooling Management

  • Airflow optimization, thermal policy management
  • Advanced power policies and future-proof cooling best practices

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

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

Module 9: Operational Management of Red Hat OpenShift on UCS-X

  • Managing OpenShift lifecycle (upgrade, updates, node scaling) via Intersight
  • Cross-platform observability, integra6on, and resource optimization

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

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

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 operaton 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

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

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

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

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

Module 6: UCS-X Power & Cooling Management

  • Airflow optimization, thermal policy management
  • Advanced power policies and future-proof cooling best practices

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

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

Module 9: Operational Management of Red Hat OpenShift on UCS-X

  • Managing OpenShift lifecycle (upgrade, updates, node scaling) via Intersight
  • Cross-platform observability, integra6on, and resource optimization

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

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

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 operaton 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
LABS

  • 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
  • Lab 3: Configuring UCS-X with Intersight IMM – Profiles, Policies & Templates
  • Lab 4: Migration and Validation using Cisco Intersight IMM Transition Tool
  • Lab 5: Firmware management, monitoring, and Day-2 operational tasks
  • Lab 6: Configure advanced thermal and power policies
  • Lab 7: Hands-on troubleshooting using CLI and Intersight GUI
  • Lab 8: OpenShift Deployment using Cisco-validated methodologies
  • Lab 9: OpenShift Operations through Intersight Automation
  • Lab 10: Validating GPU Performance, Monitoring GPU health and resource utilization in Intersight
  • Lab 10: Optimization for GPU-intensive workloads and troubleshooting GPU deployment
  • 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
  • Lab 3: Configuring UCS-X with Intersight IMM – Profiles, Policies & Templates
  • Lab 4: Migration and Validation using Cisco Intersight IMM Transition Tool
  • Lab 5: Firmware management, monitoring, and Day-2 operational tasks
  • Lab 6: Configure advanced thermal and power policies
  • Lab 7: Hands-on troubleshooting using CLI and Intersight GUI
  • Lab 8: OpenShift Deployment using Cisco-validated methodologies
  • Lab 9: OpenShift Operations through Intersight Automation
  • Lab 10: Validating GPU Performance, Monitoring GPU health and resource utilization in Intersight
  • Lab 10: Optimization for GPU-intensive workloads and troubleshooting GPU deployment
WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The primary audience for this course is as follows:

  • Data Center Systems Engineers and Administrators
  • Infrastructure Automation Engineers
  • Cloud Architects and Solutions Architects
  • Technical personnel involved in AI architecture and workload planning
  • IT support technicians, consultants, and Cisco partners implementing UCS-X technology
PREREQUISITES

Participants should possess basic-to-intermediate knowledge of Cisco UCS platforms, data center technologies, server infrastructure, networking concepts, virtualization fundamentals, and basic container management proficiency.