vCenter Reports Interface is Blocked... but Interface is Up!

There appears to be a condition in the Nexus 1000v switch where vCenter will report interfaces on the DVS as Blocked, but verification from the VSM/VEM side show that they are in fact up and passing traffic.  This issue is tracked in Cisco defect ID: CSCub11514.

You can verify that the N1K interface is up in the forwarding state with the use of the 'vemcmd show port' output.  The workaround for this issue is to navigate to the Networking view of vCenter, select your N1K switch, click on the Ports tab, and then click on the blue 'Start Monitoring Port State'.  If you are hitting this issue, the interface will immediately switch to Link Up.  You can 'Stop Monitoring Port State' after the workaround has been performed.

Hey, Where's My Management IP Pool in UCS 2.1?

Starting in UCS version 2.1, the Management IP Pool has been relocated to the LAN tab.  Under the Pools -> IP Pools section, you will find your previously created Management IP Pool.

How to Remove UCS Chassis Slot Divider

The following process is used to remove a UCS chassis slot divider for insertion of a full width-blade:

1. Simultaneously pull up on the left side catch and push down on the right side catch
2. Pull the slot divider out of the chassis.  Keep the slot divider handy in case it is needed in the future.

 

To reinstall the slot divider, align it with the dimples in the slot top and bottom and slide it back in until it clicks into place.

*Note: The picture shows the use of a screwdriver to move the catches in the divider; I was able to perform this with just my fingernails

Source: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/hw/chassis/install/fullblade.html