Hardware Status Serial Number does not match Cisco UCS server vSphere 6.5

[GeoPerkins]

VMware vSphere Web Client

host  > Monitor > Hardware Status

displayed serial number for UCSB-B200-M5 (Cisco UCS blade) does not match any installed server in UCS! Where is this incorrect serial number coming from?

Example screenshot from vSphere Web Client shows Serial Number FOX1610G7FS.

Screenshot from UCS Manager CLI shows all installed server serial numbers. There is no matching serial. Seems like something incompatible between Cisco UCS and VMware ESXi 6.5. But what?

[diegodco31]

Hi

This is a known issue.

VMware Knowledge Base

https://vmware.agentaccess.it.com/solution/SOL-21564

vSphere ESXi 6.5.0 Hardware Sensors

Do you try this: Finding serial number of esxi hosts_powercli

[GeoPerkins]

Thanks for replying Diego, but those links do not apply in our situation.

--> VMware Knowledge Base​ "(https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2151238)"  - shows this issue is resolved in  VMware vCenter Server 6.5 U2 Ref: VMware vCenter Server 6.5 Update 2 Release Notes  "(https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/6.5/rn/vsphere-vcenter-server-65u2-release-notes.html)" and we are running 6.5.0 Update 2c (Build 9451637) which should have this particular issue resolved. BUT! In fact the description is one of the new method of obtaining IPMI data in the Hardware Status tab. I am getting data populated to the Hardware Status tab, but it contains INVALID information - the WRONG serial number. VMware KB article 2151238 does not address this.

--> <link> "(https://vmware.agentaccess.it.com/solution/SOL-21564)" seems to be the same information as above, at least I don't see anything that helps my situation

--> vSphere ESXi 6.5.0 Hardware Sensors  "(https://communities.vmware.com/thread/547244)" I actually found that same community forum question, but as above, the answer does not apply.

But I did I try the esxiCLI you recommended. I looked at the example script you linked to and pulled out the relevant lines of code. Now I get the CORRECT serial number!

PowerCLI
PowerCLI C:\temp> $vmHost = Get-VMHost asesxi27.corp.mydomain.com PowerCLI C:\temp> $esxCLI = Get-esxCLI -VMHost $vmHost PowerCLI C:\temp> $esxcli.hardware.platform.get().SerialNumber FCH1944J91E

So that tells me that VMware vCenter web client is making an IPMI query of CIM data but somehow pulling in the WRONG serial number!! But where is it getting it? On a hunch I looked at the Cisco UCS Chassis where the blade server resides. Viola! The vCenter Hardware Status is somehow pulling in the chassis serial number instead of the server blade serial number!! I tested this theory on a couple of other Chassis/Blade combinations and it is consistent.

So should I open a VMware support case or a Cisco TAC case for this issue?

[dbutch1976]

I realize this is an old thread, but did you get a resolution on this? I'm having the same issue, but in my case it's randomly happening on HP Gen9 blades (possibly others). In my case the serial number being displayed on the hardware tab are not correct and do no match the ones being provided by Oneview, however in my case I cannot find where it's getting this serial number from, is completely different and does not match the chassis and I currently have no idea where it's pulling this random, unique serial #

In my case, when I run the following command:

$vmHost = Get-VMHost myserver01.stratus.int.bell.ca
$esxCLI = Get-esxCLI -VMHost $vmHost
$esxcli.hardware.platform.get().SerialNumber

I'm getting the same serial# being reported on the hardware tab, which is not the same serial# in Oneview (surely oneview is correct??).

[dbutch1976]

I found the exact problem in my specific case:

From what I have found HP servers either have just a serial #, or they have both a serial# and a logical serial #. I have not been able to determine why some servers have this logical serial#, in many cases these servers are the same model with similar hardware.

This logical serial number is the one that comes up in Oneview, while the other serial# is the one visible in vCenter and is also the serial# pulled via the PowerCli script. In our case the logical serial # can be totally disregarded, from what I've been able to find out even HPE doesn't use nor ask for it. Why it's there at all is a mystery, but I would suggest to anyone getting confused by this to just totally disregard the logical serial#.

Hope this helps!