Cisco Systems 5709 Users Manual Broadcom NetXtreme II Network Adapter User Guide

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User Guide

NetXtreme II

January 2010

Broadcom Ne tXtrem e II™ N etwor k Adapter Use r
G ui de
•

Introduction
•

Functionality and Features

•

Teaming

•

Virtual LANs (VLANs)

•

Manageability

•

Installing the Hardware

•

Installing the Driver Software
•

Broadcom Boot Agent Driver Software

•

NDIS2 Driver Software

•

ODI Driver Software

•

Linux Driver Software

•

NetWare Driver Software

•

Windows Driver Software

•

Installing Management Applications

•

Using iSCSI

•

Configuring Teaming

•

Using Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3

•

User Diagnostics

•

Specifications

•

Regulatory Information

•

Troubleshooting

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2010 Broadcom Corporation. All rights reserved.
This document is protected by copyright and is distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying, distribution, and
decompilation. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of
Broadcom Corporation. Documentation is provided as is without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including
any kind of implied or express warranty of non-infringement or the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose.
Broadcom Corporation reserves the right to make changes without further notice to any products or data herein to improve
reliability, function, or design. Information furnished by Broadcom Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable.
However, Broadcom Corporation does not assume any liability arising out of the application or use of this information, nor

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the application or use of any product or circuit described herein, neither does it convey any license under its patent rights or
the rights of others.
Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, the Connecting everything logo, NetXtreme, Ethernet@Wirespeed,
LiveLink, and Smart Load Balancing are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United
States, certain other countries, and/or the EU. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Linux is a
trademark of Linus Torvalds. NetWare is a trademark of Novell Corporation. Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation. Magic
Packet is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Red Hat is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc. PCI Express is a trademark
of PCI-SIG. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Initial release: December 2005
Last revised: January 2010
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F un cti on al i t y an d Fe atu res : B ro adc om
NetXtre me II™ Ne twork Adapter Us er Guide
•

Functional Description

•

Features

FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter is a new class of Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 10 GbE converged network interface
controller (C-NIC) that can simultaneously perform accelerated data networking and storage networking on a standard
Ethernet network. The C-NIC offers acceleration for all popular protocols used in the data center, such as:
•

TCP Offload Engine (TOE) for accelerating TCP over 1 GbE, 2.5 GbE, and 10 GbE

•

Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) offload for accelerating network storage access featuring
centralized boot functionality (iSCSI boot)

NOTE: Separate licences are required for all offloading technologies.
Enterprise networks that use multiple protocols and multiple network fabrics benefit from the C-NICs ability to combine data
communications, storage, and clustering over a single Ethernet fabric by boosting server CPU processing performance and
memory utilization while alleviating I/O bottlenecks.
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter includes a 10/100/1000-Mbps or 10-Gbps Ethernet MAC with both half-duplex and fullduplex capability and a 10/100/1000-Mbps or 10-Gbps PHY. The transceiver is fully compatible with the IEEE 802.3 standard
for auto-negotiation of speed.
Using the Broadcom teaming software, you can split your network into virtual LANs (VLANs) as well as group multiple
network adapters together into teams to provide network load balancing and fault tolerance functionality. See Configuring
Teaming and Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services for detailed information about teaming. See Virtual LANs, for a
description of VLANs. See Configuring Teaming for instructions on configuring teaming and creating VLANs on Windows
operating systems.

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FEATURES
The following is a list of the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter features:
•

TCP Offload Engine (TOE)

•

Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) offload

•

Single-chip solution

•

Integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T transceivers

•

Integrated 10GBASE-T transceivers

•

10/100/1000 triple-speed MAC

•

Host interfaces

•

SerDes interface for optical transceiver connection

•

PCI Express 1.0a x4 (Gigabit Ethernet)

•

PCI Express Gen2 x8 (10 Gigabit Ethernet)

•

Full fast-path TCP offload

•

Zero copy capable hardware

Other performance features
•

TCP, IP, UDP checksum

•

TCP segmentation

•

Adaptive interrupts

•

Receive Side Scaling (RSS)

Manageability
•

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 diagnostic and configuration software suite

•

Supports PXE 2.0 specification (Linux Red Hat PXE Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Windows 2000 Server,
Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Intel APITEST, DOS UNDI)

•

Wake on LAN support

•

Universal Management Port (UMP) support

•

Statistics for SNMP MIB II, Ethernet-like MIB, and Ethernet MIB (IEEE Std 802.3z, Clause 30)

•

SMBus controller

•

ACPI 1.1a compliant (multiple power modes)

•

IPMI support

Advanced network features
•

Jumbo frames (up to 9 KB). The OS and the link partner must support jumbo frames.

•

Virtual LANs

•

IEEE Std 802.3ad Teaming

•

Smart Load Balancing Teaming

•

Smart Load Balancing TOE Teaming (with the correct configuration)

•

Flow Control (IEEE Std 802.3x)

•

LiveLink™ (supported in both the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems)

•

Logical Link Control (IEEE Std 802.2)

•

Layer-2 Priority Encoding (IEEE Std 802.1p)

•

High-speed on-chip RISC processor

•

Up to 4 classes of service (CoS)

•

Up to 4 send rings and receive rings

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Integrated 96 KB frame buffer memory

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GMII/MII Management Interface

•

Four unique MAC unicast addresses

•

Support for multicast addresses via 128 bits hashing hardware function

•

Serial flash NVRAM memory

•

JTAG support

•

PCI Power Management Interface (v1.1)

•

64-bit BAR support

•

EM64T processor support

•

AMD-64 processor support

•

1.2 V core voltage, 0.13 µm process

•

iSCSI Boot support

TCP OFFLOAD ENGINE (TOE)
The TCP/IP protocol suite is used to provide transport services for a wide range of applications for the Internet, LAN, and
for file transfer. Without the TCP Offload Engine, the TCP/IP protocol suite runs on the host CPU, consuming a very high
percentage of its resources and leaving little resources for the applications. With the use of the Broadcom NetXtreme II
adapter, the TCP/IP processing can be moved to hardware, freeing the CPU for more important tasks such as application
processing.
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter's TOE functionality allows simultaneous operation of up to 1024 fully offloaded TCP
connections for 1-Gbps network adapters and 1880 fully offloaded TCP connections for 10-Gbps network adapters. The
TOE support on the adapter significantly reduces the host CPU utilization while preserving the implementation of the
operating system stack.

INTERNET SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS INTERFACE (ISCSI)
The IETF has standardized the Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI). SCSI is a popular protocol that enables
systems to communicate with storage devices, using block-level transfer (i.e., address data stored on a storage device that
is not a whole file). iSCSI maps the SCSI request/response application protocols and its standardized command set over
TCP/IP networks.
As iSCSI utilizes TCP as its sole transport protocol, it greatly benefits from hardware acceleration of the TCP processing
(i.e., use of a TOE). However, iSCSI as a Layer 5 protocol has additional mechanisms beyond the TCP layer. iSCSI
processing can also be offloaded, thereby reducing CPU utilization even further.
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter targets best-system performance, maintains system flexibility to changes, and supports
current and future OS convergence and integration. Therefore, the adapter's iSCSI offload architecture is unique as evident
by the split between hardware and host processing.

NOTES: The iSCSI offload feature is not available for all Broadcom network adapters.

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Features

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POWER MANAGEMENT
Adapter speed connection when the system is down waiting for a wake-up signal may be at 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps, but can
return to 1000 Mbit/s when the system is up and running if connected to a 1000 Mbps capable switch. Systems intending to
use Wake on LAN (WOL) should be connected to a switch capable of both 1000 and 10/100 Mbps speeds.

NOTES:
•

For specific systems, see your system documentation for WOL support.

•

WOL is supported in Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 devices with silicon revisions of B2 or later. For more
information, see Limitations.

ADAPTIVE INTERRUPT FREQUENCY
The adapter driver intelligently adjusts host interrupt frequency based on traffic conditions to increase overall application
throughput. When traffic is light, the adapter driver interrupts the host for each received packet, minimizing latency. When
traffic is heavy, the adapter issues one host interrupt for multiple, back-to-back incoming packets, preserving host CPU
cycles.

ASIC WITH EMBEDDED RISC PROCESSOR
The core control for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters resides in a tightly integrated, high-performance ASIC. The ASIC
includes a RISC processor. This functionality provides the flexibility to add new features to the card and adapts it to future
network requirements through software downloads. This functionality also enables the adapter drivers to exploit the built-in
host offload functions on the adapter as host operating systems are enhanced to take advantage of these functions.

BROADCOM ADVANCED CONTROL SUITE 3
Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS), a component of the Broadcom teaming software, is an integrated utility that
provides useful information about each network adapter that is installed in your system. The BACS 3 utility also enables you
to perform detailed tests, diagnostics, and analyses on each adapter, as well as to modify property values and view traffic
statistics for each adapter.
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 includes the runtime and associated files needed to run BACS 3, and must be installed on
your system in order for BACS 3 to operate. For optimal performance of BACS 3, Broadcom recommends .NET Framework
2.0 SP1, .NET Framework 3.0 SP1, or .NET Framework 3.5, depending on your operating system.

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SUPPORTED OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter has software support for the following operating systems:
•

Microsoft® Windows® (32-bit and 64-bit extended)

•

Microsoft Windows Vista™ (32-bit and 64-bit extended)

•

Linux® (32-bit and 64-bit extended)

•

MS-DOS®

•

ESX Server (VMware)

•

NetWare®

•

SCO® UnixWare®

•

SCO OpenServer®

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Supported Operating Environments

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NETWORK LINK AND ACTIVITY INDICATION
For copper-wire Ethernet connections, the state of the network link and activity is indicated by the LEDs on the RJ-45
connector, as described in Table 1. For fiber optic Ethernet connections, the state of the network link and activity is indicated
by a single LED located adjacent to the port connector, as described in Table 2. Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 also
provides information about the status of the network link and activity (see Viewing Vital Signs).

Table 1: Network Link and Activity Indicated by the RJ-45 Port LEDs
Port LED

LED Appearance

Link LED
Activity LED

Network State

Off

No link (cable disconnected)

Continuously illuminated

Link

Off

No network activity

Blinking

Network activity

Table 2: Network Link and Activity Indicated by the Port LED
LED Appearance

Network State

Off

No link (cable disconnected)

Continuously illuminated

Link

Blinking

Network activity

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Network Link and Activity Indication

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C o nf i g uri n g Te a m i n g: B ro a d c o m N e t X t r e m e I I ™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

Broadcom Advanced Server Program Overview

•

Load Balancing and Fault Tolerance

BROADCOM ADVANCED SERVER PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP) is the Broadcom teaming software for the Windows family of operating
systems. BASP runs within the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) utility.
BASP provides support for TOE teaming only for NetXtreme II adapters.BASP supports four types of teams for Layer 2
teaming:
•

Smart Load Balancing and Failover

•

Link Aggregation (802.3ad)

•

Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static

•

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)

BASP supports two types of teams for TOE teaming:
•

Smart Load Balancing and Failover

•

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)

NOTE: Enabling Windows Server 2003 built-in bridging is not advisable when you are using teaming software.
For more information on network adapter teaming concepts, see Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services.

LOAD BALANCING AND FAULT TOLERANCE
Teaming provides traffic load balancing and fault tolerance (redundant adapter operation in the event that a network
connection fails). When multiple Gigabit Ethernet network adapters are installed in the same system, they can be grouped
into teams, creating a virtual adapter.
A team can consist of two to eight network interfaces, and each interface can be designated as a primary interface or a
standby interface (standby interfaces can be used only in a Smart Load Balancing™ and Failover type of team, and only one
standby interface can be designated per SLB team). If traffic is not identified on any of the adapter team member connections
due to failure of the adapter, cable, switch port, or switch (where the teamed adapters are attached to separate switches),
the load distribution is reevaluated and reassigned among the remaining team members. In the event that all of the primary
adapters are down, the hot standby adapter becomes active. Existing sessions are maintained and there is no impact on the
user.

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Configuring Teaming: Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User Guide

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NOTE: Although a team can be created with one adapter, it is not recommended since this defeats the purpose of
teaming. A team consisting of one adapter is automatically created when setting up VLANs on a single adapter,
and this should be the only time when creating a team with one adapter.

TYPES OF TEAMS
The available types of teams for the Windows family of operating systems are:
•

Smart Load Balancing and Failover

•

Link Aggregation (802.3ad) (TOE is not applicable)

•

Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static (TOE is not applicable)

•

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)

SMART LOAD BALANCING™ AND FAILOVER
Smart Load Balancing™ and Failover is the Broadcom implementation of load balancing based on IP flow. This feature
supports balancing IP traffic across multiple adapters (team members) in a bidirectional manner. In this type of team, all
adapters in the team have separate MAC addresses. This type of team provides automatic fault detection and dynamic
failover to other team member or to a hot standby member. This is done independently of Layer 3 protocol (IP, IPX,
NetBEUI); rather, it works with existing Layer 2 and 3 switches. No switch configuration (such as trunk, link aggregation) is
necessary for this type of team to work.

NOTES:
•

If you do not enable LiveLink™ when configuring SLB teams, disabling Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) or
enabling Port Fast at the switch or port is recommended. This minimizes the downtime due to spanning tree
loop determination when failing over. LiveLink mitigates such issues.

•

TCP/IP is fully balanced and IPX balances only on the transmit side of the team; other protocols are limited to
the primary adapter.

•

If a team member is linked at a higher speed than another, most of the traffic is handled by the adapter with the
higher speed rate.

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LINK AGGREGATION (802.3AD)
This mode supports link aggregation and conforms to the IEEE 802.3ad (LACP) specification. Configuration software allows
you to dynamically configure which adapters you want to participate in a given team. If the link partner is not correctly
configured for 802.3ad link configuration, errors are detected and noted. With this mode, all adapters in the team are
configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. The outbound load-balancing scheme is determined by our BASP
driver. The team link partner determines the load-balancing scheme for inbound packets. In this mode, at least one of the
link partners must be in active mode.

NOTE: Link Aggregation team type is not supported for TOE teaming.

GENERIC TRUNKING (FEC/GEC)/802.3AD-DRAFT STATIC
The Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static type of team is very similar to the Link Aggregation (802.3ad) type
of team in that all adapters in the team are configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. The Generic Trunking
(FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static) type of team, however, does not provide LACP or marker protocol support. This type of
team supports a variety of environments in which the adapter link partners are statically configured to support a proprietary
trunking mechanism. For instance, this type of team could be used to support Lucent’s OpenTrunk or Cisco’s Fast
EtherChannel (FEC). Basically, this type of team is a light version of the Link Aggregation (802.3ad) type of team. This
approach is much simpler, in that there is not a formalized link aggregation control protocol (LACP). As with the other types
of teams, the creation of teams and the allocation of physical adapters to various teams is done statically through user
configuration software.
The Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC/802.3ad-Draft Static) type of team supports load balancing and failover for both outbound
and inbound traffic.

NOTE: Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC/802.3ad-Draft Static) team type is not supported for TOE teaming.

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SLB (AUTO-FALLBACK DISABLE)
The SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type of team is identical to the Smart Load Balancing and Failover type of team, with the
following exception—when the standby member is active, if a primary member comes back on line, the team continues using
the standby member, rather than switching back to the primary member.
All primary interfaces in a team participate in load-balancing operations by sending and receiving a portion of the total traffic.
Standby interfaces take over in the event that all primary interfaces have lost their links.
Failover teaming provides redundant adapter operation (fault tolerance) in the event that a network connection fails. If the
primary adapter in a team is disconnected because of failure of the adapter, cable, or switch port, the secondary team
member becomes active, redirecting both inbound and outbound traffic originally assigned to the primary adapter. Sessions
will be maintained, causing no impact to the user.

LIMITATIONS OF SMART LOAD BALANCING AND FAILOVER/SLB (AUTO-FALLBACK DISABLE)
TYPES OF TEAMS
Smart Load Balancing™ (SLB) is a protocol-specific scheme. The level of support for IP, IPX, and NetBEUI protocols is listed
in Table 1.

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NOTE: IPv6 is supported for addressing, but is not supported for load balancing.

Table 1: Smart Load Balancing
Operating System

Failover/Fallback — All Broadcom

Failover/Fallback — Multivendor

Protocol

IPv6

IPX

NetBEUI IP

IPv6

IPX

NetBEUI

Windows 2000 Server

N/S

Windows Server 2003 SP2

N/S

Windows Server 2008

N/S

Windows Server 2008 R2

N/S

Operating System

Load Balance — All Broadcom

Protocol

IPv6

IPX

NetBEUI IP

IPv6

IPX

NetBEUI

Windows 2000 Server

N/S

Windows Server 2003 SP2

N/S

Load Balance — Multivendor

Windows Server 2008

N/S

Windows Server 2008 R2

N/S

Legend

Y = yes
N = no
N/S = not supported

The Smart Load Balancing type of team works with all Ethernet switches without having to configure the switch ports to any
special trunking mode. Only IP traffic is load-balanced in both inbound and outbound directions. IPX traffic is load-balanced
in the outbound direction only. Other protocol packets are sent and received through one primary interface only. Failover for
non-IP traffic is supported only for Broadcom network adapters. The Generic Trunking type of team requires the Ethernet
switch to support some form of port trunking mode (for example, Cisco's Gigabit EtherChannel or other switch vendor's Link
Aggregation mode). The Generic Trunking type of team is protocol-independent, and all traffic should be load-balanced and
fault-tolerant.

NOTE: If you do not enable LiveLink™ when configuring teams, disabling Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) or
enabling Port Fast at the switch is recommended. This minimizes the downtime due to the spanning tree loop
determination when failing over. LiveLink mitigates such issues.

TEAMING AND LARGE SEND OFFLOAD/CHECKSUM OFFLOAD SUPPORT
Large Send Offload (LSO) and Checksum Offload are enabled for a team only when all of the members support and are
configured for the feature.

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B ro a d c o m G i ga bi t E t h e r n e t Te a m i ng S e r vi c e s :
Broadcom Ne tXtrem e II™ N etwor k Adapter Use r
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Executive Summary

•

Teaming Mechanisms

•

Teaming and Other Advanced Networking Properties

•

General Network Considerations

•

Application Considerations

•

Troubleshooting Teaming Problems

•

Frequently Asked Questions

•

Appendix A: Event Log Messages

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
•

Glossary

•

Teaming Concepts

•

Software Components

•

Hardware Requirements

•

Teaming Support by Processor

•

Configuring Teaming

•

Supported Features by Team Type

•

Selecting a Team Type

This section describes the technology and implementation considerations when working with the network teaming services
offered by the Broadcom software shipped with servers and storage products. The goal of Broadcom teaming services is to
provide fault tolerance and link aggregation across a team of two or more adapters. The information in this document is
provided to assist IT professionals during the deployment and troubleshooting of system applications that require network
fault tolerance and load balancing.

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GLOSSARY
Table 1: Glossary
Item

Definition

ARP

Address Resolution Protocol

BACS

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite

BASP

Broadcom Advanced Server Program (intermediate driver)

DNS

domain name service

G-ARP

Gratuitous Address Resolution Protocol

Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static

Switch-dependent load balancing and failover type of team
in which the intermediate driver manages outgoing traffic
and the switch manages incoming traffic.

HSRP

Hot Standby Router Protocol

ICMP

Internet Control Message Protocol

IGMP

Internet Group Management Protocol

Internet Protocol

IPv6

Version 6 of the IP Protocol

iSCSI

Internet Small Computer Systems Interface

Layer 2. Used to describe network traffic that is not
offloaded, and where hardware only performs Layer 2
operations on the traffic. Layer 3 (IP) and Layer 4 (TCP)
protocols are processed in software.

Layer 4. Used to describe network traffic that is heavily
offloaded to the hardware, where much of the Layer 3 (IP)
and Layer 4 (TCP) processing is done in the hardware to
improve performance.

LACP

Link Aggregation Control Protocol

Link Aggregation (802.3ad)

Switch-dependent load balancing and failover type of team
with LACP in which the intermediate driver manages
outgoing traffic and the switch manages incoming traffic.

LOM

LAN on Motherboard

MAC

media access control

NDIS

Network Driver Interface Specification

NLB

Network Load Balancing (Microsoft)

PXE

Preboot Execution Environment

RAID

redundant array of inexpensive disks

Smart Load Balancing™ and Failover

Switch-independent failover type of team in which the
primary team member handles all incoming and outgoing
traffic while the standby team member is idle until a failover
event (for example, loss of link occurs). The intermediate
driver (BASP) manages incoming/outgoing traffic.

Smart Load Balancing (SLB)

Switch-independent load balancing and failover type of
team, in which the intermediate driver manages outgoing/
incoming traffic.

TCP

Transmission Control Protocol

TOE

TCP Offload Engine. This is the hardware that is capable of
handling stateful fastpath offloading of TCP and IP
processing.

UDP

User Datagram Protocol

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Table 1: Glossary (Cont.)
Item

Definition

WINS

Windows name service

WLBS

Windows Load Balancing Service

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TEAMING CONCEPTS
•

Network Addressing

•

Teaming and Network Addresses

•

Description of Teaming Types

•

TOE Teaming

The concept of grouping multiple physical devices to provide fault tolerance and load balancing is not new. It has been
around for years. Storage devices use RAID technology to group individual hard drives. Switch ports can be grouped
together using technologies such as Cisco Gigabit EtherChannel, IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation, Bay Network Multilink
Trunking, and Extreme Network Load Sharing. Network interfaces on servers can be grouped together into a team of
physical ports called a virtual adapter.

Network Addressing
To understand how teaming works, it is important to understand how node communications work in an Ethernet network.
This document is based on the assumption that the reader is familiar with the basics of IP and Ethernet network
communications. The following information provides a high-level overview of the concepts of network addressing used in an
Ethernet network. Every Ethernet network interface in a host platform, such as a computer system, requires a globally unique
Layer 2 address and at least one globally unique Layer 3 address. Layer 2 is the Data Link Layer, and Layer 3 is the Network
layer as defined in the OSI model. The Layer 2 address is assigned to the hardware and is often referred to as the MAC
address or physical address. This address is pre-programmed at the factory and stored in NVRAM on a network interface
card or on the system motherboard for an embedded LAN interface. The Layer 3 addresses are referred to as the protocol
or logical address assigned to the software stack. IP and IPX are examples of Layer 3 protocols. In addition, Layer 4
(Transport Layer) uses port numbers for each network upper level protocol such as Telnet or FTP. These port numbers are
used to differentiate traffic flows across applications. Layer 4 protocols such as TCP or UDP are most commonly used in
today’s networks. The combination of the IP address and the TCP port number is called a socket.
Ethernet devices communicate with other Ethernet devices using the MAC address, not the IP address. However, most
applications work with a host name that is translated to an IP address by a Naming Service such as WINS and DNS.
Therefore, a method of identifying the MAC address assigned to the IP address is required. The Address Resolution Protocol
for an IP network provides this mechanism. For IPX, the MAC address is part of the network address and ARP is not
required. ARP is implemented using an ARP Request and ARP Reply frame. ARP Requests are typically sent to a broadcast
address while the ARP Reply is typically sent as unicast traffic. A unicast address corresponds to a single MAC address or
a single IP address. A broadcast address is sent to all devices on a network.

Teaming and Network Addresses
A team of adapters function as a single virtual network interface and does not appear any different to other network devices
than a non-teamed adapter. A virtual network adapter advertises a single Layer 2 and one or more Layer 3 addresses. When
the teaming driver initializes, it selects one MAC address from one of the physical adapters that make up the team to be the
Team MAC address. This address is typically taken from the first adapter that gets initialized by the driver. When the system
hosting the team receives an ARP request, it selects one MAC address from among the physical adapters in the team to
use as the source MAC address in the ARP Reply. In Windows operating systems, the IPCONFIG /all command shows the
IP and MAC address of the virtual adapter and not the individual physical adapters. The protocol IP address is assigned to
the virtual network interface and not to the individual physical adapters.
For switch-independent teaming modes, all physical adapters that make up a virtual adapter must use the unique MAC
address assigned to them when transmitting data. That is, the frames that are sent by each of the physical adapters in the

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team must use a unique MAC address to be IEEE compliant. It is important to note that ARP cache entries are not learned
from received frames, but only from ARP requests and ARP replies.

Description of Teaming Types
•

Smart Load Balancing and Failover

•

Generic Trunking

•

Link Aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad LACP)

•

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)

There are three methods for classifying the supported teaming types:
•

One is based on whether the switch port configuration must also match the adapter teaming type.

•

The second is based on the functionality of the team, whether it supports load balancing and failover or just failover.

•

The third is based on whether the Link Aggregation Control Protocol is used or not.

Table 2 shows a summary of the teaming types and their classification.

Table 2: Available Teaming Types

Teaming Type

Switch-Dependent
(Switch must support
specific type of team)

Link Aggregation
Control Protocol
Load Balancing
Support Required on
the Switch

Failover

Smart Load Balancing
and Failover (with two
to eight load balance
team members)
SLB (Auto-Fallback
Disable)
Link Aggregation
(802.3ad)
Generic Trunking
(FEC/GEC)/802.3adDraft Static

Smart Load Balancing and Failover
The Smart Load Balancing™ and Failover type of team provides both load balancing and failover when configured for load
balancing, and only failover when configured for fault tolerance. This type of team works with any Ethernet switch and
requires no trunking configuration on the switch. The team advertises multiple MAC addresses and one or more IP
addresses (when using secondary IP addresses). The team MAC address is selected from the list of load balance members.
When the system receives an ARP request, the software-networking stack will always send an ARP Reply with the team
MAC address. To begin the load balancing process, the teaming driver will modify this ARP Reply by changing the source
MAC address to match one of the physical adapters.

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Smart Load Balancing enables both transmit and receive load balancing based on the Layer 3/Layer 4 IP address and TCP/
UDP port number. In other words, the load balancing is not done at a byte or frame level but on a TCP/UDP session basis.
This methodology is required to maintain in-order delivery of frames that belong to the same socket conversation. Load
balancing is supported on 2 to 8 ports. These ports can include any combination of add-in adapters and LAN on Motherboard
(LOM) devices. Transmit load balancing is achieved by creating a hashing table using the source and destination IP
addresses and TCP/UDP port numbers.The same combination of source and destination IP addresses and TCP/UDP port
numbers will generally yield the same hash index and therefore point to the same port in the team. When a port is selected
to carry all the frames of a given socket, the unique MAC address of the physical adapter is included in the frame, and not
the team MAC address. This is required to comply with the IEEE 802.3 standard. If two adapters transmit using the same
MAC address, then a duplicate MAC address situation would occur that the switch could not handle.
Receive load balancing is achieved through an intermediate driver by sending gratuitous ARPs on a client-by-client basis
using the unicast address of each client as the destination address of the ARP request (also known as a directed ARP). This
is considered client load balancing and not traffic load balancing. When the intermediate driver detects a significant load
imbalance between the physical adapters in an SLB team, it will generate G-ARPs in an effort to redistribute incoming
frames. The intermediate driver (BASP) does not answer ARP requests; only the software protocol stack provides the
required ARP Reply. It is important to understand that receive load balancing is a function of the number of clients that are
connecting to the system through the team interface.
SLB receive load balancing attempts to load balance incoming traffic for client machines across physical ports in the team.
It uses a modified gratuitous ARP to advertise a different MAC address for the team IP Address in the sender physical and
protocol address. This G-ARP is unicast with the MAC and IP Address of a client machine in the target physical and protocol
address respectively. This causes the target client to update its ARP cache with a new MAC address map to the team IP
address. G-ARPs are not broadcast because this would cause all clients to send their traffic to the same port. As a result,
the benefits achieved through client load balancing would be eliminated, and could cause out-of-order frame delivery. This
receive load balancing scheme works as long as all clients and the teamed system are on the same subnet or broadcast
domain.
When the clients and the system are on different subnets, and incoming traffic has to traverse a router, the received traffic
destined for the system is not load balanced. The physical adapter that the intermediate driver has selected to carry the IP
flow carries all of the traffic. When the router sends a frame to the team IP address, it broadcasts an ARP request (if not in
the ARP cache). The server software stack generates an ARP reply with the team MAC address, but the intermediate driver
modifies the ARP reply and sends it over a particular physical adapter, establishing the flow for that session.
The reason is that ARP is not a routable protocol. It does not have an IP header and therefore, is not sent to the router or
default gateway. ARP is only a local subnet protocol. In addition, since the G-ARP is not a broadcast packet, the router will
not process it and will not update its own ARP cache.
The only way that the router would process an ARP that is intended for another network device is if it has Proxy ARP enabled
and the host has no default gateway. This is very rare and not recommended for most applications.
Transmit traffic through a router will be load balanced as transmit load balancing is based on the source and destination IP
address and TCP/UDP port number. Since routers do not alter the source and destination IP address, the load balancing
algorithm works as intended.
Configuring routers for Hot Standby Routing Protocol (HSRP) does not allow for receive load balancing to occur in the
adapter team. In general, HSRP allows for two routers to act as one router, advertising a virtual IP and virtual MAC address.
One physical router is the active interface while the other is standby. Although HSRP can also load share nodes (using
different default gateways on the host nodes) across multiple routers in HSRP groups, it always points to the primary MAC
address of the team.

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Generic Trunking
Generic Trunking is a switch-assisted teaming mode and requires configuring ports at both ends of the link: server interfaces
and switch ports. This is often referred to as Cisco Fast EtherChannel or Gigabit EtherChannel. In addition, generic trunking
supports similar implementations by other switch OEMs such as Extreme Networks Load Sharing and Bay Networks or IEEE
802.3ad Link Aggregation static mode. In this mode, the team advertises one MAC Address and one IP Address when the
protocol stack responds to ARP Requests. In addition, each physical adapter in the team uses the same team MAC address
when transmitting frames. This is possible since the switch at the other end of the link is aware of the teaming mode and will
handle the use of a single MAC address by every port in the team. The forwarding table in the switch will reflect the trunk as
a single virtual port.
In this teaming mode, the intermediate driver controls load balancing and failover for outgoing traffic only, while incoming
traffic is controlled by the switch firmware and hardware. As is the case for Smart Load Balancing, the BASP intermediate
driver uses the IP/TCP/UDP source and destination addresses to load balance the transmit traffic from the server. Most
switches implement an XOR hashing of the source and destination MAC address.

NOTE: Generic Trunking is not supported on iSCSI offload adapters.

Link Aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad LACP)
Link Aggregation is similar to Generic Trunking except that it uses the Link Aggregation Control Protocol to negotiate the
ports that will make up the team. LACP must be enabled at both ends of the link for the team to be operational. If LACP is
not available at both ends of the link, 802.3ad provides a manual aggregation that only requires both ends of the link to be
in a link up state. Because manual aggregation provides for the activation of a member link without performing the LACP
message exchanges, it should not be considered as reliable and robust as an LACP negotiated link. LACP automatically
determines which member links can be aggregated and then aggregates them. It provides for the controlled addition and
removal of physical links for the link aggregation so that no frames are lost or duplicated. The removal of aggregate link
members is provided by the marker protocol that can be optionally enabled for Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP)
enabled aggregate links.
The Link Aggregation group advertises a single MAC address for all the ports in the trunk. The MAC address of the
Aggregator can be the MAC addresses of one of the MACs that make up the group. LACP and marker protocols use a
multicast destination address.
The Link Aggregation control function determines which links may be aggregated and then binds the ports to an Aggregator
function in the system and monitors conditions to determine if a change in the aggregation group is required. Link
aggregation combines the individual capacity of multiple links to form a high performance virtual link. The failure or
replacement of a link in an LACP trunk will not cause loss of connectivity. The traffic will simply be failed over to the remaining
links in the trunk.

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)
This type of team is identical to the Smart Load Balance and Failover type of team, with the following exception—when the
standby member is active, if a primary member comes back on line, the team continues using the standby member rather
than switching back to the primary member. This type of team is supported only for situations in which the network cable is
disconnected and reconnected to the network adapter. It is not supported for situations in which the adapter is removed/
installed through Device Manager or Hot-Plug PCI.
If any primary adapter assigned to a team is disabled, the team functions as a Smart Load Balancing and Failover type of
team in which auto-fallback occurs.

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TOE Teaming
All four basic teaming modes support failover of traffic from a failed adapter to other working adapters. All four teaming
modes also support bidirectional load-balancing of TCP/IP traffic. A primary difference between the modes is that the SLB
modes use a Broadcom proprietary algorithm to control how both inbound and outbound traffic is balanced across the
network interfaces in the team. This has several advantages. First, with Generic Trunking or Link Aggregation modes, the
team of network adapters must be connected to a switch that is specifically configured to support that particular mode of
teaming. Since there is a dependency between the switch and the host team configuration when Generic Trunking or Link
Aggregation is used, it can often lead to configuration difficulties, because both ends must be configured correctly and be
synchronized. Second, with Generic Trunking or Link Aggregation modes, the switch decides how inbound traffic to the team
is balanced across the adapters, while BASP only controls the balancing of outbound traffic. This is problematic for TOE
environments, because in order for TOE to work, state information about a given TCP connection is stored in the hardware
on a given offloaded adapter, but it is not stored in the hardware on every member of the team. So teaming and TOE cannot
co-exist if the teaming software cannot steer incoming TCP/IP traffic to the adapter that contains and updates the state
information for a given TCP connection.
Because Broadcom’s SLB modes can control how both outbound and inbound packets are balanced across the adapters,
the SLB modes are capable of ensuring that all offloaded TCP traffic for a given TCP connection goes in and out of a
particular adapter. This architectural feature allows the SLB modes to also support load-balancing on adapters that have
TOE enabled, since BASP is able to steer traffic on a particular TCP connection to the adapter hardware that contains
offloaded state information for that TCP connection. BASP can simultaneously use TCP offload in conjunction with the SLB
modes of teaming. Other teaming modes (Generic Trunking or Link Aggregation) can still be used on TOE capable devices,
but if those other modes are enabled the TOE feature is disabled.
Since the TOE offloaded state is stored in only one member of a team, it might not be intuitive as to how BASP can support
failover on TOE teams. When a TOE connection has been offloaded to a given adapter, and if that network interface fails in
some way (that is, it loses its network link due to a cable disconnection), then BASP will detect the error and force an upload
of the offloaded TCP state for each previously offloaded TCP connection on that adapter to the host. Once all of the
previously offloaded state has been uploaded, BASP will rebalance the recently uploaded TCP connections and offload
those connections evenly to the remaining members of the team. Basically, if there is a failure on a TOE-enabled adapter,
any TCP connections that had been offloaded to that adapter are migrated to the remaining nonfailed members in the team.
For Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters, there are no specific setup requirements in order for TCP Offload Engine (TOE) to
work with BASP. Once the individual adapters are configured to enable TOE, they can be added to a team and the offload
is transparent to BASP. For information on configuring TOE, see Viewing Resource Reservations.

Limitations of Teaming with Offloading
•

TOE is enabled for a team only when all of the members support and are configured for TOE.

•

TOE is only supported on SLB-type teams.

•

Each virtual BASP device advertises 1024 offload connections. If the number of virtual BASP devices in a team
exceeds the number of active physical members, the maximum offload connections for each virtual device may be
lower.

SOFTWARE COMPONENTS
Teaming is implemented via an NDIS intermediate driver in the Windows Operating System environment. This software
component works with the miniport driver, the NDIS layer, and the protocol stack to enable the teaming architecture (see
Figure 2). The miniport driver controls the host LAN controller directly to enable functions such as sends, receives, and
interrupt processing. The intermediate driver fits between the miniport driver and the protocol layer multiplexing several
miniport driver instances, and creating a virtual adapter that looks like a single adapter to the NDIS layer. NDIS provides a

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set of library functions to enable the communications between either miniport drivers or intermediate drivers and the protocol
stack. The protocol stack implements IP, IPX and ARP. A protocol address such as an IP address is assigned to each
miniport device instance, but when an Intermediate driver is installed, the protocol address is assigned to the virtual team
adapter and not to the individual miniport devices that make up the team.
The Broadcom supplied teaming support is provided by three individual software components that work together and are
supported as a package. When one component is upgraded, all the other components must be upgraded to the supported
versions. Table 3 describes the four software components and their associated files for supported operating systems.

Table 3: Broadcom Teaming Software Component
Software
Component

Miniport Driver

Intermediate
Driver

Broadcom Name

Network Adapter/Operating System

System
Architecture

Windows File
Name

Virtual Bus Driver
(VBD)

BCM5706, BCM5708, BCM5709

32-bit

bxvbdx.sys

BCM5706, BCM5708, BCM5709

64-bit

bxvbda.sys

BCM57710, BCM57711

32-bit

evbdx.sys

BCM57710, BCM57711

64-bit

evbda.sys

Broadcom Base Driver

Broadcom Advanced
Server Program
(BASP)

Configuration
User Interface

Broadcom Advanced
Control Suite 3
(BACS)

Windows 2000 Server (NDIS 5.0)

bxnd50x.sys

Windows Server 2003 (NDIS 5.1)

32-bit

bxnd51x.sys

Windows Server 2003 (NDIS 5.1)

64-bit

bxnd51a.sys

Windows Server 2003 (NDIS 5.2)
Driver supports Layer 4

32-bit

bxnd52x.sys

Windows Server 2003 (NDIS 5.2)
Driver supports Layer 4

64-bit

bxnd52a.sys

Windows Server 2008 (NDIS 6.0)

32-bit

bxnd60x.sys

Windows Server 2008 (NDIS 6.0)

64-bit

bxnd60a.sys

Windows Server 2008 R2 (NDIS 6.0)

64-bit

bxnd60a.sys

Windows 2000 Server

32-bit

baspw2k.sys

Windows Server 2003

32-bit

baspxp32.sys

Windows Server 2003

64-bit

basamd64.sys

Windows Server 2008

32-bit, 64-bit

basp.sys

Windows Server 2008 R2

64-bit

basp.sys

–

bacs.exe

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HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
•

Repeater Hub

•

Switching Hub

•

Router

The various teaming modes described in this document place certain restrictions on the networking equipment used to
connect clients to teamed systems. Each type of network interconnect technology has an effect on teaming as described in
the following sections.

Repeater Hub
A Repeater Hub allows a network administrator to extend an Ethernet network beyond the limits of an individual segment.
The repeater regenerates the input signal received on one port onto all other connected ports, forming a single collision
domain. This means that when a station attached to a repeater sends an Ethernet frame to another station, every station
within the same collision domain will also receive that message. If two stations begin transmitting at the same time, a collision
occurs, and each transmitting station must retransmit its data after waiting a random amount of time.
The use of a repeater requires that each station participating within the collision domain operate in half-duplex mode.
Although half-duplex mode is supported for Gigabit Ethernet adapters in the IEEE 802.3 specification, half-duplex mode is
not supported by the majority of Gigabit Ethernet adapter manufacturers. Therefore, half-duplex mode is not considered
here.
Teaming across hubs is supported for troubleshooting purposes (such as connecting a network analyzer) for SLB teams
only.

Switching Hub
Unlike a repeater hub, a switching hub (or more simply a switch) allows an Ethernet network to be broken into multiple
collision domains. The switch is responsible for forwarding Ethernet packets between hosts based solely on Ethernet MAC
addresses. A physical network adapter that is attached to a switch may operate in half-duplex or full-duplex mode.
To support Generic Trunking and 802.3ad Link Aggregation, a switch must specifically support such functionality. If the
switch does not support these protocols, it may still be used for Smart Load Balancing.

NOTE: All modes of network teaming are supported across switches when operating as a stackable switch.

Router
A router is designed to route network traffic based on Layer 3 or higher protocols, although it often also works as a Layer 2
device with switching capabilities. The teaming of ports connected directly to a router is not supported.

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TEAMING SUPPORT BY PROCESSOR
All team types are supported by the IA-32, AMD-64, and EM64T processors.

CONFIGURING TEAMING
The Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 utility is used to configure teaming in the supported operating system
environments.
The Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) utility is designed to run on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows family of operating
systems. BACS 3 is used to configure load balancing and fault tolerance teaming, and VLANs. In addition, it displays the
MAC address, driver version, and status information about each network adapter. BACS 3 also includes a number of
diagnostics tools such as hardware diagnostics, cable testing, and a network topology test.

SUPPORTED FEATURES BY TEAM TYPE
Table 4 provides a feature comparison across the team types. Use this table to determine the best type of team for your
application. The teaming software supports up to eight ports in a single team and up to four teams in a single system. The
four teams can be any combination of the supported teaming types, but each team must be on a separate network or subnet.

Table 4: Comparison of Team Types
Switch-Independent
Dynamic Link
Aggregation
(IEEE 802.3ad)

Type of Team

Fault Tolerance

Load Balancing

Switch-Dependent
Static Trunking

Function

SLB with Standbya

SLB

Generic Trunking

Link Aggregation

Number of ports per
team (same
broadcast domain)

2–8

Number of teams

Adapter fault
tolerance

Yes

Switch link fault
tolerance (same
broadcast domain)

Yes

Switch-dependent

TX load balancing

Yes

RX load balancing

Yes

Yes (performed by the
switch)

Requires compatible
switch

Yes

Heartbeats to check
connectivity

Mixed media
(adapters with
different media)

Yes

Yes (switchdependent)

Yes

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Table 4: Comparison of Team Types (Cont.)
Switch-Independent
Dynamic Link
Aggregation
(IEEE 802.3ad)

Type of Team

Fault Tolerance

Load Balancing

Switch-Dependent
Static Trunking

Function

SLB with Standbya

SLB

Generic Trunking

Link Aggregation

Mixed speeds
(adapters that do not
support a common
speed(s), but can
operate at different
speeds)

Yes

Mixed speeds
(adapters that support
a common speed(s),
but can operate at
different speeds)

Yes

No (must be the same
speed)

Yes

Load balances TCP/
IP

Yes

Mixed vendor teaming

Yesb

Load balances non-IP

Yes (IPX outbound
traffic only)

Yes

Same MAC address
for all team members

Yes

Same IP address for
all team members

Yes

Load balancing by IP
address

Yes

Load balancing by
MAC address

Yes (used for no-IP/
IPX)

Yes

Allows TOE
functionality to coexist when all team
members support
TOEc

Yes

SLB with one primary and one standby member.
Requires at least one Broadcom adapter in the team.
c TOE functionality can only be achieved with SLB teams that consist of all Broadcom TOE-enabled adapters.
b

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SELECTING A TEAM TYPE
The following flow chart provides the decision flow when planning for Layer 2 teaming. For TOE teaming, only Smart Load
Balancing™ and Failover type team is supported. The primary rationale for teaming is the need for additional network
bandwidth and fault tolerance. Teaming offers link aggregation and fault tolerance to meet both of these requirements.
Preference teaming should be selected in the following order: Link Aggregation as the first choice, Generic Trunking as the
second choice, and SLB teaming as the third choice when using unmanaged switches or switches that do not support the
first two options. if switch fault tolerance is a requirement, then SLB is the only choice (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Process for Selecting a Team Type

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TEAMING MECHANISMS
•

Architecture

•

Types of Teams

•

Attributes of the Features Associated with Each Type of Team

•

Speeds Supported for Each Type of Team

ARCHITECTURE
The Broadcom Advanced Server Program is implemented as an NDIS intermediate driver (see Figure 2). It operates below
protocol stacks such as TCP/IP and IPX and appears as a virtual adapter. This virtual adapter inherits the MAC Address of
the first port initialized in the team. A Layer 3 address must also be configured for the virtual adapter. The primary function
of BASP is to balance inbound (for SLB) and outbound traffic (for all teaming modes) among the physical adapters installed
on the system selected for teaming. The inbound and outbound algorithms are independent and orthogonal to each other.
The outbound traffic for a particular session can be assigned to a given port while its corresponding inbound traffic can be
assigned to a different port.

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Figure 2: Intermediate Driver

Outbound Traffic Flow
The Broadcom Intermediate Driver manages the outbound traffic flow for all teaming modes. For outbound traffic, every
packet is first classified into a flow, and then distributed to the selected physical adapter for transmission. The flow
classification involves an efficient hash computation over known protocol fields. The resulting hash value is used to index
into an Outbound Flow Hash Table.The selected Outbound Flow Hash Entry contains the index of the selected physical
adapter responsible for transmitting this flow. The source MAC address of the packets will then be modified to the MAC
address of the selected physical adapter. The modified packet is then passed to the selected physical adapter for
transmission.

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The outbound TCP and UDP packets are classified using Layer 3 and Layer 4 header information. This scheme improves
the load distributions for popular Internet protocol services using well-known ports such as HTTP and FTP. Therefore, BASP
performs load balancing on a TCP session basis and not on a packet-by-packet basis.
In the Outbound Flow Hash Entries, statistics counters are also updated after classification. The load-balancing engine uses
these counters to periodically distribute the flows across teamed ports. The outbound code path has been designed to
achieve best possible concurrency where multiple concurrent accesses to the Outbound Flow Hash Table are allowed.
For protocols other than TCP/IP, the first physical adapter will always be selected for outbound packets. The exception is
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), which is handled differently to achieve inbound load balancing.

Inbound Traffic Flow (SLB Only)
The Broadcom intermediate driver manages the inbound traffic flow for the SLB teaming mode. Unlike outbound load
balancing, inbound load balancing can only be applied to IP addresses that are located in the same subnet as the loadbalancing server. Inbound load balancing exploits a unique characteristic of Address Resolution Protocol (RFC0826), in
which each IP host uses its own ARP cache to encapsulate the IP Datagram into an Ethernet frame. BASP carefully
manipulates the ARP response to direct each IP host to send the inbound IP packet to the desired physical adapter.
Therefore, inbound load balancing is a plan-ahead scheme based on statistical history of the inbound flows. New
connections from a client to the server will always occur over the primary physical adapter (because the ARP Reply
generated by the operating system protocol stack will always associate the logical IP address with the MAC address of the
primary physical adapter).
Like the outbound case, there is an Inbound Flow Head Hash Table. Each entry inside this table has a singly linked list and
each link (Inbound Flow Entries) represents an IP host located in the same subnet.
When an inbound IP Datagram arrives, the appropriate Inbound Flow Head Entry is located by hashing the source IP
address of the IP Datagram. Two statistics counters stored in the selected entry are also updated. These counters are used
in the same fashion as the outbound counters by the load-balancing engine periodically to reassign the flows to the physical
adapter.
On the inbound code path, the Inbound Flow Head Hash Table is also designed to allow concurrent access. The link lists of
Inbound Flow Entries are only referenced in the event of processing ARP packets and the periodic load balancing. There is
no per packet reference to the Inbound Flow Entries. Even though the link lists are not bounded; the overhead in processing
each non-ARP packet is always a constant. The processing of ARP packets, both inbound and outbound, however, depends
on the number of links inside the corresponding link list.
On the inbound processing path, filtering is also employed to prevent broadcast packets from looping back through the
system from other physical adapters.

Protocol Support
ARP and IP/TCP/UDP flows are load balanced. If the packet is an IP protocol only, such as ICMP or IGMP, then all data
flowing to a particular IP address will go out through the same physical adapter. If the packet uses TCP or UDP for the L4
protocol, then the port number is added to the hashing algorithm, so two separate L4 flows can go out through two separate
physical adapters to the same IP address.
For example, assume the client has an IP address of 10.0.0.1. All IGMP and ICMP traffic will go out the same physical
adapter because only the IP address is used for the hash. The flow would look something like this:
IGMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1

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ICMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
If the server also sends an TCP and UDP flow to the same 10.0.0.1 address, they can be on the same physical adapter as
IGMP and ICMP, or on completely different physical adapters from ICMP and IGMP. The stream may look like this:
IGMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
ICMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
TCP------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
UDP------> PhysAdatper1 ------> 10.0.0.1
Or the streams may look like this:
IGMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
ICMP ------> PhysAdapter1 ------> 10.0.0.1
TCP------> PhysAdapter2 ------> 10.0.0.1
UDP------> PhysAdatper3 ------> 10.0.0.1
The actual assignment between adapters may change over time, but any protocol that is not TCP/UDP based goes over the
same physical adapter because only the IP address is used in the hash.

Performance
Modern network interface cards provide many hardware features that reduce CPU utilization by offloading certain CPU
intensive operations (see Teaming and Other Advanced Networking Properties). In contrast, the BASP intermediate driver
is a purely software function that must examine every packet received from the protocol stacks and react to its contents
before sending it out through a particular physical interface. Though the BASP driver can process each outgoing packet in
near constant time, some applications that may already be CPU bound may suffer if operated over a teamed interface. Such
an application may be better suited to take advantage of the failover capabilities of the intermediate driver rather than the
load balancing features, or it may operate more efficiently over a single physical adapter that provides a particular hardware
feature such as Large Send Offload.

TYPES OF TEAMS
Switch-Independent
The Broadcom Smart Load Balancing type of team allows two to eight physical adapters to operate as a single virtual
adapter. The greatest benefit of the SLB type of team is that it operates on any IEEE compliant switch and requires no special
configuration.

Smart Load Balancing and Failover
SLB provides for switch-independent, bidirectional, fault-tolerant teaming and load balancing. Switch independence implies
that there is no specific support for this function required in the switch, allowing SLB to be compatible with all switches. Under
SLB, all adapters in the team have separate MAC addresses. The load-balancing algorithm operates on Layer 3 addresses
of the source and destination nodes, which enables SLB to load balance both incoming and outgoing traffic.

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The BASP intermediate driver continually monitors the physical ports in a team for link loss. In the event of link loss on any
port, traffic is automatically diverted to other ports in the team. The SLB teaming mode supports switch fault tolerance by
allowing teaming across different switches- provided the switches are on the same physical network or broadcast domain.
Network Communications
The following are the key attributes of SLB:
•

Failover mechanism – Link loss detection.

•

Load Balancing Algorithm – Inbound and outbound traffic are balanced through a Broadcom proprietary mechanism
based on L4 flows.

•

Outbound Load Balancing using MAC Address - No.

•

Outbound Load Balancing using IP Address - Yes

•

Multivendor Teaming – Supported (must include at least one Broadcom Ethernet adapter as a team member).

Applications
The SLB algorithm is most appropriate in home and small business environments where cost is a concern or with commodity
switching equipment. SLB teaming works with unmanaged Layer 2 switches and is a cost-effective way of getting
redundancy and link aggregation at the server. Smart Load Balancing also supports teaming physical adapters with differing
link capabilities. In addition, SLB is recommended when switch fault tolerance with teaming is required.
Configuration Recommendations
SLB supports connecting the teamed ports to hubs and switches if they are on the same broadcast domain. It does not
support connecting to a router or Layer 3 switches because the ports must be on the same subnet.

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Switch-Dependent

Generic Static Trunking
This mode supports a variety of environments where the adapter link partners are statically configured to support a
proprietary trunking mechanism. This mode could be used to support Lucent’s Open Trunk, Cisco’s Fast EtherChannel
(FEC), and Cisco’s Gigabit EtherChannel (GEC). In the static mode, as in generic link aggregation, the switch administrator
needs to assign the ports to the team, and this assignment cannot be altered by the BASP, as there is no exchange of the
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) frame.
With this mode, all adapters in the team are configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. Trunking operates on
Layer 2 addresses and supports load balancing and failover for both inbound and outbound traffic. The BASP driver
determines the load-balancing scheme for outbound packets, using Layer 4 protocols previously discussed, whereas the
team link partner determines the load-balancing scheme for inbound packets.
The attached switch must support the appropriate trunking scheme for this mode of operation. Both the BASP and the switch
continually monitor their ports for link loss. In the event of link loss on any port, traffic is automatically diverted to other ports
in the team.
Network Communications
The following are the key attributes of Generic Static Trunking:
•

Failover mechanism – Link loss detection

•

Load Balancing Algorithm – Outbound traffic is balanced through Broadcom proprietary mechanism based L4 flows.
Inbound traffic is balanced according to a switch specific mechanism.

•

Outbound Load Balancing using MAC Address – No

•

Outbound Load Balancing using IP Address - Yes

•

Multivendor teaming – Supported (Must include at least one Broadcom Ethernet adapter as a team member)

Applications
Generic trunking works with switches that support Cisco Fast EtherChannel, Cisco Gigabit EtherChannel, Extreme Networks
Load Sharing and Bay Networks or IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation static mode. Since load balancing is implemented on
Layer 2 addresses, all higher protocols such as IP, IPX, and NetBEUI are supported. Therefore, this is the recommended
teaming mode when the switch supports generic trunking modes over SLB.
Configuration Recommendations
Static trunking supports connecting the teamed ports to switches if they are on the same broadcast domain and support
generic trunking. It does not support connecting to a router or Layer 3 switches since the ports must be on the same subnet.

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Dynamic Trunking (IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation)
This mode supports link aggregation through static and dynamic configuration via the Link Aggregation Control Protocol
(LACP). With this mode, all adapters in the team are configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. The MAC
address of the first adapter in the team is used and cannot be substituted for a different MAC address. The BASP driver
determines the load-balancing scheme for outbound packets, using Layer 4 protocols previously discussed, whereas the
team’s link partner determines the load-balancing scheme for inbound packets. Because the load balancing is implemented
on Layer 2, all higher protocols such as IP, IPX, and NetBEUI are supported. The attached switch must support the 802.3ad
Link Aggregation standard for this mode of operation. The switch manages the inbound traffic to the adapter while the BASP
manages the outbound traffic. Both the BASP and the switch continually monitor their ports for link loss. In the event of link
loss on any port, traffic is automatically diverted to other ports in the team.
Network Communications
The following are the key attributes of Dynamic Trunking:
•

Failover mechanism – Link loss detection

•

Load Balancing Algorithm – Outbound traffic is balanced through a Broadcom proprietary mechanism based on L4
flows. Inbound traffic is balanced according to a switch specific mechanism.

•

Outbound Load Balancing using MAC Address - No

•

Outbound Load Balancing using IP Address - Yes

•

Multivendor teaming – Supported (Must include at least one Broadcom Ethernet adapter as a team member)

Applications
Dynamic trunking works with switches that support IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation dynamic mode using LACP. Inbound
load balancing is switch dependent. In general, the switch traffic is load balanced based on L2 addresses. In this case, all
network protocols such as IP, IPX, and NetBEUI are load balanced. Therefore, this is the recommended teaming mode when
the switch supports LACP, except when switch fault tolerance is required. SLB is the only teaming mode that supports switch
fault tolerance.
Configuration Recommendations
Dynamic trunking supports connecting the teamed ports to switches as long as they are on the same broadcast domain and
supports IEEE 802.3ad LACP trunking. It does not support connecting to a router or Layer 3 switches since the ports must
be on the same subnet.

LiveLink™
LiveLink™ is a feature of BASP that is available for the Smart Load Balancing (SLB) and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type
of teaming. The purpose of LiveLink is to detect link loss beyond the switch and to route traffic only through team members
that have a live link. This function is accomplished though the teaming software. The teaming software periodically probes
(issues a link packet from each team member) one or more specified target network device(s). The probe target(s) responds
when it receives the link packet. If a team member does not detect the response within a specified amount of time, this
indicates that the link has been lost, and the teaming software discontinues passing traffic through that team member. Later,
if that team member begins to detect a response from a probe target, this indicates that the link has been restored, and the
teaming software automatically resumes passing traffic through that team member. LiveLink works only with TCP/IP.
LiveLink™ functionality is supported in both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows operating systems. For similar functionality in Linux
operating systems, see the Channel Bonding information in your Red Hat documentation.

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ATTRIBUTES OF THE FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH EACH TYPE OF TEAM
The attributes of the features associated with each type of team are summarized in Table 5.

Table 5: Attributes
Feature

Attribute

Smart Load Balancing™
User interface

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS)

Number of teams

Maximum 8

Number of adapters per team

Maximum 8

Hot replace

Yes

Hot add

Yes

Hot remove

Yes

Link speed support

Different speeds

Frame protocol

Incoming packet management

BASP

Outgoing packet management

BASP

LiveLink support

Yes

Failover event

Loss of link

Failover time

<500 ms

Fallback time

1.5 sb (approximate)

MAC address

Different

Multivendor teaming

Yes

Generic Trunking
User interface

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS)

Number of teams

Maximum 8

Number of adapters per team

Maximum 8

Hot replace

Yes

Hot add

Yes

Hot remove

Yes

Link speed support

Different speedsa

Frame protocol

All

Incoming packet management

Switch

Outgoing packet management

BASP

Failover event

Loss of link only

Failover time

<500 ms

Fallback time

1.5 sb (approximate)

MAC address

Same for all adapters

Multivendor teaming

Yes

Dynamic Trunking
User interface

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS)

Number of teams

Maximum 8

Number of adapters per team

Maximum 8

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Table 5: Attributes (Cont.)
Feature

Attribute

Hot replace

Yes

Hot add

Yes

Hot remove

Yes

Link speed support

Different speeds

Frame protocol

All

Incoming packet management

Switch

Outgoing packet management

BASP

Failover event

Loss of link only

Failover time

<500 ms

Fallback time

1.5 sb (approximate)

MAC address

Same for all adapters

Multivendor teaming

Yes

a
b

Some switches require matching link speeds to correctly negotiate between trunk connections.
Make sure that Port Fast or Edge Port is enabled.

SPEEDS SUPPORTED FOR EACH TYPE OF TEAM
The various link speeds that are supported for each type of team are listed in Table 6. Mixed speed refers to the capability
of teaming adapters that are running at different link speeds.

Table 6: Link Speeds in Teaming
Type of Team

Link Speed

Traffic Direction

Speed Support

SLB

10/100/1000/10000

Incoming/outgoing

Mixed speed

FEC

100

Incoming/outgoing

Same speed

GEC

1000

Incoming/outgoing

Same speed

IEEE 802.3ad

10/100/1000/10000

Incoming/outgoing

Mixed speed

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TEAMING AND OTHER ADVANCED NETWORKING PROPERTIES
•

Checksum Offload

•

IEEE 802.1p QoS Tagging

•

Large Send Offload

•

TCP Offload Engine (TOE)

•

Jumbo Frames

•

IEEE 802.1Q VLANs

•

Wake On LAN

•

Preboot Execution Environment

Before creating a team, adding or removing team members, or changing advanced settings of a team member, make sure
each team member has been configured similarly. Settings to check include VLANs and QoS Packet Tagging, Jumbo
Frames, and the various offloads. Advanced adapter properties and teaming support are listed in Table 7.

Table 7: Advanced Adapter Properties and Teaming Support
Adapter Properties

Supported by Teaming Virtual Adapter

Checksum Offload

Yes

IEEE 802.1p QoS Tagging

Large Send Offload

Yesa

TCP Offload Engine (TOE)

Yesb, c

Jumbo Frames

Yesb

IEEE 802.1Q VLANs

Yesc

Wake on LAN

Preboot Execution environment (PXE)

Yesd

All adapters on the team must support this feature. Some adapters may not support this feature if ASF/IPMI is also enabled.
Must be supported by all adapters in the team.
c
Only for Broadcom adapters.
d
As a PXE sever only, not as a client.
b

A team does not necessarily inherit adapter properties; rather various properties depend on the specific capability. For
instance, an example would be flow control, which is a physical adapter property and has nothing to do with BASP, and will
be enabled on a particular adapter if the miniport driver for that adapter has flow control enabled.

NOTE: All adapters on the team must support the property listed in Table 7 in order for the team to support the
property.

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CHECKSUM OFFLOAD
Checksum Offload is a property of the Broadcom network adapters that allows the TCP/IP/UDP checksums for send and
receive traffic to be calculated by the adapter hardware rather than by the host CPU. In high-traffic situations, this can allow
a system to handle more connections more efficiently than if the host CPU were forced to calculate the checksums. This
property is inherently a hardware property and would not benefit from a software-only implementation. An adapter that
supports Checksum Offload advertises this capability to the operating system so that the checksum does not need to be
calculated in the protocol stack. Checksum Offload is only supported for IPv4 at this time.

IEEE 802.1P QOS TAGGING
The IEEE 802.1p standard includes a 3-bit field (supporting a maximum of 8 priority levels), which allows for traffic
prioritization. The BASP intermediate driver does not support IEEE 802.1p QoS tagging.

LARGE SEND OFFLOAD
Large Send Offload (LSO) is a feature provided by Broadcom network adapters that prevents an upper level protocol such
as TCP from breaking a large data packet into a series of smaller packets with headers appended to them. The protocol
stack need only generate a single header for a data packet as large as 64 KB, and the adapter hardware breaks the data
buffer into appropriately-sized Ethernet frames with the correctly sequenced header (based on the single header originally
provided).

JUMBO FRAMES
The use of jumbo frames was originally proposed by Alteon Networks, Inc. in 1998 and increased the maximum size of an
Ethernet frame to a maximum size of 9000 bytes. Though never formally adopted by the IEEE 802.3 Working Group, support
for jumbo frames has been implemented in Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters. The BASP intermediate driver supports jumbo
frames, provided that all of the physical adapters in the team also support jumbo frames and the same size is set on all
adapters in the team.

IEEE 802.1Q VLANS
In 1998, the IEEE approved the 802.3ac standard, which defines frame format extensions to support Virtual Bridged Local
Area Network tagging on Ethernet networks as specified in the IEEE 802.1Q specification. The VLAN protocol permits

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insertion of a tag into an Ethernet frame to identify the VLAN to which a frame belongs. If present, the 4-byte VLAN tag is
inserted into the Ethernet frame between the source MAC address and the length/type field. The first 2-bytes of the VLAN
tag consist of the IEEE 802.1Q tag type, whereas the second 2 bytes include a user priority field and the VLAN identifier
(VID). Virtual LANs (VLANs) allow the user to split the physical LAN into logical subparts. Each defined VLAN behaves as
its own separate network, with its traffic and broadcasts isolated from the others, thus increasing bandwidth efficiency within
each logical group. VLANs also enable the administrator to enforce appropriate security and quality of service (QoS) policies.
The BASP supports the creation of 64 VLANs per team or adapter: 63 tagged and 1 untagged. The operating system and
system resources, however, limit the actual number of VLANs. VLAN support is provided according to IEEE 802.1Q and is
supported in a teaming environment as well as on a single adapter. Note that VLANs are supported only with homogeneous
teaming and not in a multivendor teaming environment. The BASP intermediate driver supports VLAN tagging. One or more
VLANs may be bound to a single instance of the intermediate driver.

WAKE ON LAN
Wake on LAN (WOL) is a feature that allows a system to be awakened from a sleep state by the arrival of a specific packet
over the Ethernet interface. Because a Virtual Adapter is implemented as a software only device, it lacks the hardware
features to implement Wake on LAN and cannot be enabled to wake the system from a sleeping state via the Virtual Adapter.
The physical adapters, however, support this property, even when the adapter is part of a team.

PREBOOT EXECUTION ENVIRONMENT
The Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) allows a system to boot from an operating system image over the network. By
definition, PXE is invoked before an operating system is loaded, so there is no opportunity for the BASP intermediate driver
to load and enable a team. As a result, teaming is not supported as a PXE client, though a physical adapter that participates
in a team when the operating system is loaded may be used as a PXE client. Whereas a teamed adapter cannot be used
as a PXE client, it can be used for a PXE server, which provides operating system images to PXE clients using a combination
of Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) and the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP). Both of these protocols operate over
IP and are supported by all teaming modes.

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GENERAL NETWORK CONSIDERATIONS
•

Teaming with Microsoft Virtual Server 2005

•

Teaming Across Switches

•

Spanning Tree Algorithm

•

Layer 3 Routing/Switching

•

Teaming with Hubs (for troubleshooting purposes only)

•

Teaming with Microsoft NLB

TEAMING WITH MICROSOFT VIRTUAL SERVER 2005
The only supported BASP team configuration when using Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 is with a Smart Load Balancing (TM)
team-type consisting of a single primary Broadcom adapter and a standby Broadcom adapter. Make sure to unbind or
deselect “Virtual Machine Network Services” from each team member prior to creating a team and prior to creating Virtual
networks with Microsoft Virtual Server. Additionally, a virtual network should be created in this software and subsequently
bound to the virtual adapter created by a team. Directly binding a Guest operating system to a team virtual adapter may not
render the desired results.

NOTE: As of this writing, Windows Server 2008 is not a supported operating system for Microsoft Virtual Server
2005; thus, teaming may not function as expected with this combination.

TEAMING ACROSS SWITCHES
SLB teaming can be configured across switches. The switches, however, must be connected together. Generic Trunking
and Link Aggregation do not work across switches because each of these implementations requires that all physical
adapters in a team share the same Ethernet MAC address. It is important to note that SLB can only detect the loss of link
between the ports in the team and their immediate link partner. SLB has no way of reacting to other hardware failures in the
switches and cannot detect loss of link on other ports.

Switch-Link Fault Tolerance
The diagrams below describe the operation of an SLB team in a switch fault tolerant configuration. We show the mapping
of the ping request and ping replies in an SLB team with two active members. All servers (Blue, Gray and Red) have a
continuous ping to each other. Figure 3 is a setup without the interconnect cable in place between the two switches. Figure 4
has the interconnect cable in place, and Figure 5 is an example of a failover event with the Interconnect cable in place. These
scenarios describe the behavior of teaming across the two switches and the importance of the interconnect link.
The diagrams show the secondary team member sending the ICMP echo requests (yellow arrows) while the primary team
member receives the respective ICMP echo replies (blue arrows). This illustrates a key characteristic of the teaming
software. The load balancing algorithms do not synchronize how frames are load balanced when sent or received. In other
words, frames for a given conversation can go out and be received on different interfaces in the team. This is true for all

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types of teaming supported by Broadcom. Therefore, an interconnect link must be provided between the switches that
connect to ports in the same team.
In the configuration without the interconnect, an ICMP Request from Blue to Gray goes out port 82:83 destined for Gray port
5E:CA, but the Top Switch has no way to send it there because it cannot go along the 5E:C9 port on Gray. A similar scenario
occurs when Gray attempts to ping Blue. An ICMP Request goes out on 5E:C9 destined for Blue 82:82, but cannot get there.
Top Switch does not have an entry for 82:82 in its CAM table because there is no interconnect between the two switches.
Pings, however, flow between Red and Blue and between Red and Gray.
Furthermore, a failover event would cause additional loss of connectivity. Consider a cable disconnect on the Top Switch
port 4. In this case, Gray would send the ICMP Request to Red 49:C9, but because the Bottom switch has no entry for 49:C9
in its CAM Table, the frame is flooded to all its ports but cannot find a way to get to 49:C9.
Figure 3: Teaming Across Switches Without an Interswitch Link

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The addition of a link between the switches allows traffic from/to Blue and Gray to reach each other without any problems.
Note the additional entries in the CAM table for both switches. The link interconnect is critical for the proper operation of the
team. As a result, it is highly advisable to have a link aggregation trunk to interconnect the two switches to ensure high
availability for the connection.
Figure 4: Teaming Across Switches With Interconnect

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Figure 5 represents a failover event in which the cable is unplugged on the Top Switch port 4. This is a successful failover
with all stations pinging each other without loss of connectivity.
Figure 5: Failover Event

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SPANNING TREE ALGORITHM
•

Topology Change Notice (TCN)

•

Port Fast/Edge Port

In Ethernet networks, only one active path may exist between any two bridges or switches. Multiple active paths between
switches can cause loops in the network. When loops occur, some switches recognize stations on both sides of the switch.
This situation causes the forwarding algorithm to malfunction allowing duplicate frames to be forwarded. Spanning tree
algorithms provide path redundancy by defining a tree that spans all of the switches in an extended network and then forces
certain redundant data paths into a standby (blocked) state. At regular intervals, the switches in the network send and
receive spanning tree packets that they use to identify the path. If one network segment becomes unreachable, or if spanning
tree costs change, the spanning tree algorithm reconfigures the spanning tree topology and re-establishes the link by
activating the standby path. Spanning tree operation is transparent to end stations, which do not detect whether they are
connected to a single LAN segment or a switched LAN of multiple segments.
Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 protocol designed to run on bridges and switches. The specification for STP is
defined in IEEE 802.1d. The main purpose of STP is to ensure that you do not run into a loop situation when you have
redundant paths in your network. STP detects/disables network loops and provides backup links between switches or
bridges. It allows the device to interact with other STP compliant devices in your network to ensure that only one path exists
between any two stations on the network.
After a stable network topology has been established, all bridges listen for hello BPDUs (Bridge Protocol Data Units)
transmitted from the root bridge. If a bridge does not get a hello BPDU after a predefined interval (Max Age), the bridge
assumes that the link to the root bridge is down. This bridge then initiates negotiations with other bridges to reconfigure the
network to re-establish a valid network topology. The process to create a new topology can take up to 50 seconds. During
this time, end-to-end communications are interrupted.
The use of Spanning Tree is not recommended for ports that are connected to end stations, because by definition, an end
station does not create a loop within an Ethernet segment. Additionally, when a teamed adapter is connected to a port with
Spanning Tree enabled, users may experience unexpected connectivity problems. For example, consider a teamed adapter
that has a lost link on one of its physical adapters. If the physical adapter were to be reconnected (also known as fallback),
the intermediate driver would detect that the link has been reestablished and would begin to pass traffic through the port.
Traffic would be lost if the port was temporarily blocked by the Spanning Tree Protocol.

Topology Change Notice (TCN)
A bridge/switch creates a forwarding table of MAC addresses and port numbers by learning the source MAC address that
received on a particular port. The table is used to forward frames to a specific port rather than flooding the frame to all ports.
The typical maximum aging time of entries in the table is 5 minutes. Only when a host has been silent for 5 minutes would
its entry be removed from the table. It is sometimes beneficial to reduce the aging time. One example is when a forwarding
link goes to blocking and a different link goes from blocking to forwarding. This change could take up to 50 seconds. At the
end of the STP re-calculation a new path would be available for communications between end stations. However, because
the forwarding table would still have entries based on the old topology, communications may not be reestablished until after
5 minutes when the affected ports entries are removed from the table. Traffic would then be flooded to all ports and relearned. In this case it is beneficial to reduce the aging time. This is the purpose of a topology change notice (TCN) BPDU.
The TCN is sent from the affected bridge/switch to the root bridge/switch. As soon as a bridge/switch detects a topology
change (a link going down or a port going to forwarding) it sends a TCN to the root bridge via its root port. The root bridge
then advertises a BPDU with a Topology Change to the entire network.This causes every bridge to reduce the MAC table
aging time to 15 seconds for a specified amount of time. This allows the switch to re-learn the MAC addresses as soon as
STP re-converges.

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Topology Change Notice BPDUs are sent when a port that was forwarding changes to blocking or transitions to forwarding.
A TCN BPDU does not initiate an STP recalculation. It only affects the aging time of the forwarding table entries in the
switch.It will not change the topology of the network or create loops. End nodes such as servers or clients trigger a topology
change when they power off and then power back on.

Port Fast/Edge Port
To reduce the effect of TCNs on the network (for example, increasing flooding on switch ports), end nodes that are powered
on/off often should use the Port Fast or Edge Port setting on the switch port they are attached to. Port Fast or Edge Port is
a command that is applied to specific ports and has the following effects:
•

Ports coming from link down to link up will be put in the forwarding STP mode instead of going from listening to learning
and then to forwarding. STP is still running on these ports.

•

The switch does not generate a Topology Change Notice when the port is going up or down.

LAYER 3 ROUTING/SWITCHING
The switch that the teamed ports are connected to must not be a Layer 3 switch or router. The ports in the team must be in
the same network.

TEAMING WITH HUBS (FOR TROUBLESHOOTING PURPOSES ONLY)
•

Hub Usage in Teaming Network Configurations

•

SLB Teams

•

SLB Team Connected to a Single Hub

•

Generic and Dynamic Trunking (FEC/GEC/IEEE 802.3ad)

SLB teaming can be used with 10/100 hubs, but it is only recommended for troubleshooting purposes, such as connecting
a network analyzer in the event that switch port mirroring is not an option.

Hub Usage in Teaming Network Configurations
Although the use of hubs in network topologies is functional in some situations, it is important to consider the throughput
ramifications when doing so. Network hubs have a maximum of 100 Mbps half-duplex link speed, which severely degrades
performance in either a Gigabit or 100 Mbps switched-network configuration. Hub bandwidth is shared among all connected
devices; as a result, when more devices are connected to the hub, the bandwidth available to any single device connected
to the hub is reduced in direct proportion to the number of devices connected to the hub.
It is not recommended to connect team members to hubs; only switches should be used to connect to teamed ports. An SLB
team, however, can be connected directly to a hub for troubleshooting purposes. Other team types can result in a loss of
connectivity if specific failures occur and should not be used with hubs.

SLB Teams
SLB teams are the only teaming type not dependant on switch configuration. The server intermediate driver handles the load
balancing and fault tolerance mechanisms with no assistance from the switch. These elements of SLB make it the only team
type that maintains failover and fallback characteristics when team ports are connected directly to a hub.

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SLB Team Connected to a Single Hub
SLB teams configured as shown in Figure 6 maintain their fault tolerance properties. Either server connection could
potentially fail, and network functionality is maintained. Clients could be connected directly to the hub, and fault tolerance
would still be maintained; server performance, however, would be degraded.
Figure 6: Team Connected to a Single Hub

Generic and Dynamic Trunking (FEC/GEC/IEEE 802.3ad)
FEC/GEC and IEEE 802.3ad teams cannot be connected to any hub configuration. These team types must be connected
to a switch that has also been configured for this team type.

TEAMING WITH MICROSOFT NLB
Teaming does not work in Microsoft’s Network Load Balancing (NLB) unicast mode, only in multicast mode. Due to the
mechanism used by the NLB service, the recommended teaming configuration in this environment is Failover (SLB with a
standby NIC) as load balancing is managed by NLB. The TOE functionality in teaming will not operate in NLB.

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APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS
•

Teaming and Clustering

•

Teaming and Network Backup

TEAMING AND CLUSTERING
•

Microsoft Cluster Software

•

High-Performance Computing Cluster

•

Oracle

Microsoft Cluster Software
MSCS clusters support up to two nodes if you are using Windows 2000 Server. If you are using Windows Server 2003,
MSCS clusters support up to eight nodes. In each cluster node, it is strongly recommended that customers install at least
two network adapters (on-board adapters are acceptable). These interfaces serve two purposes. One adapter is used
exclusively for intra-cluster heartbeat communications. This is referred to as the private adapter and usually resides on a
separate private subnetwork. The other adapter is used for client communications and is referred to as the public adapter.
Multiple adapters may be used for each of these purposes: private, intracluster communications and public, external client
communications. All Broadcom teaming modes are supported with Microsoft Cluster Software for the public adapter only.
Private network adapter teaming is not supported. Microsoft indicates that the use of teaming on the private interconnect of
a server cluster is not supported because of delays that could possibly occur in the transmission and receipt of heartbeat
packets between the nodes. For best results, when you want redundancy for the private interconnect, disable teaming and
use the available ports to form a second private interconnect. This achieves the same end result and provides dual, robust
communication paths for the nodes to communicate over.
For teaming in a clustered environment, customers are recommended to use the same brand of adapters.

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Figure 7 shows a 2-node Fibre-Channel cluster with three network interfaces per cluster node: one private and two public.
On each node, the two public adapters are teamed, and the private adapter is not. Teaming is supported across the same
switch or across two switches. Figure 8 shows the same 2-node Fibre-Channel cluster in this configuration.
Figure 7: Clustering With Teaming Across One Switch

NOTE: Microsoft Network Load Balancing is not supported with Microsoft Cluster Software.

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High-Performance Computing Cluster
Gigabit Ethernet is typically used for the following three purposes in high-performance computing cluster (HPCC)
applications:
•

Inter-Process Communications (IPC): For applications that do not require low-latency, high-bandwidth interconnects
(such as Myrinet, InfiniBand), Gigabit Ethernet can be used for communication between the compute nodes.

•

I/O: Ethernet can be used for file sharing and serving the data to the compute nodes. This can be done simply using an
NFS server or using parallel file systems such as PVFS.

•

Management & Administration: Ethernet is used for out-of-band (ERA) and in-band (OMSA) management of the nodes
in the cluster. It can also be used for job scheduling and monitoring.

In our current HPCC offerings, only one of the on-board adapters is used. If Myrinet or IB is present, this adapter serves I/
O and administration purposes; otherwise, it is also responsible for IPC. In case of an adapter failure, the administrator can
use the Felix package to easily configure adapter 2. Adapter teaming on the host side is neither tested nor supported in
HPCC.

Advanced Features
PXE is used extensively for the deployment of the cluster (installation and recovery of compute nodes). Teaming is typically
not used on the host side and it is not a part of our standard offering. Link aggregation is commonly used between switches,
especially for large configurations. Jumbo frames, although not a part of our standard offering, may provide performance
improvement for some applications due to reduced CPU overhead.

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Oracle
In our Oracle Solution Stacks, we support adapter teaming in both the private network (interconnect between RAC nodes)
and public network with clients or the application layer above the database layer.
Figure 8: Clustering With Teaming Across Two Switches

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TEAMING AND NETWORK BACKUP
•

Load Balancing and Failover

•

Fault Tolerance

When you perform network backups in a nonteamed environment, overall throughput on a backup server adapter can be
easily impacted due to excessive traffic and adapter overloading. Depending on the number of backup servers, data
streams, and tape drive speed, backup traffic can easily consume a high percentage of the network link bandwidth, thus
impacting production data and tape backup performance. Network backups usually consist of a dedicated backup server
running with tape backup software such as NetBackup, Galaxy or Backup Exec. Attached to the backup server is either a
direct SCSI tape backup unit or a tape library connected through a fiber channel storage area network (SAN). Systems that
are backed up over the network are typically called clients or remote servers and usually have a tape backup software agent
installed. Figure 9 shows a typical 1 Gbps nonteamed network environment with tape backup implementation.
Figure 9: Network Backup without Teaming

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Because there are four client servers, the backup server can simultaneously stream four backup jobs (one per client) to a
multidrive autoloader. Because of the single link between the switch and the backup server; however, a 4-stream backup
can easily saturate the adapter and link. If the adapter on the backup server operates at 1 Gbps (125 MB/s), and each client
is able to stream data at 20 MB/s during tape backup, the throughput between the backup server and switch will be at 80
MB/s (20 MB/s x 4), which is equivalent to 64% of the network bandwidth. Although this is well within the network bandwidth
range, the 64% constitutes a high percentage, especially if other applications share the same link.

Load Balancing and Failover
As the number of backup streams increases, the overall throughput increases. Each data stream, however, may not be able
to maintain the same performance as a single backup stream of 25 MB/s. In other words, even though a backup server can
stream data from a single client at 25 MB/s, it is not expected that four simultaneously-running backup jobs will stream at
100 MB/s (25 MB/s x 4 streams). Although overall throughput increases as the number of backup streams increases, each
backup stream can be impacted by tape software or network stack limitations.
For a tape backup server to reliably use adapter performance and network bandwidth when backing up clients, a network
infrastructure must implement teaming such as load balancing and fault tolerance. Data centers will incorporate redundant
switches, link aggregation, and trunking as part of their fault tolerant solution. Although teaming device drivers will
manipulate the way data flows through teamed interfaces and failover paths, this is transparent to tape backup applications
and does not interrupt any tape backup process when backing up remote systems over the network. Figure 10 shows a
network topology that demonstrates tape backup in a Broadcom teamed environment and how smart load balancing can
load balance tape backup data across teamed adapters.
There are four paths that the client-server can use to send data to the backup server, but only one of these paths will be
designated during data transfer. One possible path that Client-Server Red can use to send data to the backup server is:
Example Path: Client-Server Red sends data through Adapter A, Switch 1, Backup Server Adapter A.
The designated path is determined by two factors:
•

Client-Server ARP cache; which points to the backup server MAC address. This is determined by the Broadcom
intermediate driver inbound load balancing algorithm.

•

The physical adapter interface on Client-Server Red will be used to transmit the data. The Broadcom intermediate
driver outbound load balancing algorithm determines this (see Outbound Traffic Flow and Inbound Traffic Flow (SLB
Only).

The teamed interface on the backup server transmits a gratuitous address resolution protocol (G-ARP) to Client-Server Red,
which in turn, causes the client server ARP cache to get updated with the Backup Server MAC address. The load balancing
mechanism within the teamed interface determines the MAC address embedded in the G-ARP. The selected MAC address
is essentially the destination for data transfer from the client server.On Client-Server Red, the SLB teaming algorithm will
determine which of the two adapter interfaces will be used to transmit data. In this example, data from Client Server Red is
received on the backup server Adapter A interface. To demonstrate the SLB mechanisms when additional load is placed on
the teamed interface, consider the scenario when the backup server initiates a second backup operation: one to ClientServer Red, and one to Client-Server Blue. The route that Client-Server Blue uses to send data to the backup server is
dependant on its ARP cache, which points to the backup server MAC address. Because Adapter A of the backup server is
already under load from its backup operation with Client-Sever Red, the Backup Server invokes its SLB algorithm to inform
Client-Server Blue (through an G-ARP) to update its ARP cache to reflect the backup server Adapter B MAC address. When
Client-Server Blue needs to transmit data, it uses either one of its adapter interfaces, which is determined by its own SLB
algorithm. What is important is that data from Client-Server Blue is received by the Backup Server Adapter B interface, and
not by its Adapter A interface. This is important because with both backup streams running simultaneously, the backup
server must load balance data streams from different clients. With both backup streams running, each adapter interface on
the backup server is processing an equal load, thus load-balancing data across both adapter interfaces.

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The same algorithm applies if a third and fourth backup operation is initiated from the backup server. The teamed interface
on the backup server transmits a unicast G-ARP to backup clients to inform them to update their ARP cache. Each client
then transmits backup data along a route to the target MAC address on the backup server.

Fault Tolerance
If a network link fails during tape backup operations, all traffic between the backup server and client stops and backup jobs
fail. If, however, the network topology was configured for both Broadcom SLB and switch fault tolerance, then this would
allow tape backup operations to continue without interruption during the link failure. All failover processes within the network
are transparent to tape backup software applications. To understand how backup data streams are directed during network
failover process, consider the topology in Figure 10. Client-Server Red is transmitting data to the backup server through Path
1, but a link failure occurs between the backup server and the switch. Because the data can no longer be sent from Switch
#1 to the Adapter A interface on the backup server, the data is redirected from Switch #1 through Switch #2, to the Adapter
B interface on the backup server. This occurs without the knowledge of the backup application because all fault tolerant
operations are handled by the adapter team interface and trunk settings on the switches. From the client server perspective,
it still operates as if it is transmitting data through the original path.
Figure 10: Network Backup With SLB Teaming Across Two Switches

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TROUBLESHOOTING TEAMING PROBLEMS
•

Teaming Configuration Tips

•

Troubleshooting Guidelines

When running a protocol analyzer over a virtual adapter teamed interface, the MAC address shown in the transmitted frames
may not be correct. The analyzer does not show the frames as constructed by BASP and shows the MAC address of the
team and not the MAC address of the interface transmitting the frame. It is suggested to use the following process to monitor
a team:
•

Mirror all uplink ports from the team at the switch.

•

If the team spans two switches, mirror the interlink trunk as well.

•

Sample all mirror ports independently.

•

On the analyzer, use an adapter and driver that does not filter QoS and VLAN information.

TEAMING CONFIGURATION TIPS
When troubleshooting network connectivity or teaming functionality issues, ensure that the following information is true for
your configuration.
1. Although mixed-speed SLB teaming is supported, it is recommended that all adapters in a team be the same speed
(either all Gigabit Ethernet or all Fast Ethernet). For speeds of 10 Gbps, it is highly recommended that all adapters in a
team be the same speed.
2. If LiveLink is not enabled, disable Spanning Tree Protocol or enable an STP mode that bypasses the initial phases (for
example, Port Fast, Edge Port) for the switch ports connected to a team.
3. All switches that the team is directly connected to must have the same hardware revision, firmware revision, and software
revision to be supported.
4. To be teamed, adapters should be members of the same VLAN. In the event that multiple teams are configured, each
team should be on a separate network.
5. Do not assign a Locally Administered Address on any physical adapter that is a member of a team.
6. Verify that power management is disabled on all physical members of any team.
7. Remove any static IP address from the individual physical team members before the team is built.
8. A team that requires maximum throughput should use LACP or GEC\FEC. In these cases, the intermediate driver is only
responsible for the outbound load balancing while the switch performs the inbound load balancing.
9. Aggregated teams (802.3ad \ LACP and GEC\FEC) must be connected to only a single switch that supports IEEE
802.3a, LACP or GEC/FEC.
10. It is not recommended to connect any team to a hub, as a hub only support half duplex. Hubs should be connected to a
team for troubleshooting purposes only. Disabling the device driver of a network adapter participating in an LACP or
GEC/FEC team may have adverse affects with network connectivity. Broadcom recommends that the adapter first be
physically disconnected from the switch before disabling the device driver in order to avoid a network connection loss.
11. Verify the base (Miniport) and team (intermediate) drivers are from the same release package. The mixing of base and
teaming drivers from different releases is not supported.
12. Test the connectivity to each physical adapter prior to teaming.
13. Test the failover and fallback behavior of the team before placing into a production environment.
14. When moving from a nonproduction network to a production network, it is strongly recommended to test again for failover

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and fallback.
15. Test the performance behavior of the team before placing into a production environment.
16. Network teaming is not supported when running iSCSI traffic via Microsoft iSCSI initiator or iSCSI offload. MPIO should
be used instead of Broadcom network teaming for these ports.
17. For information on iSCSI boot and iSCSI offload restrictions, see iSCSI Protocol.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDELINES
Before you call for support, make sure you have completed the following steps for troubleshooting network connectivity
problems when the server is using adapter teaming.
1. Make sure the link light is ON for every adapter and all the cables are attached.
2. Check that the matching base and intermediate drivers belong to the same release and are loaded correctly.
3. Check for a valid IP Address using the Windows ipconfig command.
4. Check that STP is disabled or Edge Port/Port Fast is enabled on the switch ports connected to the team or that LiveLink
is being used.
5. Check that the adapters and the switch are configured identically for link speed and duplex.
6. If possible, break the team and check for connectivity to each adapter independently to confirm that the problem is
directly associated with teaming.
7. Check that all switch ports connected to the team are on the same VLAN.
8. Check that the switch ports are configured properly for Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static type of
teaming and that it matches the adapter teaming type. If the system is configured for an SLB type of team, make sure
the corresponding switch ports are not configured for Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static types of teams.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: Under what circumstances is traffic not load balanced? Why is all traffic not load balanced evenly across the team
members?
Answer: The bulk of traffic does not use IP/TCP/UDP or the bulk of the clients are in a different network. The receive load
balancing is not a function of traffic load, but a function of the number of clients that are connected to the server.
Question: What network protocols are load balanced when in a team?
Answer: Broadcom’s teaming software only supports IP/TCP/UDP traffic. All other traffic is forwarded to the primary adapter.
Question: Which protocols are load balanced with SLB and which ones are not?
Answer: Only IP/TCP/UDP protocols are load balanced in both directions: send and receive. IPX is load balanced on the
transmit traffic only.
Question: Can I team a port running at 100 Mbps with a port running at 1000 Mbps?
Answer: Mixing link speeds within a team is only supported for Smart Load Balancing™ teams and 802.3ad teams.
Question: Can I team a fiber adapter with a copper Gigabit Ethernet adapter?
Answer: Yes with SLB, and yes if the switch allows for it in FEC/GEC and 802.3ad.
Question: What is the difference between adapter load balancing and Microsoft’s Network Load Balancing (NLB)?
Answer: Adapter load balancing is done at a network session level, whereas NLB is done at the server application level.

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Question: Can I connect the teamed adapters to a hub?
Answer: Teamed ports can be connected to a hub for troubleshooting purposes only. However, this practice is not
recommended for normal operation because the performance would be degraded due to hub limitations. Connect the
teamed ports to a switch instead.
Question: Can I connect the teamed adapters to ports in a router?
Answer: No. All ports in a team must be on the same network; in a router, however, each port is a separate network by
definition. All teaming modes require that the link partner be a Layer 2 switch.
Question: Can I use teaming with Microsoft Cluster Services?
Answer: Yes. Teaming is supported on the public network only, not on the private network used for the heartbeat link.
Question: Can PXE work over a virtual adapter (team)?
Answer: A PXE client operates in an environment before the operating system is loaded; as a result, virtual adapters have
not been enabled yet. If the physical adapter supports PXE, then it can be used as a PXE client, whether or not it is part of
a virtual adapter when the operating system loads. PXE servers may operate over a virtual adapter.
Question: Can WOL work over a virtual adapter (team)?
Answer: Wake-on-LAN functionality operates in an environment before the operating system is loaded. WOL occurs when
the system is off or in standby, so no team is configured.
Question: What is the maximum number of ports that can be teamed together?
Answer: Up to eight ports can be assigned to a team.
Question: What is the maximum number of teams that can be configured on the same server?
Answer: Up to eight teams can be configured on the same server.
Question: Why does my team loose connectivity for the first 30 to 50 seconds after the Primary adapter is restored
(fallback)?
Answer: Because Spanning Tree Protocol is bringing the port from blocking to forwarding. You must enable Port Fast or
Edge Port on the switch ports connected to the team or use LiveLink to account for the STP delay.
Question: Can I connect a team across multiple switches?
Answer: Smart Load Balancing can be used with multiple switches because each physical adapter in the system uses a
unique Ethernet MAC address. Link Aggregation and Generic Trunking cannot operate across switches because they
require all physical adapters to share the same Ethernet MAC address.
Question: How do I upgrade the intermediate driver (BASP)?
Answer: The intermediate driver cannot be upgraded through the Local Area Connection Properties. It must be upgraded
using the Setup installer.
Question: How can I determine the performance statistics on a virtual adapter (team)?
Answer: In Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3, click the Statistics tab for the virtual adapter.
Question: Can I configure NLB and teaming concurrently?
Answer: Yes, but only when running NLB in a multicast mode (NLB is not supported with MS Cluster Services).
Question: Should both the backup server and client servers that are backed up be teamed?
Answer: Because the backup server is under the most data load, it should always be teamed for link aggregation and
failover. A fully redundant network, however, requires that both the switches and the backup clients be teamed for fault
tolerance and link aggregation.

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Question: During backup operations, does the adapter teaming algorithm load balance data at a byte-level or a sessionlevel?
Answer: When using adapter teaming, data is only load balanced at a session level and not a byte level to prevent out-oforder frames. Adapter teaming load balancing does not work the same way as other storage load balancing mechanisms
such as EMC PowerPath.
Question: Is there any special configuration required in the tape backup software or hardware to work with adapter teaming?
Answer: No special configuration is required in the tape software to work with teaming. Teaming is transparent to tape
backup applications.
Question: How do I know what driver I am currently using?
Answer: In all operating systems, the most accurate method for checking the driver revision is to physically locate the driver
file and check the properties.
Question: Can SLB detect a switch failure in a Switch Fault Tolerance configuration?
Answer: No. SLB can only detect the loss of link between the teamed port and its immediate link partner. SLB cannot detect
link failures on other ports.
Question: Why does my team lose connectivity for the first 30 to 50 seconds after the primary adapter is restored (fall-back
after a failover)?
Answer: During a fall-back event, link is restored causing Spanning Tree Protocol to configure the port for blocking until it
determines that it can move to the forwarding state. You must enable Port Fast or Edge Port on the switch ports connected
to the team to prevent the loss of communications caused by STP.
Question: Where do I monitor real time statistics for an adapter team in a Windows server?
Answer: Use the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) to monitor general, IEEE 802.3 and custom counters.
Question: What features are not supported on a multivendor team?
Answer: TOE, VLAN tagging, and RSS are not supported on a multivendor team.

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APPENDIX A: EVENT LOG MESSAGES
•

Windows System Event Log messages

•

Base Driver (Physical Adapter/Miniport)

•

Intermediate Driver (Virtual Adapter/Team)

WINDOWS SYSTEM EVENT LOG MESSAGES
The known base and intermediate Windows System Event Log status messages for the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters
are listed in Table 8 and Table 9. As a Broadcom adapter driver loads, Windows places a status code in the system event
viewer. There may be up to two classes of entries for these event codes depending on whether both drivers are loaded (one
set for the base or miniport driver and one set for the intermediate or teaming driver).

BASE DRIVER (PHYSICAL ADAPTER/MINIPORT)
The base driver is identified by source L2ND. Table 8 lists the event log messages supported by the base driver, explains
the cause for the message, and provides the recommended action.
Note: In Table 8, message numbers 1 through 17 apply to both NDIS 5.x and NDIS 6.x drivers, message numbers
18 through 23 apply only to the NDIS 6.x driver.

Table 8: Base Driver Event Log Messages
Message
Severity
Number

Message

Cause

Corrective Action

Error

Failed to allocate memory
for the device block. Check
system memory resource
usage.

The driver cannot allocate
memory from the operating
system.

Close running applications to
free memory.

Error

Failed to allocate map
registers.

The driver cannot allocate
map registers from the
operating system.

Unload other drivers that may
allocate map registers.

Error

Failed to access
configuration information.
Reinstall the network
driver.

The driver cannot access PCI
configuration space registers
on the adapter.

For add-in adapters: reseat the
adapter in the slot, move the
adapter to another PCI slot, or
replace the adapter.

Warning

The network link is down.
Check to make sure the
network cable is properly
connected.

The adapter has lost its
connection with its link partner.

Check that the network cable is
connected, verify that the
network cable is the right type,
and verify that the link partner
(for example, switch or hub) is
working correctly.

Informational

The network link is up.

The adapter has established a
link.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 10Mb halfduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

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Table 8: Base Driver Event Log Messages (Cont.)
Message
Severity
Number

Message

Cause

Corrective Action

Informational

Network controller
configured for 10Mb fullduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 100Mb halfduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 100Mb fullduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 1Gb halfduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 1Gb fullduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 2.5Gb fullduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Error

Medium not supported.

The operating system does
not support the IEEE 802.3
medium.

Reboot the operating system,
run a virus check, run a disk
check (chkdsk), and reinstall
the operating system.

Error

Unable to register the
interrupt service routine.

The device driver cannot
install the interrupt handler.

Reboot the operating system;
remove other device drivers
that may be sharing the same
IRQ.

Error

Unable to map IO space.

The device driver cannot
allocate memory-mapped I/O
to access driver registers.

Remove other adapters from
the system, reduce the amount
of physical memory installed,
and replace the adapter.

Informational

Driver initialized
successfully.

The driver has successfully
loaded.

No action is required.

Informational

NDIS is resetting the
miniport driver.

The NDIS layer has detected a
problem sending/receiving
packets and is resetting the
driver to resolve the problem.

Run Broadcom Advanced
Control Suite 3 diagnostics;
check that the network cable is
good.

Error

Unknown PHY detected.
Using a default PHY
initialization routine.

The driver could not read the
PHY ID.

Replace the adapter.

Error

This driver does not
support this device.
Upgrade to the latest
driver.

The driver does not recognize
the installed adapter.

Upgrade to a driver version
that supports this adapter.

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Table 8: Base Driver Event Log Messages (Cont.)
Message
Severity
Number

Message

Cause

Corrective Action

Error

Driver initialization failed.

Unspecified failure during
driver initialization.

Reinstall the driver, update to a
newer driver, run Broadcom
Advanced Control Suite 3
diagnostics, or replace the
adapter.

Informational

Network controller
configured for 10Gb fullduplex link.

The adapter has been
manually configured for the
selected line speed and
duplex settings.

No action is required.

Error

Network controller failed
initialization because it
cannot allocate system
memory.

Insufficient system memory
prevented the initialization of
the driver.

Increase system memory.

Error

Network controller failed to
exchange the interface with
the bus driver.

The driver and the bus driver
are not compatible.

Update to the latest driver set,
ensuring the major and minor
versions for both NDIS and the
bus driver are the same.

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INTERMEDIATE DRIVER (VIRTUAL ADAPTER/TEAM)
The intermediate driver is identified by source BLFM, regardless of the base driver revision. Table 9 lists the event log
messages supported by the intermediate driver, explains the cause for the message, and provides the recommended action.

Table 9: Intermediate Driver Event Log Messages
System
Event
Message
Number

Severity

Message

Cause

Corrective Action

Informational

Event logging enabled for
Broadcom Advanced Server
Program driver.

–

No action is required.

Error

Unable to register with
NDIS.

The driver cannot register
with the NDIS interface.

Unload other NDIS drivers.

Error

Unable to instantiate the
management interface.

The driver cannot create a
device instance.

Reboot the operating
system.

Error

Unable to create symbolic
link for the management
interface.

Another driver has created a
conflicting device name.

Unload the conflicting device
driver that uses the name
Blf.

Informational

Broadcom Advanced Server
Program Driver has started.

The driver has started.

No action is required.

Informational

Broadcom Advanced Server
Program Driver has
stopped.

The driver has stopped.

No action is required.

Error

Could not allocate memory
for internal data structures.

The driver cannot allocate
memory from the operating
system.

Close running applications
to free memory.

Warning

Could not bind to adapter.

The driver could not open
one of the team physical
adapters.

Unload and reload the
physical adapter driver,
install an updated physical
adapter driver, or replace
the physical adapter.

Informational

Successfully bind to
adapter.

The driver successfully
opened the physical
adapter.

No action is required.

Warning

Network adapter is
disconnected.

The physical adapter is not
connected to the network (it
has not established link).

Check that the network
cable is connected, verify
that the network cable is the
right type, and verify that the
link partner (switch or hub) is
working correctly.

Informational

Network adapter is
connected.

The physical adapter is
connected to the network (it
has established link).

No action is required.

Error

Broadcom Advanced
Program Features Driver is
not designed to run on this
version of Operating
System.

The driver does not support
the operating system on
which it is installed.

Consult the driver release
notes and install the driver
on a supported operating
system or update the driver.

Informational

Hot-standby adapter is
selected as the primary
adapter for a team without a
load balancing adapter.

A standby adapter has been
activated.

Replace the failed physical
adapter.

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Table 9: Intermediate Driver Event Log Messages (Cont.)
System
Event
Message
Number

Severity

Message

Cause

Corrective Action

Informational

Network adapter does not
support Advanced Failover.

The physical adapter does
not support the Broadcom
NIC Extension (NICE).

Replace the adapter with
one that does support NICE.

Informational

Network adapter is enabled
via management interface.

The driver has successfully
enabled a physical adapter
through the management
interface.

No action is required.

Warning

Network adapter is disabled
via management interface.

The driver has successfully
disabled a physical adapter
through the management
interface.

No action is required.

Informational

Network adapter is activated
and is participating in
network traffic.

A physical adapter has been
added to or activated in a
team.

No action is required.

Informational

Network adapter is deactivated and is no longer
participating in network
traffic.

The driver does not
recognize the installed
adapter.

No action is required.

Informational

The LiveLink feature in
BASP connected the link for
the network adapter.

The connection with the
remote target(s) for the
LiveLink-enabled team
member has been
established or restored

No action is required.

Informational

The LiveLink feature in
BASP disconnected the link
for the network adapter.

The LiveLink-enabled team
member is unable to
connect with the remote
target(s).

No action is required.

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Appendix A: Event Log Messages

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Vir t ua l L ANs: Broa dc om Ne tXtrem e II ™ Networ k
A d a p t e r U s e r G ui de
•

VLAN Overview

•

Adding VLANs to Teams

VLAN OVERVIEW
Virtual LANs (VLANs) allow you to split your physical LAN into logical parts, to create logical segmentation of workgroups,
and to enforce security policies for each logical segment. Each defined VLAN behaves as its own separate network with its
traffic and broadcasts isolated from the others, increasing bandwidth efficiency within each logical group. Up to 64 VLANs
(63 tagged and 1 untagged) can be defined for each Broadcom adapter on your server, depending on the amount of memory
available in your system.
VLANs can be added to a team to allow multiple VLANs with different VLAN IDs. A virtual adapter is created for each VLAN
added.
Although VLANs are commonly used to create individual broadcast domains and/or separate IP subnets, it is sometimes
useful for a server to have a presence on more than one VLAN simultaneously. Broadcom adapters support multiple VLANs
on a per-port or per-team basis, allowing very flexible network configurations.
Figure 1: Example of Servers Supporting Multiple VLANs with Tagging

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Figure 1 shows an example network that uses VLANs. In this example network, the physical LAN consists of a switch, two
servers, and five clients. The LAN is logically organized into three different VLANs, each representing a different IP subnet.
The features of this network are described in Table 1.

Table 1: Example VLAN Network Topology
Component

Description

VLAN #1

An IP subnet consisting of the Main Server, PC #3, and PC #5. This subnet
represents an engineering group.

VLAN #2

Includes the Main Server, PCs #1 and #2 via shared media segment, and PC #5.
This VLAN is a software development group.

VLAN #3

Includes the Main Server, the Accounting Server and PC #4. This VLAN is an
accounting group.

Main Server

A high-use server that needs to be accessed from all VLANs and IP subnets. The
Main Server has a Broadcom adapter installed. All three IP subnets are
accessed via the single physical adapter interface. The server is attached to one
of the switch ports, which is configured for VLANs #1, #2, and #3. Both the
adapter and the connected switch port have tagging turned on. Because of the
tagging VLAN capabilities of both devices, the server is able to communicate on
all three IP subnets in this network, but continues to maintain broadcast
separation between all of them.

Accounting Server

Available to VLAN #3 only. The Accounting Server is isolated from all traffic on
VLANs #1 and #2. The switch port connected to the server has tagging turned
off.

PCs #1 and #2

Attached to a shared media hub that is then connected to the switch. PCs #1 and
#2 belong to VLAN #2 only, and are logically in the same IP subnet as the Main
Server and PC #5. The switch port connected to this segment has tagging turned
off.

PC #3

A member of VLAN #1, PC #3 can communicate only with the Main Server and
PC #5. Tagging is not enabled on PC #3 switch port.

PC #4

A member of VLAN #3, PC #4 can only communicate with the servers. Tagging
is not enabled on PC #4 switch port.

PC #5

A member of both VLANs #1 and #2, PC #5 has an Broadcom adapter installed.
It is connected to switch port #10. Both the adapter and the switch port are
configured for VLANs #1 and #2 and have tagging enabled.

NOTE: VLAN tagging is only required to be enabled on switch ports that create trunk links to other switches, or on
ports connected to tag-capable end-stations, such as servers or workstations with Broadcom adapters.

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ADDING VLANS TO TEAMS
Each team supports up to 64 VLANs (63 tagged and 1 untagged). Note that only Broadcom adapters and Alteon® AceNIC
adapters can be part of a team with VLANs. With multiple VLANs on an adapter, a server with a single adapter can have a
logical presence on multiple IP subnets. With multiple VLANs in a team, a server can have a logical presence on multiple IP
subnets and benefit from load balancing and failover. For instructions on adding a VLAN to a team, see Adding a VLAN for
Windows operating systems.

NOTE: Adapters that are members of a failover team can also be configured to support VLANs. Because VLANs
are not supported for an Intel LOM, if an Intel LOM is a member of a failover team, VLANs cannot be configured
for that team.

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M a nag e a b il i t y : B ro a d c o m N e t X t r e m e I I™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

CIM

•

SNMP

CIM
The Common Information Model (CIM) is an industry standard defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
Microsoft implements CIM on Windows server platforms. Broadcom will support CIM on Windows server platforms.
Broadcom's implementation of CIM will provide various classes to provide information to users through CIM client
applications. Note that Broadcom CIM data provider will provide data only, and users can choose their preferred CIM client
software to browse the information exposed by Broadcom CIM provider.
Broadcom CIM provider provides information through BRCM_NetworkAdapter and BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup classes.
BRCM_NetworkAdapter class provides network adapter information pertaining to a group of adapters including Broadcom
and other vendors' controllers. BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup class provides team configuration for the Broadcom Advanced
Server Program. Current implementation will provide team information and information of physical network adapters in the
team.
Broadcom Advanced Server Program provides events through event logs. Users can use the "Event Viewer" provided by
Windows server platforms, or use CIM to inspect or monitor these events. Broadcom CIM provider will also provide event
information through the CIM generic event model. These events are __InstanceCreationEvent, __InstanceDeletionEvent
and __InstanceModificationEvent, and are defined by CIM. CIM requires the client application to register the events from the
client application, using queries as examples shown below in order to receive events properly.
SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceCreationEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceDeletionEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceCreationEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ActsAsSpare"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceDeletionEvent
where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ActsAsSpare"

For detailed information about these events, see the CIM documentation at http://www.dmtf.org/standards/
published_documents/DSP0004V2.3_final.pdf.

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SNMP
BASP SUBAGENT
The BASP subagent, baspmgnt.dll, is designed for the Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 SNMP service. It
is required to install the SNMP service before installing the BASP subagent.
The BASP subagent allows an SNMP manager software to actively monitor the configurations and performance of the
Broadcom Advanced Server features. The subagent also provides an alarm trap to an SNMP manager to inform the
manager of any changes to the conditions of the BASP component.
The BASP subagent allows monitoring of the configurations and statistics for the BASP teams, the physical NIC adapters
participating in a team, and the virtual NIC adapters created as the result of teaming. Non-teamed NIC adapters are not
monitored at this time. The BASP configuration data includes information such as team IDs, physical/virtual/VLAN/team
adapter IDs, physical/virtual/VLAN/team/ adapter descriptions, and MAC addresses of the adapters.
The statistics include detailed information such as data packets transmitted and received for the physical/virtual/VLAN/team
adapters.
The alarm trap forwards information about the changes in configuration of the physical adapters participating in a team, such
as physical adapter link up/down, and adapter installed/removed events.
To monitor this information, an SNMP manager must load the Broadcom BASP MIB database files to allow monitoring of the
information described above. These files, which are shown below, are included with the driver source media.
•

baspcfg.mib

•

baspstat.mib

•

basptrap.mib

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BASP EXTENSIBLE-AGENT
The Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller Extended Information SNMP extensible-agent (bcmif.dll) is
designed for Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 SNMP service. It is required that
Windows 2000 Server SNMP service is installed before installing the extensible-agent.
The extensible-agent allows the SNMP manager software to actively monitor the configurations of the Broadcom NetXtreme
II adapter. It is intended to supplement the information already provided by the standard SNMP Management Network
Interface information.
The extensible-agent provides in-depth information about a Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter such as:
•

MAC address

•

Bound IP address

•

IP subnet mask

•

Physical link status

•

Adapter state

•

Line speed

•

Duplex mode

•

Memory range

•

Interrupt setting

•

Bus number

•

Device number

•

Function number

To monitor this information, a SNMP manager needs to load the Broadcom Extended information MIB file to allow monitoring
of the information described above. This file, bcmif.mib, is included on the installation CD.
The monitored workstation requires the installation of the Broadcom Extended Information SNMP extensible-agent,
bcmif.dll, and requires the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 SNMP service
to be installed and loaded.

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SNMP

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Insta l l in g t h e Hardwa r e : B ro a d c o m N e t X t r e m e
I I ™ N e t wo r k A da pt e r U s e r G u id e
•

Overview

•

System Requirements

•

Safety Precautions

•

Preinstallation Checklist

•

Installation of the Add-In NIC

OVERVIEW
This section applies to Broadcom NetXtreme II add-in network interface cards.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Before you install a Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter, verify that your system meets the following hardware and operating
system requirements:

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
•

IA32- or EMT64-based computer that meets operating system requirements

•

One open slot: PCI Express 1.0a x4 or PCI Express Gen2 x8

•

128-MB RAM (minimum)

OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
General
•

PCI Express v1.0a, x4 (or greater) Host Interface

Microsoft Windows
One of the following versions of Microsoft Windows:
•

Windows 2000 Server family

•

Windows Server 2003 family

•

Windows Server 2008 family

•

Windows Server 2008 R2 family

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Novell NetWare
Novell NetWare 6.5 with the latest support pack.

Linux
Although the adapter driver should work with many Linux kernel versions and distributions, it has only been tested on 2.4x
kernels (starting from 2.4.24) and 2.6.x kernels. The driver may not compile on kernels older than 2.4.24. Testing is
concentrated on i386 and x86_64 architectures. Only limited testing has been done on other architectures. Minor changes
to some source files and Makefile may be needed on some kernels.

NOTE: Support for the 2.4.21 kernels is provided in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.

VMware ESX
VMware ESX 3.5

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
CAUTION! The adapter is being installed in a system that operates with voltages that can be lethal. Before you open
the case of your system, observe the following precautions to protect yourself and to prevent damage to the system
components.
•

Remove any metallic objects or jewelry from your hands and wrists.

•

Make sure to use only insulated or nonconducting tools.

•

Verify that the system is powered OFF and is unplugged before you touch internal components.

•

Install or remove adapters in a static-free environment. The use of a properly grounded wrist strap or other
personal antistatic devices and an antistatic mat is strongly recommended.

PREINSTALLATION CHECKLIST
1. Verify that your system meets the hardware and software requirements listed under System Requirements.
2. Verify that your system is using the latest BIOS.

NOTE: If you acquired the adapter software on a disk, verify the path to the adapter driver files.
1. If your system is active, shut it down.
2. When system shutdown is complete, turn off the power and unplug the power cord.
3. Remove the adapter from its shipping package and place it on an antistatic surface.
4. Check the adapter for visible signs of damage, particularly on the edge connector. Never attempt to install a damaged
adapter.

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INSTALLATION OF THE ADD-IN NIC
The following instructions apply to installing the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter (add-in NIC) in most systems. Refer to the
manuals that were supplied with your system for details about performing these tasks on your particular system.

INSTALLING THE ADD-IN NIC
1. Review Safety Precautions and Preinstallation Checklist. Before you install the adapter, ensure that the system power
is OFF, the power cord is unplugged from the power outlet, and that you are following proper electrical grounding
procedures.
2. Open the system case and select the slot based on the adapter: PCI Express 1.0a x4, PCI Express Gen2 x8, or other
appropriate slot. A lesser width adapter can be seated into a greater width slot (x1 in a x4), but a greater width adapter
cannot be seated into a lesser width slot (x4 in a x1). If you do not know how to identify a PCI Express slot, refer to your
system documentation.
3. Remove the blank cover-plate from the slot that you selected.
4. Align the adapter connector edge with the PCI Express connector slot in the system.
5. Applying even pressure at both corners of the card, push the adapter card into the slot until it is firmly seated. When the
adapter is properly seated, the adapter port connectors are aligned with the slot opening, and the adapter faceplate is
flush against the system chassis.

CAUTION! Do not use excessive force when seating the card, as this may damage the system or the adapter. If you
have difficulty seating the adapter, remove it, realign it, and try again.
6. Secure the adapter with the adapter clip or screw.
7. Close the system case and disconnect any personal antistatic devices.

CONNECTING THE NETWORK CABLES
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter has either an RJ-45 connector used for attaching the system to an Ethernet copperwire segment or a fiber optic connector for attaching the system to an Ethernet fiber optic segment.

NOTE: This section does not apply to blade servers.

Copper Wire

NOTE: The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter supports Automatic MDI Crossover (MDIX), which eliminates the need
for crossover cables when connecting machines back-to-back. A straight-through Category 5 cable allows the
machines to communicate when connected directly together.
1. Select an appropriate cable. Table 1 lists the copper cable requirements for connecting to 10/100/1000BASE-T and
10GBASE-T ports:

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Table 1: 10/100/1000BASE-T and 10GBASE-T Cable Specifications
Port Type

Connector

Media

Maximum Distance

10BASE-T

RJ-45

Category 3, 4, or 5 unshielded
twisted pairs (UTP)

100m (328 ft)

100/1000BASE-T1

RJ-45

Category 52 UTP

100m (328 ft)

10GBASE-T

RJ-45

Category 63 UTP

50m (164 ft)
100m (328 ft)

Category 6A3 UTP
1

1000BASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:2002
and ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-B.

Category 5 is the minimum requirement. Category 5e and Category 6 are fully supported.

10GBASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 6 or Category 6A (augmented Category 6) balanced
cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:2002 and ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.

2. Connect one end of the cable to the RJ-45 connector on the adapter.
3. Connect the other end of the cable to an RJ-45 Ethernet network port.

Fiber Optic
1. Select an appropriate cable. Table 2 lists the fiber optic cable requirements for connecting to 1000/2500BASE-X ports:

Table 2: 1000/2500BASE-X Fiber Optic Specifications
Port Type

Connector

Media

Maximum Distance

1000BASE-X

Small form factor (SFF)
transceiver with LC™
connection system
(Infineon p/n V23818-K305L57)

Multimode fiber (MMF)
System optimized for 62.5/
50 µm graded index fiber

550m (1804 ft)

2500BASE-X1

Small form factor (SFF)
transceiver with LC™
connection system
(Finisar p/n
FTLF8542E2KNV)

Multimode fiber (MMF)
System optimized for 62.5/
50 µm graded index fiber

550m (1804 ft)

Electricals leveraged from IEEE 802.3ae-2002 (XAUI). 2500BASE-X is term used by Broadcom to describe 2.5 Gbit/s
(3.125GBd) operation. LC is a trademark of Lucent Technologies.

2. Connect one end of the cable to the fiber optic connector on the adapter.
3. Connect the other end of the cable to an fiber optic Ethernet network port.

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B ro adc om B oo t A g en t D ri ver S o f t wa re:
Broadcom Ne tXtrem e II™ N etwor k Adapter Use r
G ui de
•

Overview

•

Setting Up MBA in a Client Environment

•

Setting Up MBA in a Server Environment

OVERVIEW
Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters support Preboot Execution Environment (PXE), Remote Program Load (RPL), iSCSI, and
Bootstrap Protocol (BootP). Multi-Boot Agent (MBA) is a software module that allows your network computer to boot with
the images provided by remote servers across the network. The Broadcom MBA driver complies with the PXE 2.1
specification and is released with both monolithic and split binary images. This provides flexibility to users in different
environments where the motherboard may or may not have built-in base code.
The MBA module operates in a client/server environment. A network consists of one or more boot servers that provide boot
images to multiple computers through the network. The Broadcom implementation of the MBA module has been tested
successfully in the following environments:
•

Linux Red Hat PXE Server. Broadcom PXE clients are able to remotely boot and use network resources (NFS mount,
and so forth) and to perform Linux installations. In the case of a remote boot, the Linux universal driver binds
seamlessly with the Broadcom Universal Network Driver Interface (UNDI) and provides a network interface in the Linux
remotely-booted client environment.

•

Intel APITEST. The Broadcom PXE driver passes all API compliance test suites.

•

MS-DOS UNDI. The MS-DOS Universal Network Driver Interface (UNDI) seamlessly binds with the Broadcom UNDI to
provide a network adapter driver interface specification (NDIS2) interface to the upper layer protocol stack. This allows
computers to connect to network resources in an MS-DOS environment.

•

Remote Installation Service (RIS). The Broadcom PXE clients are able to remotely boot to a Windows 2000 Server or
a Windows Server 2003 (SP1 and older) system running RIS to initialize and install Windows Server 2003 and prior
operating systems. To extend functionalities beyond basic network connectivity when loading an operating system
through RIS, see Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver.

•

Windows Deployment Service (WDS). For Windows Server 2003 SP2, RIS was replaced by WDS, which offers a
Broadcom PXE client to install Windows operating systems, including Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 and
Windows Server 2008 R2. To extend functionalities beyond basic network connectivity when loading an operating
system through WDS, see Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver.

•

Automated Deployment Service (ADS). The Broadcom PXE client can connect to a Windows Server 2003 system
and run a deployment agent that allows one to perform some administrative functions, including, but not limited to,
deploying a Windows Server 2003 image. To extend functionalities beyond basic network connectivity when loading an
operating system through ADS, see Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver.

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SETTING UP MBA IN A CLIENT ENVIRONMENT
Setting up MBA in a client environment involves the following steps:
1. Enabling the MBA driver.
2. Configuring the MBA driver.
3. Setting up the BIOS for the boot order.

ENABLING THE MBA DRIVER
To enable or disable the MBA driver:
1. Insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and boot up in DOS mode.

NOTE: The uxdiag.exe file is on the installation CD.
2. Type:
uxdiag -mba [ 0-disable | 1-enable ] -c devnum
where
devnum is the specific device(s) number (0,1,2, …) to be programmed.

CONFIGURING THE MBA DRIVER
This section pertains to configuring the MBA driver on add-in NIC models of the Broadcom network adapter. For configuring
the MBA driver on LOM models of the Broadcom network adapter, check your system documentation.

NOTE: You can use the MBA Configuration Menu to configure the MBA driver one adapter at a time as described
below, or you can use the Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics MS-DOS based application to simultaneously
configure the MBA driver for multiple adapters.
1. Restart your system.
2. Press CTRL+S within 4 seconds after you are prompted to do so.

NOTE: The message prompting you to press CTRL+S is displayed once for each Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter
you have in your system that has MBA enabled. The messages are displayed in the same order as the assigned
adapter device number.
3. Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move to the Boot Protocol menu item. Then use the RIGHT ARROW
or LEFT ARROW key to select the boot protocol of choice if other boot protocols besides Preboot Execution Environment
(PXE) are available. If available, other boot protocols include Remote Program Load (RPL), and Bootstrap Protocol
(BOOTP).

NOTE: If you have multiple adapters in your system and you are unsure which adapter you are configuring, press
CTRL+F6, which causes the port LEDs on the adapter to start blinking.

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4. Use the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, LEFT ARROW, and RIGHT ARROW keys to move to and change the values for
other menu items, as desired.
5. Press F4 to save your settings.
6. Press ESC when you are finished.

SETTING UP THE BIOS
To boot from the network with the MBA, make the MBA enabled adapter the first bootable device under the BIOS. This
procedure depends on the system BIOS implementation. Refer to the user manual for the system for instructions.

SETTING UP MBA IN A SERVER ENVIRONMENT
RED HAT LINUX PXE SERVER
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux distribution has PXE Server support. It allows users to remotely perform a complete Linux
installation over the network. The distribution comes with the boot images boot kernel (vmlinuz) and initial ram disk (initrd),
which are located on the Red Hat disk#1:
/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz
/images/pxeboot/initrd.img

Refer to the Red Hat documentation for instructions on how to install PXE Server on Linux.
The Initrd.img file distributed with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, however, does not have a Linux network driver for the Broadcom
NetXtreme II adapters. This version requires a driver disk for drivers that are not part of the standard distribution. You can
create a driver disk for the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter from the image distributed with the installation CD. Refer to the
Linux Readme.txt file for more information.

MS-DOS UNDI/INTEL APITEST
To boot in MS-DOS mode and connect to a network for the MS-DOS environment, download the Intel PXE PDK from the
Intel website. This PXE PDK comes with a TFTP/ProxyDHCP/Boot server. The PXE PDK can be downloaded from Intel at
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/
SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Network+Connectivity&ProductLine=Boot+Agent+Software&ProductProdu
ct=Intel%c2%ae+Boot+Agent.

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i S C S I P ro t oc ol : B ro a d c o m N e t X t r e m e I I™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

iSCSI Boot

•

iSCSI Crash Dump

•

iSCSI Offload

ISCSI

BOOT

Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet adapters support iSCSI boot to enable network boot of operating systems to
diskless systems. The iSCSI boot allows a Windows or Linux operating system boot from an iSCSI target machine located
remotely over a standard IP network.
For Windows operating systems, iSCSI boot can be configured to boot with two distinctive paths: non-offload (also known
as Microsoft initiator) and offload (Broadcom’s offload iSCSI driver or HBA). Configuration of the path is set with the
Windows HBA Boot Mode option located on the General Parameters screen of the iSCSI Configuration utility. See Table 1
for more information on all General Parameters screen configuration options.

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR ISCSI BOOT
The Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet adapters support iSCSI boot on the following operating systems:
•

Windows Server 2003 32-bit and 64-bit, SP1 and SP2

•

Windows Server 2008 32-bit and 64-bit

•

Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit

•

Linux RHEL 5.x, SLES 10.x, and SLES 11 (limited distributions with open-iscsi)

For Linux iSCSI boot, see Linux iSCSI Boot Setup.

WINDOWS ISCSI BOOT SETUP
The Windows iSCSI boot setup consists of:
•

Configuring the iSCSI Target

•

Configuring the iSCSI Boot Parameters

•

Preparing the Image on the Local Hard Drive

•

Transferring the OS Image to the iSCSI Target

•

Booting

Configuring the iSCSI Target
Configuring the iSCSI target varies by target vendors. For information on configuring the iSCSI target, refer to the
documentation provided by the vendor. The general steps include:

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1. Create an iSCSI target.
2. Create a virtual disk.
3. Map the virtual disk to the iSCSI target created in step 1.
4. Associate an iSCSI initiator with the iSCSI target.
5. Record the iSCSI target name, TCP port number, iSCSI Logical Unit Number (LUN), initiator Internet Qualified Name
(IQN), and CHAP authentication details.
After configuring the iSCSI target, obtain the following:
•

Target IQN

•

Target IP address

•

Target TCP port number

•

Target LUN

•

Initiator IQN

•

CHAP ID and secret

Configuring the iSCSI Boot Parameters
Configure the Broadcom iSCSI boot software for either static or dynamic configuration. Refer to Table 1 for configuration
options available from the General Parameters screen.
Table 1 lists parameters for both IPv4 and IPv6. Parameters specific to either IPv4 or IPv6 are noted.

NOTE: Availability of IPv6 iSCSI boot is platform/device dependent.

Table 1: Configuration Options
Option

Description

TCP/IP parameters via DHCP

This option is specific to IPv4. Controls whether the iSCSI boot host software
acquires the IP address information using DHCP (Enabled) or use a static IP
configuration (Disabled).

IP Autoconfiguration

This option is specific to IPv6. Controls whether the iSCSI boot host software will
configure a stateless link-local address and/or stateful address if DHCPv6 is present
and used (Enabled). Router Solicit packets are sent out up to three times with 4
second intervals in between each retry. Or use a static IP configuration (Disabled).

iSCSI parameters via DHCP

Controls whether the iSCSI boot host software acquires its iSCSI target parameters
using DHCP (Enabled) or through a static configuration (Disabled). The static
information is entered through the iSCSI Initiator Parameters Configuration screen.

CHAP Authentication

Controls whether the iSCSI boot host software uses CHAP authentication when
connecting to the iSCSI target. If CHAP Authentication is enabled, the CHAP ID and
CHAP Secret are entered through the iSCSI Initiator Parameters Configuration
screen.

Boot to iSCSI target

Controls whether the iSCSI boot host software attempts to boot from the iSCSI target
after successfully connecting to it. When the option is enabled, the iSCSI boot host
software immediately attempts to boot form the iSCSI target. If set to disabled, the
iSCSI boot host software does not attempt to boot from the iSCSI target and control
returns to the system BIOS so that the next boot device may be used. The One Time
Disabled option is used when you want to do a remote install of the OS to an iSCSI
target. As the option is named, it is set to disable on the first boot, then changes to
enabled on subsequent reboots to indicate that iSCSI boots from the iSCSI target.

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Table 1: Configuration Options
Option

Description

DHCP Vendor ID

Controls how the iSCSI boot host software interprets the Vendor Class ID field used
during DHCP. If the Vendor Class ID field in the DHCP Offer packet matches the
value in the field, the iSCSI boot host software looks into the DHCP Option 43 fields
for the required iSCSI boot extensions. If DHCP is disabled, this value does not need
to be set.

Link Up Delay Time

Controls how long the iSCSI boot host software waits, in seconds, after an Ethernet
link is established before sending any data over the network. The valid values are 0
to 255. As an example, a user may need to set a value for this option if a network
protocol, such as Spanning Tree, is enabled on the switch interface to the client
system.

Use TCP Timestamp

Controls if the TCP Timestamp option is enabled or disabled.

Target as First HDD

Allows specifying that the iSCSI target drive will appear as the first hard drive in the
system.

LUN Busy Retry Count

Controls the number of connection retries the iSCSI Boot initiator will attempt if the
iSCSI target LUN is busy.

IP Version

This option specific to IPv6. Toggles between the IPv4 or IPv6 protocol. All IP
settings will be lost when switching from one protocol version to another.

Windows HBA Boot Mode

Set to disable when the host OS is configured for software initiator mode and to
enable for HBA mode. This option is available on NetXtreme II adapters.

MBA Boot Protocol Configuration
To configure the boot protocol
1. Restart your system.
2. From the PXE banner, select CTRL+S. The MBA Configuration Menu appears (see Broadcom Boot Agent).
3. From the MBA Configuration Menu, use the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to move to the Boot Protocol option. Use
the LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW to change the Boot Protocol option to iSCSI.
4. Select CTRL+K to access the iSCSI Configuration Utility.

NOTE: If iSCSI boot firmware is not programmed in the NetXtreme II network adapter, selecting CTRL+K will not
have any effect.

Static iSCSI Boot Configuration
In a static configuration, you must enter data for the system’s IP address, the system’s initiator IQN, and the target
parameters obtained in Configuring the iSCSI Target. For information on configuration options, see Table 1.
To configure the iSCSI boot parameters using static configuration
1. From the MBA Configuration Menu, select CTRL+K.
2. From the Main menu, select General Parameters.
3. From the General Parameters screen, set the following:
•

TCP/IP parameters via DHCP: Disabled. (For IPv4.)

•

IP Autoconfiguration: Disabled. (For IPv6, non-offload.)

•

iSCSI parameters via DHCP: Disabled

•

CHAP Authentication: Disabled

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•

Boot to iSCSI target: Disabled

•

DHCP Vendor ID: BRCM ISAN

•

Link Up Delay Time: 0

•

Use TCP Timestamp: Enabled

•

Target as First HDD: Disabled

•

LUN Busy Retry Count: 0

•

IP Version: IPv6. (For IPv6, non-offload.)

•

Windows HBA Boot Mode: Disabled

4. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.
5. From the Main menu, select Initiator Parameters.
6. From the Initiator Parameters screen, type values for the following:
•

IP Address

•

Subnet Mask Prefix

•

Default Gateway

•

Primary DNS

•

Secondary DNS

•

iSCSI Name (corresponds to the iSCSI initiator name to be used by the client system)

NOTE: Carefully enter the IP address. There is no error-checking performed against the IP address to check for
duplicates or incorrect segment/network assignment.
7. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.
8. From the Main menu, select 1st Target Parameters.
9. From the 1st Target Parameters screen, enable Connect to connect to the iSCSI target. Type values for the following
using the values used when configuring the iSCSI target:
•

IP Address

•

TCP Port

•

Boot LUN

•

iSCSI Name

10. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.
11. A second iSCSI boot adapter can be configured for redundancy in the event the primary adapter fails to boot. To
configure the secondary device parameters, select Secondary Device Parameters from the Main menu (see Configure
Parameters for a Secondary Adapter). Otherwise, go to step 12.
12. Select ESC and select Exit and Save Configuration.
13. Select F4 to save your MBA configuration.
14. If necessary, return to the iSCSI Boot Configuration Utility to configure a second iSCSI target.

Dynamic iSCSI Boot Configuration
In a dynamic configuration, you only need to specify that the system’s IP address and target/initiator information are provided
by a DHCP server (see IPv4 and IPv6 configurations in Configuring the DHCP Server to Support iSCSI Boot). For IPv4, with
the exception of the initiator iSCSI name, any settings on the Initiator Parameters, 1st Target Parameters, or 2nd Target
Parameters screens are ignored and do not need to be cleared. For IPv6, with the exception of the CHAP ID and Secret,
any settings on the Initiator Parameters, 1st Target Parameters, or 2nd Target Parameters screens are ignored and do not
need to be cleared. For information on configuration options, see Table 1.

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NOTE: When using a DHCP server, the DNS server entries are overwritten by the values provided by the DHCP
server. This occurs even if the locally provided values are valid and the DHCP server provides no DNS server
information. When the DHCP server provides no DNS server information, both the primary and secondary DNS
server values are set to 0.0.0.0. When the Windows OS takes over, the Microsoft iSCSI initiator retrieves the iSCSI
Initiator parameters and configures the appropriate registries statically. It will overwrite whatever is configured.
Since the DHCP daemon runs in the Windows environment as a user process, all TCP/IP parameters have to be
statically configured before the stack comes up in the iSCSI Boot environment.
If DHCP Option 17 is used, the target information is provided by the DHCP server, and the initiator iSCSI name is retrieved
from the value programmed from the Initiator Parameters screen. If no value was selected, then the controller defaults to the
name:
iqn.1995-05.com.broadcom.<11.22.33.44.55.66>.iscsiboot
where the string 11.22.33.44.55.66 corresponds to the controller’s MAC address.
If DHCP option 43 (IPv4 only) is used, then any settings on the Initiator Parameters, 1st Target Parameters, or 2nd Target
Parameters screens are ignored and do not need to be cleared.
To configure the iSCSI boot parameters using dynamic configuration
1. From the MBA Configuration Menu, select CTRL+K.
2. From the Main menu, select General Parameters.
3. From the General Parameters screen, set the following:
•

TCP/IP parameters via DHCP: Enabled. (For IPv4.)

•

IP Autoconfiguration: Enabled. (For IPv6, non-offload.)

•

iSCSI parameters via DHCP: Enabled

•

CHAP Authentication: Disabled

•

Boot to iSCSI target: Disabled

•

DHCP Vendor ID: BRCM ISAN

•

Link Up Delay Time: 0

•

Use TCP Timestamp: Enabled

•

Target as First HDD: Disabled

•

LUN Busy Retry Count: 0

•

IP Version: IPv6. (For IPv6, non-offload.)

•

Windows HBA Boot Mode: Disabled

4. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.

NOTE: Information on the Initiator Parameters 1st Target Parameters, and 2nd Target Parameters screens are
ignored and do not need to be cleared.
5. A second iSCSI boot adapter can be configured for redundancy in the event the primary adapter fails to boot. To
configure the secondary device parameters, select Secondary Device Parameters from the Main menu (see Configure
Parameters for a Secondary Adapter). Otherwise, go to step 12.
6. Select Exit and Save Configurations.

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Configure Parameters for a Secondary Adapter
A second iSCSI boot adapter can be configured for redundancy in the event the primary adapter fails to boot.
To configure the iSCSI boot parameters for a secondary adapter
1. From the MBA Configuration Menu, select CTRL+K.
2. From the Main menu, select Secondary Device Parameters.
3. From the Secondary Device Parameters screen, select Secondary Device.
4. From the Device List, select the adapter that will be used as the secondary adapter.
5. From the Secondary Device Parameters screen, set Use Independent Target Portal to Enabled (or Disabled if MPIO
mode is not required) and set Use Independent Target Name to Enabled.
6. Select Invoke to configure the secondary adapter.
7. Configure the secondary adapter parameters.

NOTE: The IP addresses for the primary and secondary adapters must be in two different subnets.
8. Select ESC and select Exit and Save Configuration.
9. Select F4 to save your MBA configuration.

Preparing the Image on the Local Hard Drive

NOTE: Prior to creating the disk image when using KMDF VBD driver version 3.1 and above, it is necessary to
change
the
load
order
of
the
wdf01000.sys
driver.
In
the
registry
at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Wdf0100, modify the registry entry by changing
Group to “base” and Start to “0”.
When the software initiator mode operating system installation is used, the Windows operating system install must be
performed in two stages. In the first stage, the OS is installed to a local hard drive on the system. In the second stage after
the OS has been completely installed, an image of the local drive must be transferred to the iSCSI target for use in
subsequent boots.

Initial Windows Install
Before beginning, verify that the desired version of Windows supports iSCSI boot. Proceed to install Windows to a local hard
drive. When partitioning the local hard drive, make sure that the Windows boot drive (normally C:) is partitioned to a size less
than or equal to the size of the iSCSI target to be used. Depending on the method used to copy an image of the local hard
drive to the iSCSI target, this may or may not be an actual requirement. Proceed to install Windows with the desired options.
1. Install Windows 2003 32-bit or Windows 2003 64-bit OS on the local hard drive.
2. Install the Broadcom drivers using the Setup installer.

NOTE: Do not install the drivers through Windows Plug-and-Play (PnP). Failure to install the drivers through the
Setup installer might blue screen your system.
3. Install Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator with integrated software boot support (version 2.06 or later). To download from
Microsoft, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=12cb3c1a-15d6-4585-b385befd1319f825&displaylang=en and locate the direct link for your system on the page’s “Overview” section.

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4. Select support for Multipath I/O (MPIO), if needed. Refer to Microsoft’s Initiator documentation for more information on
MPIO.
5. Select the iSCSI boot option.
6. Select the Broadcom adapter as the iSCSI boot device.

NOTES:
•

Do not manually create connections to the iSCSI target for iSCSI boot adapters.

•

If the image is used on other hardware, Sysprep is required.

•

It is recommended to always run iscsibcg.exe /verify /fix at a command prompt after updating the driver and
before restarting the system. For information on configuring the iscsibcg utility to run automatically when a
system shuts down, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/934235.

Transferring the OS Image to the iSCSI Target
1. Create a new FAT32 partition on the local hard drive using the disk management console.
2. Boot to a bootable device such as a diskette drive, media, or USB key and run a disk imaging software, such as
Symantec Ghost.
3. Clone the OS partition to the FAT32 partition (partition to image).
4. Place the iSCSI boot adapter before the hard drive in the boot menu.
5. Reboot the host and boot into the OS in the local hard drive.
6. Launch Windows compatible cloning software, such as Ghost32, and write the image in the FAT32 partition to the remote
LUN.

Booting
After that the system has been prepared for an iSCSI boot and the operating system is present on the iSCSI target, the last
step is to perform the actual boot. The system will boot to Windows over the network and operate as if it were a local disk
drive.
1. Reboot the server.
2. Select CTRL+S and CTRL+K.
3. From the Main menu, select General Parameters and configure the Boot to iSCSI target option to Enabled.
If CHAP authentication is needed, enable CHAP authentication after determining that booting is successful (see Enabling
CHAP Authentication).

Enabling CHAP Authentication
Ensure that CHAP authentication is enabled on the target.
To enable CHAP authentication
1. From the MBA Configuration Menu, select CTRL+K.
2. From the Main menu, select General Parameters.
3. From the General Parameters screen, set CHAP Authentication to Enabled.
4. From the Initiator Parameters screen, type values for the following:
•

CHAP ID (up to 128 bytes)

•

CHAP Secret (if authentication is required, and must be 12 characters in length or longer)

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5. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.
6. From the Main menu, select 1st Target Parameters.
7. From the 1st Target Parameters screen, type values for the following using the values used when configuring the iSCSI
target:
•

CHAP ID (optional if two-way CHAP)

•

CHAP Secret (optional if two-way CHAP, and must be 12 characters in length or longer)

8. Select ESC to return to the Main menu.
9. Select ESC and select Exit and Save Configuration.

Configuring the DHCP Server to Support iSCSI Boot
The DHCP server is an optional component and it is only necessary if you will be doing a dynamic iSCSI Boot configuration
setup (see Dynamic iSCSI Boot Configuration).
Configuring the DHCP server to support iSCSI boot is different for IPv4 and IPv6.
•

DHCP iSCSI Boot Configurations for IPv4

•

DHCP iSCSI Boot Configuration for IPv6

DHCP iSCSI Boot Configurations for IPv4
The DHCP protocol includes a number of options that provide configuration information to the DHCP client. For iSCSI boot,
Broadcom adapters support the following DHCP configurations:
•

DHCP Option 17, Root Path

•

DHCP Option 43, Vendor-Specific Information

DHCP Option 17, Root Path
Option 17 is used to pass the iSCSI target information to the iSCSI client.
The format of the root path as defined in IETC RFC 4173 is:
"iscsi:"":"":"":"":""
The parameters are defined below.

Table 2: DHCP Option 17 Parameter Definition
Parameter

Definition

"iscsi:"

A literal string

The IP address or FQDN of the iSCSI target

":"

Separator

The IP protocol used to access the iSCSI target. Currently, only TCP is supported so the protocol
is 6.

The port number associated with the protocol. The standard port number for iSCSI is 3260.

The Logical Unit Number to use on the iSCSI target. The value of the LUN must be represented
in hexadecimal format. A LUN with an ID OF 64 would have to be configured as 40 within the
option 17 parameter on the DHCP server.

The target name in either IQN or EUI format (refer to RFC 3720 for details on both IQN and EUI
formats). An example IQN name would be "iqn.1995-05.com.broadcom:iscsi-target".

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DHCP Option 43, Vendor-Specific Information
DHCP option 43 (vendor-specific information) provides more configuration options to the iSCSI client than DHCP option 17.
In this configuration, three additional suboptions are provided that assign the initiator IQN to the iSCSI boot client along with
two iSCSI target IQNs that can be used for booting. The format for the iSCSI target IQN is the same as that of DHCP
option 17, while the iSCSI initiator IQN is simply the initiator's IQN.

NOTE: DHCP Option 43 is supported on IPv4 only.
The suboptions are listed below.

Table 3: DHCP Option 43 Suboption Definition
Suboption

Definition

201

First iSCSI target information in the standard root path format
"iscsi:"":"":"":"":""

202

Second iSCSI target information in the standard root path format
"iscsi:"":"":"":"":""

203

iSCSI initiator IQN

Using DHCP option 43 requires more configuration than DHCP option 17, but it provides a richer environment and provides
more configuration options. Broadcom recommends that customers use DHCP option 43 when performing dynamic iSCSI
boot configuration.

Configuring the DHCP Server
Configure the DHCP server to support option 17 or option 43.

NOTE: If using Option 43, you also need to configure Option 60. The value of Option 60 should match the DHCP
Vendor ID value. The DHCP Vendor ID value is BRCM ISAN, as shown in General Parameters of the iSCSI Boot
Configuration menu.

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DHCP iSCSI Boot Configuration for IPv6
The DHCPv6 server can provide a number of options, including stateless or stateful IP configuration, as well s information
to the DHCPv6 client. For iSCSI boot, Broadcom adapters support the following DHCP configurations:
•

DHCPv6 Option 16, Vendor Class Option

•

DHCPv6 Option 17, Vendor-Specific Information

NOTE: The DHCPv6 standard Root Path option is not yet available. Broadcom suggests using Option 16 or Option
17 for dynamic iSCSI Boot IPv6 support.
DHCPv6 Option 16, Vendor Class Option
DHCPv6 Option 16 (vendor class option) must be present and must contain a string that matches your configured DHCP
Vendor ID parameter. The DHCP Vendor ID value is BRCM ISAN, as shown in General Parameters of the iSCSI Boot
Configuration menu.
The content of Option 16 should be <2-byte length> .
DHCPv6 Option 17, Vendor-Specific Information
DHCPv6 Option 17 (vendor-specific information) provides more configuration options to the iSCSI client. In this
configuration, three additional suboptions are provided that assign the initiator IQN to the iSCSI boot client along with two
iSCSI target IQNs that can be used for booting.
The suboptions are listed below.

Table 4: DHCP Option 17 Suboption Definition
Suboption

Definition

201

First iSCSI target information in the standard root path format
"iscsi:"[]":"":"":"":""

202

Second iSCSI target information in the standard root path format
"iscsi:"[]":"":"":"":""

203

iSCSI initiator IQN

NOTE: In Table 4, the brackets [ ] are required for the IPv6 addresses.
The content of option 17 should be <2-byte Option Number 201|202|203> <2-byte length> .

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Configuring the DHCP Server
Configure the DHCP server to support Option 16 and Option 17.

NOTE:
•

The format of DHCPv6 Option 16 and Option 17 are fully defined in RFC 3315.

LINUX ISCSI BOOT SETUP
Linux iSCSI boot is supported on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 update 1 and later and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP1
and later.
The Linux iSCSI boot setup consists of:
•

Configuring the iSCSI Target

•

Configuring the iSCSI Boot Parameters

•

Changing the BIOS Boot Order

•

Installing to Target

•

Booting

Configuring the iSCSI Target
See Configuring the iSCSI Target.

Configuring the iSCSI Boot Parameters
See Configuring the iSCSI Boot Parameters.

Changing the BIOS Boot Order
Change the BIOS boot order to the following:
•

iSCSI Option ROM

•

CDROM/DVD

Installing to Target
1. Update the iSCSI boot Option ROM with the target IQN and target IP address.
2. Insert the first Red Hat 5, SUSE 10, or SUSE 11 CD into the CDROM drive.
3. Ensure that the Option ROM is able to log into the target disk.
4. For SUSE 10 and SUSE 11, select installation at the first screen and enter withiscsi=1 netsetup=1.
5. For Red Hat 5, select Installation at the first screen and Enter.
a. At the Installation requires partitioning of your hard drive screen, click Advanced storage configuration.
b. Select Add iSCSI target and click Add drive.
c. Select the boot adapter and configure your network information.
d. Enter your iSCSI Target IP address at the iSCSI parameters screen.
6. Follow the typical installation procedure.

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Booting
See Booting.

OTHER ISCSI BOOT CONSIDERATIONS
There are several other factors that should be considered when configuring a system for iSCSI boot.

Virtual LANs
Virtual LAN (VLAN) tagging is not supported for iSCSI boot with the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator.

Teaming
The use of any form of teaming (Smart Load Balancing, Generic Trunking, or Link Aggregation) with the iSCSI boot device
is not supported; however, teaming can still be configured on other devices in the system. For more information, see
Configuring Teaming.

ISCSI

BOOT REMOTE INSTALLATION

This section discusses the procedures for creating and installing a Microsoft OS directly to the target through Broadcom
iSCSI solution.
•

Windows Server 2003 (OIS)

•

Windows Server 2008 (Non-OIS)

•

Windows Server 2008 (OIS)

Windows Server 2003 (OIS)
Installation of the OIS driver, along with a clean Windows Server 2003 SP2 installation requires that the Storport hotfix
KB957910 (or later) be "slipstreamed" into the standard Windows Sever 2003 SP2 CD. The Microsoft Storport hotfix
KB957910 can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957910. The Microsoft knowledge base article that details the
slipstreaming procedure can be found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814847.
The OIS F6 installation is composed of two floppy disks per architecture. The contents of these disks are:
x86 Architecture
•

•

Disk1: "WDF Installation Disk"
•

bxvbd.cat

•

bxvbd.inf

•

bxvbdx.sys

•

txtsetup.oem

•

wdf01000.sys

•

wdfldr.sys

Disk2: "Broadcom iSCSI Driver"
•

bxois.cat

•

bxois.inf

•

bxois.sys

•

txtsetup.oem

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x64 Architecture
•

•

Disk1: "WDF Installation Disk"
•

bxvbd.cat

•

bxvbd.inf

•

bxvbda.sys

•

txtsetup.oem

•

wdf01000.sys

•

wdfldr.sys

Disk2: "Broadcom iSCSI Driver"
•

bxois.cat

•

bxois.inf

•

bxois.sys

•

txtsetup.oem

To perform an iSCSI remote installation
1. During system POST, enter the MBA configuration menu CTRL+S when prompted.
2. Set Boot protocol to iSCSI
3. Enter the iSCSI configuration menu by selecting CTRL+K.
4. Fill in General Parameters as required. Set Boot to iSCSI target to Disable.
5. Fill in Initiator and Target parameters as required.
6. Exit and save the iSCSI configuration.
7. Exit and save the MBA configuration.
8. Reorder the BIOS boot order so that the Broadcom iSCSI adapter precedes the CDROM.
9. Insert the Windows Server 2003 SP2 Slipstreamed CD.
10. Verify the offload iSCSI BIOS boot code successfully opens a session with the remote iSCSI target.
11. Continue to boot with the Windows Server installation CD.
12. Press F6 when prompted to install additional drivers.
13. Press S to install additional drivers. Insert Disk 1 "WDF Installation Disk" when prompted. Select Load 1st: wdfldr.
14. Press S to install additional drivers. Insert Disk 1 "WDF Installation Disk" when prompted. Select Load 2nd: wdf01000.
15. Press S to install additional drivers. Insert Disk 1 "WDF Installation Disk" when prompted. Select Load 3rd: Broadcom
Virtual Bus Driver.
16. Press S to install additional drivers. Insert Disk 1 "WDF Installation Disk" when prompted. Select Load 4th: Broadcom
iSCSI Driver.
17. Continue with Windows text mode installation as usual.
18. The system will reboot after text mode setup. During POST, reenter the MBA configuration menu by selecting CTRL+S
when prompted.
19. Enter the iSCSI configuration menu by selecting CTRL+K.
20. Enter General Parameters and set Boot to iSCSI target to Enable.
21. Exit and save the iSCSI configuration.
22. Exit and save the MBA configuration.
23. Continue with Windows GUI mode installation as usual.

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Windows Server 2008 (Non-OIS)
To perform a remote install for non-offload
1. Configure iSCSI OpROM with all proper settings.
•

Boot to iSCSI Target: Disable

•

Target as First HDD: Enable

•

HBA: Disable

2. Order the boot order so that iSCSI precedes the DVD.
3. Copy the VBD and NDIS driver to a USB flash or a diskette.
4. Boot the system and connect to the target. The Windows Server 2008 DVD installation begins.
5. Continue with the installation. When you receive the Where do you want to install Windows? window, click on load
driver.
6. Browse to the location of the VBD and install.
7. At the Where do you want to install Windows?, again, click load driver. This time, browse to the location of the NDIS
driver and install.
8. At the Where do you want to install Windows? window, click Refresh if you do not see the target HDD.
9. Select the HDD/Partition to continue.
10. The system will reboot after text mode setup. During POST, reenter the MBA configuration menu by selecting CTRL+S
when prompted.
11. Enter the iSCSI configuration menu by selecting CTRL+K.
12. Enter General Parameters and set Boot to iSCSI target to Enable.
13. Exit and save the iSCSI configuration.
14. Exit and save the MBA configuration.
15. Continue with Windows GUI mode installation as usual.

Windows Server 2008 (OIS)
To perform a remote install for offload
1. Configure iSCSI OpROM with all proper settings.
•

Boot to iSCSI Target: Disable

•

Target as First HDD: Enable

•

HBA: Enable

2. Order the boot order so that iSCSI precedes the DVD.
3. Copy the VBD and OIS driver to a USB flash or a diskette.
4. Boot the system and connect to the target. The Windows Server 2008 DVD installation begins.
5. Continue with the installation. When you receive the Where do you want to install Windows? window, click on load
driver.
6. Browse to the location of the VBD and install.
7. At the Where do you want to install Windows?, again, click load driver. This time, browse to the location of the OIS
driver and install.
8. At the Where do you want to install Windows? window, click Refresh if you do not see the target HDD.
9. Select the HDD/Partition to continue.
10. The system will reboot after text mode setup. During POST, reenter the MBA configuration menu by selecting CTRL+S

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when prompted.
11. Enter the iSCSI configuration menu by selecting CTRL+K.
12. Enter General Parameters and set Boot to iSCSI target to Enable.
13. Exit and save the iSCSI configuration.
14. Exit and save the MBA configuration.
15. Continue with Windows GUI mode installation as usual.

TROUBLESHOOTING ISCSI BOOT
The following troubleshooting tips are useful for iSCSI boot.
Problem: When switching iSCSI boot from the Microsoft standard path to Broadcom iSCSI offload, the booting fails to
complete.
Solution: Install or upgrade the Broadcom Virtual Bus Device (VBD) driver to 5.0.x, along with the OIS driver, prior to
switching the iSCSI boot path.
Problem: If a Windows 2003-based system is booted with an MPIO configuration in the first boot, the interface booted
without a cable attached will not be functional since the IP address of the interface will be statically configured to a value
of 0. This problem only occurs if the TCP/IP parameters are configured as DHCP. in other words, it will not occur if the IP
addresses are statically configured in the iSCSI configuration program.
Solution: Perform the first boot with both cables attached and ensure that both interfaces are able to acquire IP addresses.
Problem: The iSCSI configuration utility will not run.
Solution: Ensure that the iSCSI Boot firmware is installed in the NVRAM.
Problem: A system blue screen occurs when installing the Broadcom drivers through Windows Plug-and-Play (PnP).
Solution: Install the drivers through the Setup installer.
Problem: For static IP configuration when switching from Layer 2 iSCSI boot to Broadcom iSCSI HBA, then you will receive
an IP address conflict.
Solution: Change the IP address of the network property in the OS.
Problem: After configuring the iSCSI boot LUN to 255, a system blue screen appears when performing iSCSI boott.
Solution: Although Broadcom’s iSCSI solution supports a LUN range from 0 to 255, the Microsoft iSCSI software initiator
does not support a LUN of 255. Configure a LUN value from 0 to 254.

ISCSI

CRASH DUMP

If you will use the Broadcom iSCSI Crash Dump utility, it is important to follow the installation procedure to install the iSCSI
Crash Dump driver. See Using the Installer for more information.

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ISCSI

OFFLOAD

iSCSI offload is a technology that offloads iSCSI protocol processing overhead from host processors to the iSCSI host bus
adapter to increase network performance and throughput while helping to optimize server processor utilization.
This section covers Windows iSCSI offload for the NetXtreme II family of network adapters. For Linux iSCSI offload, see
Linux iSCSI Offload.

CONFIGURING ISCSI OFFLOAD
With the proper iSCSI offload licensing, you can configure your iSCSI-capable NetXtreme II network adapter to offload iSCSI
processing from the host processor. The following process enables your system to take advantage of Broadcom’s iSCSI
offload feature.
•

Installing Broadcom Drivers and Management Applications

•

Installing the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator

•

Configuring Broadcom iSCSI Using BACS 3

•

Configure Microsoft Initiator to Use Broadcom’s iSCSI Offload

Installing Broadcom Drivers and Management Applications
1. Install the Windows drivers. See Windows Driver Software.
2. Install the management applications. See Installing Management Applications.

Installing the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator
Install the Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator, version 2.08 or later, on Windows Server 2003. For Windows Server 2008 and
later, the iSCSI initiator is included inbox. To download the iSCSI initiator from Microsoft, go to http://www.microsoft.com/
downloads/details.aspx?familyid=12cb3c1a-15d6-4585-b385-befd1319f825&displaylang=en and locate the direct link for
your system.

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Configuring Broadcom iSCSI Using BACS 3
The Broadcom Advanced Control Suite (BACS 3) is used to manage all of Broadcom’s network adapters and advanced
features. For more information, see Using Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3.
1. Open BACS 3.
2. Select the Broadcom NetXtreme II C-NIC iSCSI adapter. If the C-NIC iSCSI adapter is not present, then select the VBD
device and enable iSCSI offload by selecting iSCSI Offload Engine from the Resource Reservations area of the
Configuration tab.

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3. Select the Configuration tab.

4. DHCP is the default for IP address assignment, but this can be changed to static IP address assignment, if this is the
preferred method of IP address assignment.

NOTE: The IP address assignment method cannot be changed if the adapter was used for boot.

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5. Select Apply and close BACS.

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Configure Microsoft Initiator to Use Broadcom’s iSCSI Offload
Now that the IP address has been configured for the iSCSI adapter, you need to use Microsoft Initiator to configure and add
a connection to the iSCSI target using Broadcom iSCSI adapter. See Microsoft’s user guide for more details on Microsoft
Initiator.
1. Open Microsoft Initiator.
2. Configure the initiator IQN name according to your setup. To change, click on Change.

3. Enter the initiator IQN name.

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4. Select the Discovery tab and click Add to add a target portal.

5. Enter the IP address of the target and click Advanced.

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6. From the General tab, select Broadcom NetXtreme II C-NIC iSCSI Adapter from Local adapter.

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7. Select the IP address for the adapter from Source IP.

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8. Click OK to close Advanced setting and then OK to add the target portal.

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9. From the Targets tab, select the target and click Log On to log into your iSCSI target using the Broadcom iSCSI adapter.

10. Click on Advanced.

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11. On the General tab, select the Broadcom NetXtreme Ii C-NIC iSCSI adapter from Local adapter.
12. Click OK to close Advanced settings.

13. Click OK to close the Microsoft Initiator.
14. To format your iSCSI partition, use Disk Manager.

NOTES:
•

No teaming support for iSCSI-enabled adapters is available at this point. MPIO handles all failover and link
aggregation for iSCSI traffic.

•

Network teaming and MPIO are supported concurrently on different ports. Ports running iSCSI use MPIO and
ports running LAN traffic use network teaming.

•

If a Broadcom network adapter has iSCSI offload enabled, the teaming software, BASP, will not allow the iSCSI
offload enabled network port interface to be a part of a GEC or LACP (802.3ad) team, but SLB teams are
allowed.

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ISCSI

OFFLOAD FAQS

Q: How do I assign an IP address for iSCSI offload?
A: Use the Configurations tab in Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS).
Q: What tools should be used to create the connection to the target?
A: Use Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator (version 2.08 or later).
Q: How do I know that the connection is offloaded?
A: Use Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator. From a command line, type iscsicli sessionlist. From Initiator Name, an
iSCSI offloaded connection will display an entry beginning with “B06BDRV...”. A non-offloaded connection will display an
entry beginning with “Root...”.
Q: What configurations should be avoided?
A: The IP address should not be the same as the LAN.

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I ns t a l li n g M a n ag em e n t A pp li c a t io n s : B ro a d c o m
NetXtre me II™ Ne twork Adapter Us er Guide
•

Installing Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 and Related Management Applications

•

Modifying Management Applications

•

Repairing Management Applications

•

Removing Management Applications

INSTALLING BROADCOM ADVANCED CONTROL SUITE 3 AND RELATED
MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS
The Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS 3) software and related management applications can be installed from the
installation CD or by using the silent install option.
The following are installed when running the installer:
•

Control Suite. Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS 3).

•

BASP. Installs Broadcom Advanced Server Program.

•

SNMP. Installs the Simple Network Management Protocol subagent.

•

CIM Provider. Installs the Common Information Model provider.

NOTES:
•

Ensure that the Broadcom network adapter(s) is physically installed in the system before installing BACS 3.

•

Before installing Broadcom Advance Control Suite 3, verify that .NET Framework 2.0, or above, is installed.

•

Before you begin the installation, close all applications, windows, or dialog boxes.

•

To use the TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE), you must have Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 (SP2) or
later, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2. You must also have a license key preprogrammed
in the hardware. If supported, for iSCSI, you only need a license key.

•

BASP is not available on Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008.

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.NET FRAMEWORK REQUIREMENT
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 includes the runtime and associated files needed to run BACS 3, and must be installed on
your system in order for BACS 3 to operate. For information on the minimum and recommended .NET Framework versions
for your operating system, see Table 1.

NOTE: For optimal performance of BACS 3, Broadcom recommends .NET Framework 2.0 SP1, .NET Framework
3.0 SP1, or .NET Framework 3.5, depending on your operating system.

Table 1: Minimum and Recommended .NET Framework Versions for BACS 3
Minimum Required

Recommended

Operating System
Version

How to Obtain

Version

How to Obtain

Windows 2000 Server

.NET 2.0

Download from Microsoft

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2003

.NET 2.0

Download from Microsoft

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2003 R2

.NET 2.0

Included in OS package,
but by default, not included
during installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2008

.NET 2.0

Included in .NET 2.0 SP1,
which is included during
OS installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Included in OS package

NOTES:
•

Starting BACS 3 without .NET Framework (version 2.0 or above) installed on your system will result in an error.

•

Long startup times for BACS 3 may be caused by a limitation of .NET Framework 2.0, as described in Microsoft
knowledge base article KB936707. To improve the startup time of BACS 3, apply .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 (or
appropriate version for your OS as shown in the Recommended column of Table 1), and reboot your system.

USING THE INSTALLER
To install the management applications

NOTE: Before starting the installation, verify that .NET Framework 2.0 or above is installed. This ensures optimal
performance of BACS 3.
1. Insert the installation CD into the CD or DVD drive.
2. On the installation CD, open the MgmtApps folder, select IA32 or x64, and then double-click Setup.exe to open the
InstallShield Wizard.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. After you review the license agreement, click I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next to
continue.
5. Select the features you want installed. If you receive a warning regarding .NET Framework 2.0, then press OK to
continue installing BACS 3 and manually install .NET Framework 2.0 when installation completes, or Cancel to quit.
6. Click Next.

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7. Click Install.
8. Click Finish to close the wizard.

USING SILENT INSTALLATION

NOTES:
•

All commands are case sensitive.

•

User must “Run as Administrator” for Vista when using “msiexec” for “silent” install/uninstall(s).

•

For detailed instructions and information about unattended installs, refer to the Silent.txt file in the MgmtApps
folder.

To perform a silent install (or upgrade) from within the installer source folder
Type the following:
setup /s /v/qn
If performing a silent upgrade, your system may reboot automatically. To suppress the reboot, type the following:
setup /s /v"/qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress"
To perform a silent install and create a log file
Type the following:
setup /s /v"/qn /L f:\ia32\1testlog.txt"
The 1testlog.txt log file will be created at f:\ia32.
To perform a silent uninstall from any folder on the hard drive
msiexec /x "{26E1BFB0-E87E-4696-9F89-B467F01F81E5}" /qn

NOTES:
•

The hexidecimal number above may differ from your current installer. Check the Key name corresponding with
the
Broadcom
Advanced
Control
Suite
3
(BACS)
application
in
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for the correct hexidecimal number.

•

After performing a silent uninstall, it is necessary to reboot the system before reinstalling this installer. If a reboot
is not performed, BASP will not install correctly.

To perform a silent install by feature on IA32 platforms
Use ADDSOURCE to include any of the features listed below.

NOTE: CHM32 or CHM64 installs the BACS help file and must be included when installing the BACS feature.
setup /s /v"/qn ADDSOURCE=BACSi32,CHM32,BASPi32,SNMPi32,CIMi32"
To perform a silent install by feature on AMD64/EM64T platforms

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Type the following:
setup /s /v"/qn ADDSOURCE=BACSa64,CHMa64,BASPa64,SNMPa64"
To perform a silent install from within a batch file
To perform a silent install from within a batch file and wait for the install to complete before continuing with the next command
line, type the following:
start /wait setup /s /w /v/qn

MODIFYING MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS
To modify the management applications
1. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Broadcom Management Programs and then click Change.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. Click Modify to change program features.
5. Click Next to continue.
6. Click on an icon to change how a feature is installed.
7. Click Next.
8. Click Install.
9. Click Finish to close the wizard.
10. Reboot your system to complete the modification of the management applications.

REPAIRING MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS
To repair or reinstall the management applications
1. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Broadcom Management Programs, and then click Change.
3. Click Next to continue.
4. Click Repair to repair errors in installed applications.
5. Click Next to continue.
6. Click Install.
7. Click Finish to close the wizard.

REMOVING MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS
To remove all management applications

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1. In Control panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Broadcom Management Programs, and then click Remove.
3. Reboot your system to complete the removal of management applications.

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ND IS2 Dr iv er Softwa re: Broadcom Ne tXtr eme
I I ™ N e t wo r k A da pt e r U s e r G u id e
•

Overview

•

Preinstallation Requirements

•

Installing the NDIS2 Driver Software for Use on MS-DOS Platforms

•

Using Keywords for the Drivers

OVERVIEW
Two drivers are discussed in this section:
•

BXND20X: Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet driver

•

BNX2EV: Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet driver

The examples used in this section refer to the BXND20X driver, but also apply to the BNX2EV driver.

PREINSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
Before you can successfully install the NDIS2 driver software, the Broadcom network adapter must be physically installed
in the server. Networking software that is appropriate to the operating system (such as Microsoft LAN Manager 2.2 for MSDOS) must already be running on your server.

INSTALLING THE NDIS2 DRIVER SOFTWARE FOR USE ON MS-DOS
PLATFORMS
The NDIS2 driver software can be run from an MS-DOS startup disk using Microsoft Network Client 3.0 or from the hard disk
using Microsoft LAN Manager 2.2.

CREATING A STARTUP DISK TO RUN MICROSOFT NETWORK CLIENT
To perform this installation you must have the following items
•

Windows NT Server 4.0 CD-ROM

•

A blank MS-DOS system disk (3.5" high-density floppy disk)

•

Access to the Broadcom NDIS2 driver file (BXND20X.dos). This file is located on the driver source media.

NOTES:

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•

Windows NT Server 4.0 users. When running Setup for Microsoft Network Client v3.0 for MS-DOS, click any
network card from the list (NE2000 Compatible, for example) to create the startup disk.

•

After creating the startup disk, follow the instructions in Modifying the Startup Disk.

To create a startup disk
1. Create a folder called NCADMIN in the root of the C drive.
2. Copy the NCADMIN.CN_, NCADMIN.EX_, and NCADMIN.HL_ files from the I386 folder on the Windows NT Server 4.0
CD-ROM.
3. Open a command prompt window and change the directory to C:\NCADMIN.
4. Type expand -r ncadmin.* and press ENTER.
5. Close the command prompt window by typing exit and then pressing ENTER.
6. Start Windows Explorer.
7. Open the NCADMIN folder and double-click ncadmin.exe.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to make the network startup disk (choose NE2000 Compatible from the list of
adapters).

Modifying the Startup Disk
To modify the startup disk
1. Edit A:\Net\Protocol.ini with Notepad or a similar text editor.
a. Change DriverName=$ to DriverName=BXND20X$.
b. Remove all other parameter entries under the [MS$NE2CLONE] or equivalent section such as IOBASE=0x300 or
INTERRUPT=3, and so on.
Example Protocol.ini file for IP
[network.setup]
version=0x3110
netcard=ms$ne2clone,1,MS$NE2CLONE,1
transport=tcpip,TCPIP
lana0=ms$ne2clone,1,tcpip
[MS$NE2CLONE]
DriverName=BXND20X$
[protman]
DriverName=PROTMAN$
PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP
[tcpip]
NBSessions=6
DefaultGateway=0
SubNetMask=255 0 0 0
IPAddress=192 168 0 1
DisableDHCP=0
DriverName=TCPIP$
BINDINGS=MS$NE2CLONE
LANABASE=0

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Example Protocol.ini file for IPX
[network.setup]
version=0x3110
netcard=ms$ne2clone,1,MS$NE2CLONE,1
transport=ms$ndishlp,MS$NDISHLP
transport=ms$nwlink,MS$NWLINK
lana0=ms$ne2clone,1,ms$nwlink
lana1=ms$ne2clone,1,ms$ndishlp
[MS$NE2CLONE]
DriverName=BXND20X$
[protman]
DriverName=PROTMAN$
PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP
[MS$NDISHLP]
DriverName=ndishlp$
BINDINGS=ms$ne2clone
[ms$nwlink]
DriverName=nwlink$
FRAME=Ethernet_802.2
BINDINGS=MS$NE2CLONE
LANABASE=0

Example Protocol.ini file for NetBEUI
[network.setup]
version=0x3110
netcard=ms$ne2clone,1,MS$NE2CLONE,1
transport=ms$ndishlp,MS$NDISHLP
transport=ms$netbeui,MS$NETBEUI
lana0=ms$ne2clone,1,ms$ndishlp
lana1=ms$ne2clone,1,ms$netbeui
[MS$NE2CLONE]
DriverName=BXND20X$
[protman]
DriverName=PROTMAN$
PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP
[MS$NDISHLP]
DriverName=ndishlp$
BINDINGS=MS$NE2CLONE
[MS$NETBEUI]
DriverName=netbeui$
SESSIONS=10
NCBS=12
BINDINGS=MS$NE2CLONE
LANABASE=0

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2. Edit A:\Net\System.ini.
a. Change netcard= to netcard=BXND20X.dos.
b. Check for references to C:\NET and change C:\NET to A:\NET if necessary.
Example System.ini file
[network]
sizworkbuf=1498
filesharing=no
printsharing=no
autologon=yes
computername=MYPC
lanroot=A:\NET
username=USER1
workgroup=WORKGROUP
reconnect=yes
dospophotkey=N
lmlogon=0
logondomain=
preferredredir=basic
autostart=basic
maxconnections=8
[network drivers]
netcard=BXND20X.dos
transport=ndishlp.sys,*netbeui
devdir=A:\NET
LoadRMDrivers=yes
3. Copy BXND20X.dos to A:\Net.
4. Create the appropriate Autoexec.bat file in drive A for the chosen protocol as shown below.
For TCP/IP
path=a:\net
a:\net\net initialize
a:\net\netbind.com
a:\net\umb.com
a:\net\tcptsr.exe
a:\net\tinyrfc.exe
a:\net\nmtsr.exe
a:\net\emsbfr.exe
a:\net\net start basic
net use z: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME
For IPX
SET PATH=A:\NET
A:\NET\net initialize
A:\NET\nwlink
A:\NET\NET START BASIC
net use z: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME
For NetBEUI
SET PATH=A:\NET
A:\NET\NET START BASIC
net use z: \\SERVERNAME\SHARENAME
5. Create a Config.sys file on the startup disk in drive A as shown below.
files=30
device=a:\net\ifshlp.sys

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lastdrive=z

INSTALLING THE DOS NDIS2 DRIVER SOFTWARE ON THE HARD DISK
To install the DOS NDIS2 Driver Software on the hard disk
1. Verify that the system has Microsoft LAN Manager 2.2 installed, with a protocol such as NetBEUI configured.
2. Create a folder on your hard disk to store the NDIS 2.01 driver.
Example: C:\LANMAN
3. Copy the BXND20X.dos file to this folder.
Edit the Config.sys file by adding the following lines:
DEVICE = C:\LANMAN\PROTMAN.DOS
DEVICE = C:\LANMAN\BXND20X.DOS
DEVICE = C:\LANMAN\NETBEUI.DOS
4. Edit the Autoexec.bat file by adding the following lines:
C:\ LANMAN\NETBIND.EXE
C:\LANMAN\NET START WORKSTATION
C:\LANMAN\NET USE drive letter: \\server name\resource name
5. Edit the Protocol.ini file (located in C:\LANMAN) to configure the driver to bind with NetBEUI or any other protocols.

Example:
[PROTOCOL MANAGER]
DriverName = PROTMAN$
[NETBEUI_XIF]
DriverName = netbeui$
BINDINGS = BXND20X
[BXND20X]
DriverName = "BXND20X$"
6. Restart the computer to complete the installation.

NOTE: The driver loads during system configuration and displays the Broadcom banner, controller name, MAC
address, IRQ number, detected line speed, and the controller BusNum and DevNum. If the driver fails to load, an
initialization fail message is displayed.

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USING KEYWORDS FOR THE DRIVERS
The Protocol.ini file contains certain keywords that are used by the BXND20X.dos AND BXND20X.dos drivers. These
keywords are listed below:
BusNum. Specifies the number of the PCI bus on which the network adapter is located. Requires a decimal number having
a value ranging from 0 to 255.
DevNum. Specifies the device number assigned to the network adapter when it is configured by the PCI BIOS. Requires a
decimal number having a value ranging from 0 to 255.
FuncNum or PortNum. Specifies the PCI function or port number assigned to the network controller. Requires a decimal
number having a value ranging from 0 to 7.

NOTE: These keywords, BusNum, DevNum, and FuncNum (or PortNum) are needed when multiple adapters
are installed in the server and when a specific controller must be loaded in a certain order. These keywords are
used concurrently and are included for manufacturing purposes. Do not use them unless you are familiar with how
to configure PCI devices. A PCI device scan utility is needed to find this information.
LineSpeed. Specifies the speed of the network connection in Mbit/s. Requires the decimal number 10, 100, or 1000.
Technically, a line speed of 1000 Mbit/s cannot be forced and is achievable only through auto-negotiation. For the sake of
simplicity, the driver performs auto-negotiation when the line speed is set to a value of 1000.

NOTE: LineSpeed is not available with the Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet driver.
Duplex. Specifies the duplex mode of the network adapter. Requires a setting of either Half or Full. When this keyword is
used, the LineSpeed keyword must also be used. If neither keyword is used, the network adapter defaults to autonegotiation mode.

NOTE: LineSpeed is not available with the Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet driver.
NodeAddress. Specifies the network address used by the network adapter. If a multicast address or a broadcast address
is specified, the adapter uses the default MAC address.
Example:
[BXND20X]
DriverName = "BXND20X$"
BusNum = 3
DevNum = 14
PortNum = 2
LineSpeed = 1000
Duplex = Full
NodeAddress = 001020304050
FixCheckSumOff. Turns off the driver’s workaround for the TCP/IP stack to recognize the 1s complemented version of the
checksum.

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AcceptAllMC. Informs the driver to deliver all multicast packets to the upper protocol.

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ODI Driver Software : Broadcom Ne tXtr eme II™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

Overview

•

ODI Client32

•

DOS ODI

OVERVIEW
Three drivers are discussed in this section:
•

BX2.LAN: Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet 32-bit driver

•

BX2.COM: Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet 16-bit driver

•

BNX2EV.COM: Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet 16-bit driver

The examples used in the ODI Client32 section only refer to the BX2.LAN driver. The examples used in the DOS ODI section
refer to the BX2.COM driver, but also apply to the BNX2EV.COM driver.

ODI CLIENT32
The Open Data-Link Interface (ODI) driver software allows LAN drivers to work together irrespective of differences between
the hardware and/or the protocol stacks of communicating systems. An intervening layer, called the link support layer (LSL),
is responsible for routing different packet types between local area network (LAN) drivers and protocol stacks.

INSTALLING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
The ODI Driver software must be installed on a system having an MS-DOS operating system. MS-DOS 6.22 is
recommended.

Preinstallation Requirements
1. Copy the Broadcom ODI driver files to a floppy disk. Copy the BX2.LAN and BX2.LDI files for the Client32 driver.
2. Go to the Novell web site http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/tools/13555.html and download the NetWare DOS Client
files to the hard disk: download the dw271e.zip file for the Client32 installation.

Installing the Novell NetWare Client32 Driver for MS-DOS
1. Extract the dw271.zip file to a temporary directory on the hard disk.
2. Double-click the dw271e.exe file.
3. Type y and then press ENTER when you are prompted for a response.
4. Restart your system in MS-DOS mode.
5. Change to the directory where the extracted files are located.

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6. Type install, and then press ENTER.
7. Read the agreement, and then press ENTER to accept the agreement.
8. Using the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key as necessary, highlight Novell Client for DOS (required), and then press
F10 to save and continue.
9. Highlight 32-bit LAN Drivers, and then press F10 to save and continue.
10. Insert the floppy disk containing the Broadcom 32-bit LAN driver files into the floppy disk drive.
11. Highlight USER SPECIFIED 32-BIT DRIVER, and then press ENTER.
12. Press ENTER.
13. Highlight the NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Driver, and then press ENTER.
14. Press ENTER.
15. Select Receive Buffers, type 32 for the value, and then press F10 to save and continue.

NOTE: Do not change the default settings for any of the other items in the Installation Configuration Summary.
16. Press F10 to save and continue. The Bx2.LAN and Bx2.LDI files are copied to the directory.
17. Restart the system to complete the install.
18. As the files are being loaded, the system attempts to attach to a NetWare server using the frame types specified in
Net.cfg. If the connection is successful, a dialog box is displayed.
19. Change to drive F and log on to the NetWare server.

NOTE: The driver loads during system configuration, and the Broadcom banner, the adapter name, the MAC
address, the IRQ number, the detected line speed, and the bus number (BusNum) and device number (DevNum)
of the adapter are displayed. If the driver fails to load, an initialization fail message appears.

CONFIGURING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
The ODI driver software can be configured by adding specific optional keywords to the Net.cfg file.
If multiple (or multiport) Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters are installed in a system, the ODI driver software loads by default
on the adapter/port that has a good link. If two or more adapters have a good link, the ODI driver software loads on the
adapter having the latest Device ID. If two or more adapters that have a good link have the same Device ID, the ODI driver
software loads on the adapter that is located in the slot having the lowest bus number.
If it is necessary to have the ODI driver load on certain adapters in a certain order, the BusNum, DevNum, and FuncNum
keywords can be used. Do not use these keywords unless you know how to configure PCI devices.
The BusNum keyword value, which represents the PCI bus number in which the adapter is located, is a hexadecimal
number ranging from 0 to FF.
The FuncNum keyword value, which represents the function (port) number of a multiport adapter, is a hexadecimal number
with 0 representing the first port and 1 representing the second port.
The DevNum keyword value, which represents the assigned device number, is a hexadecimal number ranging from 0 to 1F.

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NOTES:
•

At the end of the ODI driver software installation process, note the BusNum and DevNum values that are
displayed. Alternatively, use Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (see Viewing Resource Information) to view
the bus number, function (port) number, and device number assigned to each adapter (Windows users only).

•

The values for the BusNum, DevNum, and FuncNum keywords are displayed in hexadecimal notation when
the driver loads on the adapter.

Example BusNum, DevNum, and FuncNum keyword entries for loading the ODI driver on multiple adapters in a certain
order are shown below:
PROTOCOL
BIND BX2
BIND BX2
LINK DRIVER BX2
BUSNUM 1
DEVNUM 9
FRAME
LINK DRIVER BX2
BUSNUM 1
DEVNUM A
FRAME
The LineSpeed keyword is used to force the speed of the network connection. The LineSpeed keyword requires a decimal
number and of either 10, 100, or 1000. Technically, a line speed of 1000 Mbit/s cannot be forced and can be achieved only
through auto-negotiation. For the sake of simplicity, the driver performs auto-negotiation when the line speed is set to a value
of 1000.
The Duplex keyword is used to force the duplex mode of the adapter. The Duplex keyword requires a text string of either
HALF or FULL. When the Duplex keyword is used, the LineSpeed keyword must also be used. If neither keyword is used,
the network adapter defaults to auto-negotiation mode.
Example keyword entries for the LineSpeed, and Duplex keywords are shown below:
LINK DRIVER BX2
LINESPEED 100
DUPLEX FULL

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DOS ODI
The Open Data-Link Interface (ODI) driver software allows LAN drivers to work together irrespective of differences between
the hardware and/or the protocol stacks of communicating computers. An intervening layer, called the link support layer
(LSL), is responsible for routing different packet types between LAN drivers and protocol stacks.

NOTE: The examples used in this section refer to the BX2.COM driver, but also apply to the BNX2EV.COM driver.

INSTALLING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
Installing the DOS/ODI driver software involves the following steps:
1. Verifying that the DOS 6.22 operating system files are installed on your computer hard disk or are available on a
removable storage device.
2. Installing the DOS/ODI driver software in the DOS environment.
3. If necessary, reconfiguring the driver software after installation.

Preinstallation Requirements
1. Verify that the Broadcom Ethernet adapter driver software has been installed on your computer and install it if it has not
(see Installing the Driver Software). Otherwise, you cannot use a Broadcom Ethernet adapter in the DOS environment.

NOTE: To successfully install the adapter driver for DOS, the adapter must be installed in the computer before you
install the driver.
2. Install the DOS 6.22 files on your computer hard disk or have them available on a removable storage device.

Installing the DOS ODI Driver on DOS 6.22
1. Copy the DOS ODI driver file to the root directory of the hard disk.
2. Copy Lsl.com, Ipxodi.com, and Vlm.com to the same directory (these files are provided by Novell).
3. Edit the Autoexec.bat file by adding the following lines:
C:\LSL
C:\BX2
C:\IPXODI
C:\VLM
4. Edit the Net.cfg file and place the file in the same location as the Autoexec.bat file (located in drive C) to configure the
driver to bind with different frame types.
Example:
LINK DRIVER BX2
FRAME ETHERNET_802.2
FRAME ETHERNET_802.3
FRAME ETHERNET_II
FRAME ETHERNET_SNAP
NetWare DOS Requester
FIRST NETWORK DRIVE=F
NETWARE PROTOCOL=NDS BIND

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PROTOCOL IPXODI
5. Restart the computer to complete the installation.
6. As the files are being loaded, the computer attempts to attach to a NetWare server using the frame types specified in
Net.cfg. If the connection is successful, a dialog box appears.
7. Change to drive F and log onto the NetWare server.
F:
F:\login admin

NOTE: The driver loads during system configuration, and the Broadcom banner, the adapter name, the MAC
address, the IRQ number, the detected line speed, and the BUSNUM and DEVNUM of the adapter are displayed.
If the driver fails to load, an initialization fail message appears.

CONFIGURING PARAMETERS FOR THE BX2.COM/BX2EV.COM DRIVER (IN THE NET.CFG FILE)
The following are optional custom keywords used in the Net.cfg file:
BUSNUM
DEVNUM
FUNNUM
SUBVID
MODEL
The first two keywords (BUSNUM and DEVNUM) are used together and have been included for manufacturing purposes.
Do not use them unless you are familiar with PCI device configuration. These two keywords are needed if multiple Broadcom
NetXtreme II adapters are installed on a system, and each adapter must be loaded in a specific order.
BUSNUM specifies the PCI bus number and DEVNUM specifies the device number that is assigned to the board when it is
configured by the PCI BIOS.
The values for these adapter parameters are displayed in hexadecimal notation when the driver loads (the Net.cfg file
expects hexadecimal values). A PCI device scan utility can also be used to find this information. If the driver loads on a single
adapter, the displayed values can be used in the Net.cfg file.
If a PCI scan utility displays card 1 at bus 4 and device 11 (hexadecimal), and card 3 at bus 3 and device 13 (hexadecimal),
the following load instructions are written to the Net.cfg file (load card 3 first, and optionally load card 1 second):
LINK DRIVER BX2
BUSNUM 3
DEVNUM 13 (13 hex = 19 decimal)
LINK DRIVER BX2
BUSNUM 4
DEVNUM 11 (11 hex = 17 decimal)
The FUNNUM keyword is used to determine which function/port the driver is to load on when using a multifunction (multiport)
adapter. Function number values are limited to 0 and 1, for the first and second function of the adapter.
The SUBVID keyword is used to for load the driver only on the first network interface card found that has a subvendor ID
(SVID) that matches the one set in Net.cfg. The driver ignores all other network interface cards that do not have a matching
SVID. SUBVID expects a hexadecimal number.

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Example:
LINK DRIVER BX2
SUBVID 14E4
SUBVID cannot be used with BUSNUM, DEVNUM or FUNNUM.
The MODEL keyword is for loading the driver only on the first network interface card found that has a subvendor ID (SVID)
that matches the one set in MODEL. The driver ignores all other NICs that do not have a matching SVID. MODEL expects
a decimal number.
Example:
LINK DRIVER B44
MODEL 5348

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Li nu x Dri ve r So ftw are : Broa dc om Ne tXtr eme I I ™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

Introduction

•

Limitations

•

Packaging

•

Installing Linux Driver Software

•

Unloading/Removing the Linux Driver

•

Patching PCI Files (Optional)

•

Network Installations

•

Setting Values for Optional Properties

•

Driver Defaults

•

Driver Messages

•

Teaming with Channel Bonding

•

Statistics

•

Linux iSCSI Offload

INTRODUCTION
This section discusses the Linux drivers for the Broadcom NetXtreme II network adapters.

Table 1: Broadcom NetXtreme II Linux Drivers
Linux Driver

Description

bnx2
cnic

Linux drivers for the BCM5706/BCM5708/BCM5709 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps
network adapters. The bnx2 driver is the networking driver and the cnic driver
supports additional features required by the bnx2i iSCSI offload driver.

bnx2x

Linux driver for the BCM57710/BCM57711 10 Gbps network adapters

bnx2i

Linux driver to enable iSCSI offload on the BCM5706/BCM5708/BCM5709/
BCM57710/BCM57711 10/100/1000/2500/10000 Mbps network adapters

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LIMITATIONS
•

bnx2 Driver

•

bnx2x Driver

•

bnx2i Driver

BNX2

DRIVER

The current version of the driver has been tested on 2.4.x kernels (starting from 2.4.24) and all 2.6.x kernels. The driver may
not compile on kernels older than 2.4.24.

NOTE: Support for the 2.4.21 kernels is provided in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.
Testing is concentrated on i386 and x86_64 architectures. Only limited testing has been done on other architectures. Minor
changes to some source files and Makefile may be needed on some kernels. Additionally, the Makefile will not compile the
cnic driver on kernels older than 2.6.16. iSCSI offload is only supported on 2.6.16 and newer kernels.

NOTE: For Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 devices with a silicon revision prior to B2, the open source bnx2
driver does not support the reporting and configuration of NetXtreme II WOL settings via ethtool. For silicon
revisions of B2 or later, the bnx2 driver reports support for Magic Packet WOL via ethtool. Enabling support via
ethtool is mandatory to successfully wake the system. To determine the silicon revision of your Broadcom
NetXtreme II device, use the lspci command, where “10” = revision B0, “11” = revision B1, and “12” = revision B2.

BNX2X

DRIVER

The current version of the driver has been tested on 2.6.x kernels starting from 2.6.9. The driver may not compile on kernels
older than 2.6.9. Testing is concentrated on i386 and x86_64 architectures. Only limited testing has been done on some
other architectures. Minor changes to some source files and Makefile may be needed on some kernels.

BNX2I

DRIVER

The current version of the driver has been tested on 2.6.x kernels, starting from 2.6.18 kernel. The driver may not compile
on older kernels with the exception of SLES 10 SP1, which runs 2.6.16.46 kernel. SUSE upgraged the iscsi_transport kernel
module in SLES 10 SP1, and Broadcom iSCSI offload initiators is supported on SLES 10 SP1. Testing is concentrated on
i386 and x86_64 architectures, Red Hat EL5, and SUSE 10 SP1 distributions. Support added for SLES11U0 running 2.6.27
kernel.

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PACKAGING
The Linux driver is released in the packaging formats shown in Table 2. The netxtreme2 package contains the bnx2 (1 Gb
network adapter) driver, the bnx2x (10 Gb network adapter) driver, and the bnx2i (iSCSI) driver for source RPM and
compressed tar.

Table 2: Linux Driver Packaging
Format

Drivers

Source RPM

netxtreme2-version.src.rpm

Compressed tar

netxtreme2-version.tar.gz

Supplemental tar

netxtreme2_sup-version.tar.gz

Identical source files to build the driver are included in both RPM and TAR source packages. The supplemental tar file
contains additional utilities such as patches and driver diskette images for network installation.
Updated open-iSCSI components are released in source RPM format.
•

iscsi-initiator-utils-6.2.0.868-0.18e.src.rpm (Red Hat EL 5.3)

•

iscsi-initiator-utils-6.2.0.871-0.10d.src.rpm (Red Hat EL 5.4)

•

open-iscsi-2.0.707-0.25c.src.rpm

•

open-iscsi-2.0.707-0.44f.src.rpm (SLES 10 SP2)

•

open-iscsi-2.0.868-0.5.1b.src.rpm (SLES 10 SP3)

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INSTALLING LINUX DRIVER SOFTWARE
•

Installing the Source RPM Package

•

Building the Driver from the Source TAR File

NOTE: If a bnx2/bnx2x/bnx2i driver is loaded and the Linux kernel is updated, the driver module must be recompiled
if the driver module was installed using the source RPM or the TAR package.

INSTALLING THE SOURCE RPM PACKAGE

NOTE: The examples in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x and bnx2i drivers.
1. Install the source RPM package:
rpm -ivh netxtreme2-version.src.rpm
2. Change the directory to the RPM path and build the binary driver for your kernel (the RPM path is different for different
Linux distributions):
cd /usr/src/redhat,OpenLinux,turbo,packages,rpm …
rpm -bb SPECS/bnx2.spec
or
rpmbuild -bb SPECS/netxtreme2.spec (for RPM version 4.x.x)

NOTE: During your attempt to install a source RPM package, the following message may be displayed:
error: cannot create %sourcedir /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES
The most likely cause of the error is that the rpm-build package has not been installed. Locate the rpm-build package
on the Linux installation media and install it using the following command:
rpm -ivh rpm-build-version.arch.rpm
Complete the installation of the source RPM.
3. Install the newly built package (driver and man page):
rpm -ivh RPMS/i386/netxtreme2-version.arch.rpm
The --force option is needed if installing over an existing distribution that may already contain an older version of the
driver.
Depending on the kernel, the driver is installed to one of the following paths:
2.4.x kernels
/lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2.o
2.6.x kernels
/lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2.ko
For the bnx2i driver:
2.6.16 kernels and newer (bnx2 driver)
/lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2.ko
/lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/net/cnic.ko

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2.6.16 kernels and newer (bnx2i driver)
/lib/modules/kernel_version/kernel/drivers/iscsi/bnx2i.ko
4. Load the driver:
insmod bnx2
or
modprobe bnx2
5. Load the cnic driver (if applicable):
insmod cnic.ko
or
modprobe cnic
To configure the network protocol and address, refer to the documentation provided with your operating system.

BUILDING THE DRIVER FROM THE SOURCE TAR FILE

NOTE: The examples used in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x driver.
1. Create a directory and extract the TAR files to the directory:
tar xvzf netxtreme2-version.tar.gz
2. Build the driver bnx2.ko (or bnx2.o) as a loadable module for the running kernel:
cd netxtreme2-version
make
3. Test the driver by loading it (first unload the existing driver, if necessary):
rmmod bnx2
insmod bnx2.o
modprobe crc32 && insmod bnx2.o
or, for Linux 2.6 kernels:
rmmod bnx2
insmod bnx2.ko
No message should be returned if this command runs properly
4. Load the cnic driver (if applicable):
insmod cnic.ko
5. Install the driver and man page:
make install

NOTE: See the RPM instructions above for the location of the installed driver.
To configure the network protocol and address after building the driver, refer to the manuals supplied with your operating
system.

LOAD AND RUN NECESSARY ISCSI SOFTWARE COMPONENTS
Broadcom iSCSI Offload software suite consists of 3 kernel modules and a user daemon. Required software components
can be loaded either manually or through system services.

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1. Unload existing driver and kill user daemon, if necessary:
Manual:
rmmod bnx2i
pkill -9 bnx2id
Using service:
service bnx2id stop
2. Load the iSCSI driver and the user daemon:
Manual:
bnx2id
insmod bnx2i.ko
or
modprobe bnx2i
Using service:
service bnx2id start

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UNLOADING/REMOVING THE LINUX DRIVER
•

Unloading/Removing the Driver from an RPM Installation

•

Removing the Driver from a TAR Installation

UNLOADING/REMOVING THE DRIVER FROM AN RPM INSTALLATION

NOTES:
•

The examples used in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x driver.

•

On 2.6 kernels, it is not necessary to bring down the eth# interfaces before unloading the driver module.

•

If the cnic driver is loaded, unload the cnic driver before unloading the bnx2 driver.

•

Prior to unloading the bnx2i driver, disconnect all active iSCSI sessions to targets.

To unload the driver, use ifconfig to bring down all eth# interfaces opened by the driver, and then type the following:
rmmod bnx2
If the driver was installed using rpm, do the following to remove it:
rpm -e netxtreme2

REMOVING THE DRIVER FROM A TAR INSTALLATION

NOTE: The examples used in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x and bnx2i drivers.
If the driver was installed using make install from the tar file, the bnx2.o or bnx2.ko driver file has to be manually deleted from
the operating system. See Installing the Source RPM Package for the location of the installed driver.

PATCHING PCI FILES (OPTIONAL)
NOTE: The examples used in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x and bnx2i drivers.
For hardware detection utilities such as Red Hat kudzu to properly identify bnx2 supported devices, a number of files
containing PCI vendor and device information may need to be updated.
Apply the updates by running the scripts provided in the supplemental tar file. For example, on Red Hat Enterprise Linux,
apply the updates by doing the following:
./patch_pcitbl.sh /usr/share/hwdata/pcitable pci.updates
/usr/share/hwdata/pcitable.new bnx2
./patch_pciids.sh /usr/share/hwdata/pci.ids pci.updates
/usr/share/hwdata/pci.ids.new

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Next, the old files can be backed up and the new files can be renamed for use.
cp
cp
cp
cp

/usr/share/hwdata/pci.ids /usr/share/hwdata/old.pci.ids
/usr/share/hwdata/pci.ids.new /usr/share/hwdata/pci.ids
/usr/share/hwdata/pcitable /usr/share/hwdata/old.pcitable
/usr/share/hwdata/pcitable.new /usr/share/hwdata/pcitable

NETWORK INSTALLATIONS
For network installations through NFS, FTP, or HTTP (using a network boot disk or PXE), a driver disk that contains the
bnx2/bnx2x driver may be needed. The driver disk images for the most recent Red Hat and SuSE versions are included.
Boot drivers for other Linux versions can be compiled by modifying the Makefile and the make environment. Further
information is available from the Red Hat website, http://www.redhat.com.

SETTING VALUES FOR OPTIONAL PROPERTIES
Optional properties exist for the different drivers:
•

bnx2 Driver

•

bnx2x Driver

•

bnx2i Driver

BNX2

DRIVER

disable_msi
The disable_msi optional property can be supplied as a command line argument to the insmod or modprobe command.
The property can also be set in modprobe.conf. See the man page for more information. All other driver settings can be
queried and changed using the ethtool utility. See the ethtool man page for more information. The ethtool settings do not
persist across a reboot or module reload. The ethtool commands can be put in a startup script such as /etc/rc.local to
preserve the settings across a reboot.

NOTE: Some combinations of property values may conflict and result in failures. The driver cannot detect all such
conflicting combinations.
This property is used to disable Message Signal Interrupts (MSI), and the property is valid only on 2.6 kernels that support
MSI. On 2.4 kernels, this property cannot be used. By default, the driver enables MSI if it is supported by the kernel. It runs
an interrupt test during initialization to determine if MSI is working. If the test passes, the driver enables MSI. Otherwise, it
uses legacy INTx mode.
insmod bnx2.ko disable_msi=1
or
modprobe bnx2 disable_msi=1

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BNX2X

DRIVER

disable_tpa
The disable_tpa parameter can be supplied as a command line argument to disable the Transparent Packet Aggregation
(TPA) feature. By default, the driver will aggregate TCP packets. Use disable_tpa to disable the advanced TPA feature.
Set the disable_tpa parameter to 1 as shown below to disable the TPA feature on all NetXtreme II network adapters in the
system. The parameter can also be set in modprobe.conf. See the man page for more information.
insmod bnx2x.ko disable_tpa=1
or
modprobe bnx2x disable_tpa=1

int_mode
The int_mode parameter is used to force using an interrupt mode.
Set the int_mode parameter to 1 to force using the legacy INTx mode on all NetXtreme II adapters in the system.
insmod bnx2x.ko int_mode=1
or
modprobe bnx2x int_mode=1
Set the int_mode parameter to 2 to force using MSI mode on all NetXtreme II adapters in the system.
insmod bnx2x.ko int_mode=2
or
modprobe bnx2x int_mode=2
Set the int_mode parameter to 3 to force using MSI-X mode on all NetXtreme II adapters in the system.

dropless_fc
The dropless_fc parameter can be used to enable a complementary flow control mechanism on BCM57711 adapters. The
default flow control mechanism is to send pause frames when the on-chip buffer (BRB) is reaching a certain level of
occupancy. This is a performance targeted flow control mechanism. On BCM57711 adapters, one can enable another flow
control mechanism to send pause frames, where one of the host buffers (when in RSS mode) are exhausted.
This is a "zero packet drop" targeted flow control mechanism.
Set the dropless_fc parameter to 1 to enable the dropless flow control mechanism feature on all BCM57711 NetXtreme II
adapters in the system.
insmod bnx2x.ko dropless_fc=1
or
modprobe bnx2x dropless_fc=1

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BNX2I

DRIVER

Optional parameters en_tcp_dack, error_mask1, and error_mask2 can be supplied as command line arguments to the
insmod or modprobe command for bnx2i.
error_mask1 and error_mask2
"Config FW iSCSI Error Mask #", use to configure certain iSCSI protocol violation to be treated either as a warning or a fatal
error. All fatal iSCSI protocol violations will result in session recovery (ERL 0). These are bit masks.
Defaults: All violations will be treated as errors.

CAUTION! Do not use error_mask if you are not sure about the consequences. These values are to be discussed with
Broadcom development team on a case-by-case basis. This is just a mechanism to work around iSCSI implementation
issues on the target side and without proper knowledge of iSCSI protocol details, users are advised not to experiment with
these parameters.
en_tcp_dack
"Enable TCP Delayed ACK", enables/disables TCP delayed ACK feature on offloaded iSCSI connections.
Defaults: TCP delayed ACK is ENABLED. For example:
insmod bnx2i.ko en_tcp_dack=0
or
modprobe bnx2i en_tcp_dack=0
sq_size
"Configure SQ size", used to choose send queue size for offloaded connections and SQ size determines the maximum SCSI
commands that can be queued. SQ size also has a bearing on the number of connections that can be offloaded; as QP size
increases, the number of connections supported will decrease. With the default values, the BCM5706/BCM5708 adapter
can offload 28 connections.
Defaults: 128
Range: 32 to 128
Note that Broadcom validation is limited to a power of 2; for example, 32, 64, 128.
rq_size
“Configure RQ size”, used to choose the size of asynchronous buffer queue size per offloaded connections. RQ size is not
required greater than 16 as it is used to place iSCSI ASYNC/NOP/REJECT messages and SCSI sense data.
Defaults: 16
Range: 16 to 32

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Note that Broadcom validation is limited to a power of 2; for example, 16, 32.
event_coal_div
"Event Coalescing Divide Factor", performance tuning parameter used to moderate the rate of interrupt generation by the
iscsi firmware.
Defaults: 1
Valid values: 1, 2, 4, 8
bnx2i_nopout_when_commands_active
"iSCSI NOOP even when connection is not idle", this parameter enables the offload initiator to send iSCSI NOP-OUT on
wire even when the link is not truly idle. This was introduced to avoid unnecessary session recoveries induced by some older
targets when iSCSI NOP-OUT and iSCSI CMD pdus are intermixed. Newer iSCSI target systems are immune to this
condition and this parameter is turned ON for quite some time.
Defaults: 1
Values: Binary parameter, 0/1
The parameters can also be set in modprobe.conf. See the man page for more information.

DRIVER DEFAULTS
•

bnx2 Driver

•

bnx2x Driver

BNX2

DRIVER

Speed: Autonegotiation with all speeds advertised
Flow Control: Autonegotiation with RX and TX advertised
MTU: 1500 (range is 46–9000)
RX Ring Size: 255 (range is 0–4080)
RX Jumbo Ring Size: 0 (range 0–16320) adjusted by the driver based on MTU and RX Ring Size
TX Ring Size: 255 (range is (MAX_SKB_FRAGS+1)–255). MAX_SKB_FRAGS varies on different kernels and different
architectures. On a 2.6 kernel for x86, MAX_SKB_FRAGS is 18.
Coalesce RX Microseconds: 18 (range is 0–1023)
Coalesce RX Microseconds IRQ: 18 (range is 0–1023)
Coalesce RX Frames: 6 (range is 0–255)

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Coalesce RX Frames IRQ: 6 (range is 0–255)
Coalesce TX Microseconds: 80 (range is 0–1023)
Coalesce TX Microseconds IRQ: 80 (range is 0–1023)
Coalesce TX Frames: 20 (range is 0–255)
Coalesce TX Frames IRQ: 20 (range is 0–255)
Coalesce Statistics Microseconds: 999936 (approximately 1 second) (range is 0–16776960 in increments of 256)
MSI: Enabled (if supported by the 2.6 kernel and the interrupt test passes)
TSO: Enabled (on 2.6 kernels)
WoL: Initial setting based on NVRAM’s setting

BNX2X

DRIVER

Speed: Autonegotiation with all speeds advertised
Flow control: Autonegotiation with RX and TX advertised
MTU: 1500 (range is 46–9000)
RX Ring Size: 4078 (range is 0–4078)
TX Ring Size: 4078 (range is (MAX_SKB_FRAGS+4)–4078). MAX_SKB_FRAGS varies on different kernels and different
architectures. On a 2.6 kernel for x86, MAX_SKB_FRAGS is 18.
Coalesce RX Microseconds: 25 (range is 0–3000)
Coalesce TX Microseconds: 50 (range is 0–12288)
Coalesce Statistics Microseconds: 999936 (approximately 1 second) (range is 0–16776960 in increments of 256)
MSI-X: Enabled (if supported by the 2.6 kernel and the interrupt test passes)
TSO: Enabled
WoL: Disabled

DRIVER MESSAGES
The following are the most common sample messages that may be logged in the /var/log/messages file. Use dmesg -n
to control the level at which messages appear on the console. Most systems are set to level 6 by default. To see all
messages, set the level higher.

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•

bnx2 and bnx2x Driver

•

bnx2i Driver

BNX2 AND BNX2X

DRIVER

NOTE: The examples used in this procedure refer to the bnx2 driver, but also apply to the bnx2x driver.
Driver Sign on
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Driver
bnx2 v1.6.3c (July 23, 2007)
CNIC Driver Sign on (bnx2 only)
Broadcom NetXtreme II cnic v1.1.19 (Sep 25, 2007)
NIC Detected
eth#: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5708 1000Base-T (B0)
PCI-X 64-bit 133MHz found at mem f6000000, IRQ 16, node addr 0010180476ae
cnic: Added CNIC device: eth0
Link Up and Speed Indication
bnx2: eth# NIC Link is Up, 1000 Mbps full duplex
Link Down Indication
bnx2: eth# NIC Link is Down
MSI enabled successfully (bnx2 only)
bnx2: eth0: using MSI
MSI-X enabled successfully (bnx2x only)
bnx2x: eth0: using MSI-X

BNX2I

DRIVER

BNX2I Driver signon
Broadcom NetXtreme II iSCSI Driver bnx2i v1.0.30 (Sep 29, 2007)
Network port to iSCSI transport name binding
bnx2i: netif=eth2, iscsi=bcm570x-050000
bnx2i: netif=eth1, iscsi=bcm570x-030c00
Driver completes handshake with iSCSI offload-enabled CNIC device
bnx2i [05:00.00]: ISCSI_INIT passed

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NOTE: This message is displayed only when the user attempts to make an iSCSI connection.
Driver detects iSCSI offload is not enabled on the CNIC device
bnx2i: iSCSI not supported, dev=eth3
bnx2i: bnx2i: LOM is not enabled to offload iSCSI connections, dev=eth0
Driver unable to allocate TCP port for iSCSI connection
bnx2i: run 'bnx2id' daemon to alloc TCP ports
Exceeds maximum allowed iSCSI connection offload limit
bnx2i: unable to allocate iSCSI context resources
Network route to target node and transport name binding are two different devices
bnx2i: conn bind, ep=0x... ($ROUTE_HBA) does not belong to hba $USER_CHOSEN_HBA
where ROUTE_HBA --> net device on which connection was offloaded based on route information USER_CHOSEN_HBA
--> HBA to which target node is bound (using iscsi transport name)
Target cannot be reached on any of the CNIC devices
bnx2i: check route, cannot connect using cnic
Network route is assigned to network interface, which is down
bnx2i: check route, hba not found
Attempting to offload iSCSI connection onto a Jumbo Frame-enabled device
bnx2i: eth# network i/f mtu is set to #mtu
bnx2i: iSCSI HBA can support mtu of 1500

NOTE: Change mtu to 1500 using ifconfig and restart the interface in order to offload iSCSI connections.
SCSI-ML initiated host reset (session recovery)
bnx2i: attempting to reset host, #3
CNIC detects iSCSI protocol violation - Fatal errors
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:

iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error

wrong StatSN rcvd
hdr digest err
data digest err
wrong opcode rcvd
AHS len > 0 rcvd
invalid ITT rcvd
wrong StatSN rcvd
wrong DataSN rcvd
pend R2T violation
ERL0, UO
ERL0, U1
ERL0, U2

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bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:
bnx2i:

iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error
iscsi_error

ERL0, U3
ERL0, U4
ERL0, U5
ERL0, U
invalid resi len
MRDSL violation
F-bit not set
invalid TTT
invalid DataSN
burst len violation
buf offset violation
invalid LUN field
invalid R2TSN field
invalid cmd len1
invalid cmd len2
pend r2t exceeds MaxOutstandingR2T value
TTT is rsvd
MBL violation
data seg len != 0
reject pdu len error
async pdu len error
nopin pdu len error
pend r2t in cleanup
IP fragments rcvd
IP options error
urgent flag error

CNIC detects iSCSI protocol violation - non-FATAL, warning
bnx2i: iscsi_warning - invalid TTT
bnx2i: iscsi_warning - invalid DataSN
bnx2i: iscsi_warning - invalid LUN field

NOTE: The driver needs to be configured to consider certain violation to treat as warning and not as a critical error.
Driver puts a session through recovery
conn_err - hostno 3 conn 03fbcd00, iscsi_cid 2 cid a1800
Reject iSCSI PDU received from the target
bnx2i - printing rejected PDU contents
[0]: 1 ffffffa1 0 0 0 0 20 0
[8]: 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0
[10]: 0 0 40 24 0 0 ffffff80 0
[18]: 0 0 3 ffffff88 0 0 3 4b
[20]: 2a 0 0 2 ffffffc8 14 0 0
[28]: 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Open-iSCSI daemon handing over session to driver
bnx2i: conn update - MBL 0x800 FBL 0x800MRDSL_I 0x800 MRDSL_T 0x2000

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TEAMING WITH CHANNEL BONDING
With the Linux drivers, you can team adapters together using the bonding kernel module and a channel bonding interface.
For more information, see the Channel Bonding information in your operating system documentation.

STATISTICS
Detailed statistics and configuration information can be viewed using the ethtool utility. See the ethtool man page for more
information.

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LINUX ISCSI OFFLOAD
•

User Application - bnx2id

•

Open iSCSI User Applications

•

Bind iSCSI Target to Broadcom NX2 iSCSI Transport Name

•

Making Connections to iSCSI Targets

•

Maximize Offload iSCSI Connections

•

Linux iSCSI Offload FAQ

USER APPLICATION - BNX2ID
Run the bnx2id daemon before attempting to create iSCSI connections. The driver will not be able to establish connections
to the iSCSI target without the daemon's assistance.
bnx2id
The bnx2id daemon requires mknod and sh shell, which are standard on any regular server. For iSCSI boot using
NetXtreme II offload support, binaries for mknod and sh need to be bundled into initrd image.

OPEN ISCSI USER APPLICATIONS
Install and run the open-iscsi programs, iscsid and iscsiadm, from the Broadcom distributed open-iscsi packages. Refer to
Packaging for details. All pre-installed open-iscsi packages need to be removed before the Broadcom iSCSI-supported
packages can be installed.
1. Remove all existing open-iscsi packages.
RHEL5
rpm -e iscsi-initiator-utils
SLES10 SP1
rpm -e open-iscsi
2. Install the source RPM package.
rpm -ivh .src.rpm
3. CD to the RPM path and build the binary driver for your kernel.
cd /usr/src/{redhat,OpenLinux,turbo,packages,rpm ..}
rpm -bb SPECS/.spec
or
rpmbuild -bb SPECS/.spec (for RPM version 4.x.x)
Note that the RPM path is different for different Linux distributions.
4. Install the newly built package.
rpm -ivh RPMS//..rpm
where is the machine architecture such as i386.
rpm -ivh RPMS/i386/.i386.rpm
5. Start the daemon.
iscsid

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BIND ISCSI TARGET TO BROADCOM NX2 ISCSI TRANSPORT NAME
By default, the open-iscsi daemon connects to discovered targets using software initiator (transport name = 'tcp'). Users who
wish to offload iSCSI connection onto CNIC device should explicitly change transport binding of the iSCSI node. This can
be done using iscsiadm cli utility as follows,
iscsiadm --mode node --targetname iqn.2004-06.com.broadcom:tg1 \
--portal 192.168.1.100 --op=update \
--name=node.transport_name --value=${XPORT_NAME}
where XPORT_NAME=bcm570x-xxyyzz
xx - pci bus number of the NX2 device
yy - pci device number of the NX2 device
zz - pci function number of the NX2 device
Network interface to iscsi transport name binding can be obtained by executing the following.
dmesg | grep "bnx2i: netif"
Sample output in a system with two NetXtreme II devices:
bnx2i: netif=eth1, iscsi=bcm570x-050000
bnx2i: netif=eth0, iscsi=bcm570x-030000
If you wish to switch back to use the software initiator, use the following:
iscsiadm --mode node --targetname iqn.2004-06.com.broadcom:tg1 \
--portal 192.168.1.100 --op=update \
--name=node.transport_name --value=tcp

MAKING CONNECTIONS TO ISCSI TARGETS
Refer to open-iscsi documentation for a comprehensive list of iscsiadm commands. This is a sample list of commands to
discovery targets and to create iscsi connections to a target.
Add static entry
iscsiadm -m node -p -T iqn.2007-05.com.broadcom:target1 -o new
iSCSI target discovery using 'SendTargets'
iscsiadm -m discovery --type sendtargets -p
Login to target using 'iscsiadm' command
iscsiadm --mode node --targetname --portal --login
List all drives active in the system
'fdisk -l'

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MAXIMIZE OFFLOAD ISCSI CONNECTIONS
With default driver parameters set, which includes 128 outstanding commands, bnx2i can offload a maximum of 28 iSCSI
connections. This is not a hard limit, but just a simple on-chip resource allocation math. bnx2i will be able to offload > 28
connections by reducing the shared queue size which in turn limits the maximum outstanding tasks on a connection. See
Setting Values for Optional Properties for information on sq_size and rq_size. Driver logs the following message to syslog
when the maximum allowed connection offload limit is reached - “bnx2i: unable to allocate iSCSI context resources”

LINUX ISCSI OFFLOAD FAQ
•

Not all Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters support iSCSI offload.

•

The iSCSI session will not recover after a hot remove and hot plug.

•

For MPIO to work properly, iSCSI nopout should be enabled on each iSCSI session. Refer to open-iscsi documentation
for procedures on setting up noop_out_interval and noop_out_timeout values.

•

In the scenario where multiple CNIC devices are in the system and the system is booted via Broadcom’s iSCSI boot
solution, ensure that the iscsi node under /etc/iscsi/nodes for the boot target is bound to the NIC that is used for booting.

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NetWare D river Softwa re: Broadcom NetXtreme
I I ™ N e t wo r k A da pt e r U s e r G u id e
•

Overview

•

Preinstallation Requirements

•

Installing NetWare Server 6.5 Driver Software

•

Viewing or Modifying Adapter Properties

•

Removing Drivers from Autoexec.ncf

OVERVIEW
This section discusses three NetWare drivers:
•

BX2.LAN: Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet 32-bit driver

•

BX2.COM: Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet 16-bit driver

•

BNX2EV.COM: Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet 16-bit driver

PREINSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
A network device driver must be installed before the Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet adapter can be used with your
Novell NetWare system.
Before you can successfully install the adapter driver for Novell NetWare, the adapter card must be physically installed in
the system and, typically, NetWare operating system software must already be running on the system. Make sure that your
system meets the hardware and operating system software requirements described in Installing the Hardware.
To enable the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter to function correctly, you must install the latest Novell NetWare support pack
files. The NetWare support pack or patch file(s) needed for the operating system running on your server are indicated below:

Table 1: NetWare Support Files
NetWare Version

Support Pack

Files to be Installed

NetWare 6.5

Latest support pack

The latest support pack can be found at: http://
support.novell.com/tools/csp/index.html

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INSTALLING NETWARE SERVER 6.5 DRIVER SOFTWARE
You may want to create an archive disk by copying all the files from the CDROM\NetWare\Driver directory onto a floppy disk.
If you elect to use the CD directly, ensure that the CDROM.NLM file is loaded and that you know the NetWare volume name
for the CD.
1. From the NetWare Server console, type HDETECT, and then press ENTER.
2. From Options, press ENTER to accept Platform Support Module and Hot-Plug Support Module and continue detecting
devices.
3. From Options, scroll down to select Modify, and then press ENTER to change focus to detected devices.
4. Scroll down to Network boards and press ENTER.
5. From Additional Driver Options, scroll down to Modify, and then press ENTER.
6. Insert the CD or archive floppy disk you created, and then select the Add option by pressing INSERT.
7. Select the Install an unlisted driver option, by pressing INSERT.
8. If you inserted the archive floppy disk, press ENTER. If you have the CD mounted as a NetWare volume, press F3 and
type Volume Name: NetWare\Driver as the source path, where Volume Name is the name of the NetWare volume for
the CD, and NetWare\Driver is the directory of the specific files on the CD needed for this installation.
9. Press DOWN ARROW or TAB to switch back to Additional Driver Options.
10. Choose Return to driver summary, and then press ENTER.
11. Choose Continue in Options.
12. Choose Continue from Protocol Options unless you want to configure and bind protocols before continuing. Installation
is now complete.

VIEWING OR MODIFYING ADAPTER PROPERTIES
When an adapter configuration is saved, the NetWare installation program adds load and bind statements to the
Autoexec.ncf file. By accessing this file, you can view and modify properties or add properties for each network adapter.

NOTE: The Novell monitor program and the config command are also useful for viewing driver configuration
properties. For information on how to use these programs, see the Utilities Reference in your Novell NetWare online
documentation.
The properties that can be defined in the load statements are described below:

CONFIGURATION PROPERTIES FOR BX2.LAN DRIVER
TxDescriptors=
Initializes Descriptor resources on the adapter for transmits.
Min = 100
Max = 512
Default = 120

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RxBuffers=
This is to pre-allocate receive ECBs & Receive adapter resources. This setting may be affected by the NetWare Server
maximum/minimum packet receive buffer settings.
Min = 32
Max = 1000
Default = 200

Speed=
This keyword forces the line speed of the adapter. When this keyword is used, the switch to which the adapter cable is
connected must be forced. Otherwise, the adapter and switch may run at different duplex modes. It is important to have the
switch and adapter set properly. The best way to ensure good connectivity is to not set the speed keyword and allow for
automatic link setup (auto-negotiation).
AUTO
10FD
10HD
100FD
100HD
The default setting is AUTO. Note that 1000 Mbit/s speed is auto-detected and cannot be forced.

Link=
This keyword is set to AUTO to allow the adapter to auto-negotiate with a switch using the Speed keyword as an advertised
speed upper limit. It is best to allow for auto-negotiation of the adapter and switch by not setting this keyword or the Speed
keyword.
AUTO
FORCE
The default is Auto. When set to FORCE, auto-negotiation is disabled and the link speed is forced to a specific value.

RxTicks=
Enables the use of batching receives within a specific time period.
Min = 0 (Disabled)
Max = 5000000 (5 seconds)
Units are in microseconds, The default value is 300.

TxTicks=
Enables the use of a transmit tick threshold interrupt within a specific time period.
Min = 0 (Disabled)
Max = 5000000 (5 seconds)
Units are in microseconds. The default value is 200.

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TxPacketsPer=
Enables allowing an interrupt to occur after a specific amount of packets is transmitted.
Min = 0 (Disabled)
Max = 100
The default value is 20.

RxPacketsPer=
Enables allowing an interrupt to occur after a specific amount of packets is received.
Min = 0 (Disabled)
Max = 100
The default value is 75.

CheckSum=
Enables or disables the transmit and receive checksum offload feature. Checksum offload support is only for TCP/IP
packets; therefore, the default setting for checksum offload is OFF.
OFF
ON
TX
RX

FlowCtrl=
This keyword allows enabling/disabling of transmit and receive flow control.
BOTH
RX
TX
OFF
The default setting is OFF.

PDriver=
Enables the driver to operate in persistent driver mode. Use only if the adapter is placed in a hot-plug slot and only if you
must swap with an adapter that is exactly the same.
OFF
ON
The default setting is OFF.

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NODE=
A Novell NetWare keyword that allows an input Ethernet node address to replace the adapter factory-programmed Ethernet
node address until a subsequent reboot.
NODE=nnnnnnnnnnnn

FRAME=
A Novell NetWare keyword for specifying the frame type.
ETHERNET_II
ETHERNET_802.3
ETHERNET_802.2
ETHERNET_SNAP
The default value is ETHERNET_802.2.

SLOT=
A Novell NetWare keyword used to set a system-wide unique hardware instance number (HIN) that may be the physical slot
number on a slot-based bus such as PCI.
SLOT=n

Jumbo=
Enables jumbo frame support. When enabled, jumbo packets of up to 9000 bytes are supported.
Jumbo=1536–9000
The default setting is no jumbo packets.

NOTES:
•

Jumbo frames are supported only on NetWare 6.0 and later. Also, the first frame loaded must be
ETHERNET_II.

•

Jumbo frame support must have the following text in the Startup.ncf file: "Set maximum physical receive packet
size = 18000."

P3=
This keyword is used when running Perform3.exe tests and may be used to increase performance on networks running with
many IPX clients.
Set P3=1 when running the Perform3 test back to back to a single client.
Set P3=2 when running the Perform3 test with many clients.
The default setting is P3=0.

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Spuriousfix=
When this keyword is set to 1 (Spurious Fix is ON), the spurious interrupts count that is sometimes displayed on the NetWare
console may be reduced. Setting this keyword to 0 (Spurious Fix is OFF) may enhance performance.
Spuriousfix = 0 (Spurious Fix is off)
Spuriousfix = 1 (Spurious Fix is on)
The default value is 1 (Spurious Fix is on).

Poll=
Disables the interrupt driven mode. When set to Poll=1, the driver does not use interrupts, but is polled by the NetWare
operating system. This is a common feature supported in NetWare. The poll mode may increase driver performance in some
environments.
Poll = 1 (on)
Poll = 0 (off)
The default value is 0 (Poll mode is off).

Wirespeed=
This feature provides adapter link and data integrity even if the adapter is attached to a questionable cable and/or switch.
For example, an adapter that is trying to connect at 1000 Mbit/s on a Category 3 cable ordinarily would not link. With
Wirespeed set to 1, the link is made at 100 Mbit/s.
Wirespeed = 1 (on)
Wirespeed = 0 (off)
The default value is 1 (Wirespeed is on).

Model=
This keyword allows the addition of a subsystem ID of a specific NIC so that the driver loads only on the first NIC found with
a matching subsystem ID. For example, MODEl= 0x14e4. The default value is 0

MagicP=
When MagicP=1, the driver enables the adapter to wake up the system when a Magic Packet™ frame is received after the
system is shut down. MagicP=0 is the default setting with the adapter having no wake-up ability.
MagicP = 1 (on)
MagicP = 0 (off)
The default value is 0 (No wake-up capability).

Fiber=
The driver has support for the 1000FD fiber adapter. The fiber auto-negotiates link with a fiber switch even though it only
supports 1000FD. In some cases, the user may want to force the adapter to 1000FD.

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AUTO (default)
FORCE

NOTE: If you modify any of the adapter properties, you must reboot the system before the changes take effect. If
you make changes and do not reboot, you may experience problems.
A valid Autoexec.ncf file is shown below. One set of load and bind commands (in bold) is added for each frame type the
adapter is configured to support.
SET Daylight Savings Time Offset = 1:00:00
SET Start Of Daylight Savings Time = (MARCH SUNDAY LAST 2:00:00 AM)
SET End Of Daylight Savings Time = (OCTOBER SUNDAY LAST 2:00:00 AM)
SET Time Zone = TPST8TPDT
# Note: The Time zone information mentioned above
# should always precede the SERVER name.
# WARNING!!
FILE SERVER NAME DL760
# WARNING!!
# If you change the name of this server, you must update
# the server name in all the licenses that are assigned
# to it using iManager.
SERVERID 487B10D
LOAD ODINEB.NLM
LOAD IPXRTR
LOAD IPXRTRNM
LOAD TCPIP
LOAD BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_802.2 NAME=BX2_1_E82
BIND IPX BX2_1_E82 NET=FAFD3D25
LOAD BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_802.3 NAME=BX2_1_E83
BIND IPX BX2_1_E83 NET=5A2D8D6D
LOAD BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_SNAP NAME=BX2_1_ESP
BIND IPX BX2_1_ESP NET=477A35BD
LOAD BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_II NAME=BX2_1_EII
BIND IPX BX2_1_EII NET=C3C8F2E4
BIND IP BX2_1_EII ADDR=172.16.1.1 MASK=ff.ff.ff.0
mount all
SEARCH ADD SYS:\JAVA\BIN
SEARCH ADD SYS:\JAVA\NWGFX

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REMOVING DRIVERS FROM AUTOEXEC.NCF
To remove the drivers from the Autoexec.ncf file, locate the load and bind command lines associated with the Broadcom
driver and remark them out by inserting the # symbol at the beginning of each command line, or by deleting the statement.
Example:
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#

LOAD
BIND
LOAD
BIND
LOAD
BIND
LOAD
BIND
BIND

BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_802.2 NAME=BX2_1_E82
IPX BX2_1_E82 NET=FAFD3D25
BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_802.3 NAME=BX2_1_E83
IPX BX2_1_E83 NET=5A2D8D6D
BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_SNAP NAME=BX2_1_ESP
IPX BX2_1_ESP NET=477A35BD
BX2 SLOT=2 FRAME=Ethernet_II NAME=BX2_1_EII
IPX BX2_1_EII NET=C3C8F2E4
IP BX2_1_EII ADDR=172.16.1.1 MASK=ff.ff.ff.0

NOTE: If you modify the Autoexec.ncf file, you must reboot the server before the changes take effect.

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Wi n dows D r i v e r S of t w a r e : B ro a d c o m N e t X tr e m e
I I ™ N e t wo r k A da pt e r U s e r G u id e
•

Installing the Driver Software

•

Removing the Device Drivers

•

Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver

•

Inserting the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver in a WinPE 2.0 Image

•

Viewing or Changing the Properties of the Adapter

•

Setting Power Management Options

INSTALLING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
NOTE: These instructions are based on the assumption that your Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter was not factory
installed. If your controller was installed at the factory, the driver software has been installed for you.
When Windows first starts after a hardware device (such as a Broadcom NetXtreme II Adapter) has been installed, or after
the existing device driver has been removed, the operating system automatically detects the hardware and prompts you to
install the driver software for that device.
Both a graphical interactive installation mode (see Using the Installer) and a command-line silent mode for unattended
installation (see Using Silent Installation) are available.

NOTES:
•

Before installing the driver software, verify that the Windows operating system has been upgraded to the latest
version with the latest service pack applied.

•

A network device driver must be physically installed before the Broadcom NetXtreme II Controller can be used
with your Windows operating system. Drivers are located on the installation CD.

•

USING THE INSTALLER
To install the Broadcom NetXtreme II drivers
1. When the Found New Hardware Wizard appears, click Cancel.
2. Insert the installation CD into the CD or DVD drive.
3. On the installation CD,open the folder for your operating system, open the DrvInst folder, and then double-click
Setup.exe to open the InstallShield Wizard.

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4. Click Next to continue.
5. After you review the license agreement, click I accept the terms in the license agreement and then click Next to
continue.
6. Select how you want to install the NetXtreme II drivers and then click Next.
7. Click Install.
8. Click Finish to close the wizard.
9. The installer will determine if a system restart is necessary. Follow the on-screen instructions.

USING SILENT INSTALLATION

NOTES:
•

All commands are case sensitive.

•

User must “Run as Administrator” for Vista when using “msiexec” for “silent” install/uninstall(s).

•

For detailed instructions and information about unattended installs, refer to the Silent.txt file in the DrvInst folder.

To perform a silent install from within the installer source folder
Type the following:
setup /s /v/qn
or
msiexec /i "BDrv5706.msi" /qn
To perform a silent upgrade from within the installer source folder
Type the following:
setup /s /v/qn
To perform a silent uninstall from within the installer source folder
Type the following:
msiexec /x "BDrv5706.msi" /qn
To perform a silent uninstall from any folder
msiexec /x "{F0DA8A3F-1457-419E-96F4-235DD3EF41E1}" /qn

NOTE: The hexidecimal number above may differ from your current installer. Check the Key name corresponding
with the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) application in
HKLM\Software\Mictrosoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for the correct hexidecimal number.
To perform a silent reinstall of the same installer
Type the following:
setup /s /v"/qn REINSTALL=ALL"

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NOTE: The REINSTALL switch should only be used if the same installer is already installed on the system. If
upgrading an earlier version of the installer, use setup /s /v/qn as listed above.
To perform a GUI reinstall of the same installer
Type the following:
setup /V"REINSTALL=ALL"
If performing a silent upgrade or uninstall, ensure to do a manual reboot afterwards to avoid leaving the system in an
inconsistent state.
During silent upgrade or uninstall, your system may reboot automatically. If you wish to suppress the reboot, please append
REBOOT=ReallySuppress to the end of the corresponding upgrade or uninstall command listed above.
In some circumstances, reboot is required before uninstallation can continue. If you used REBOOT=ReallySuppress to
suppress the reboot, the uninstallation may be suspended. You will need to reboot manually for the uninstallation to continue.
To perform a silent install and create a log file at (f:\1testlog.txt)
setup /s /v”/qn /L f:\1testlog.txt”

REMOVING THE DEVICE DRIVERS

NOTE: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 provide the Device Driver
Rollback feature to replace a device driver with one that was previously installed. However, the complex software
architecture of the NetXtreme II device may present problems if the rollback feature is used on one of the individual
components. Therefore, we recommend that changes to driver versions be made only through the use of a driver
installer.
To remove the device drivers
1. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Broadcom NetXtreme II GigE Driver Installer, and then click Remove. Follow the onscreen prompts.
3. Click Yes to restart your system.
- or 4. Click No to restart your system at a later time. Click OK to acknowledge that the installation has been suspended. The
uninstallation of the driver is postponed until the next restart of your system.

USING THE NETXTREME II MONOLITHIC DRIVER
The NetXtreme II, based on its advanced functionalities, uses a software architecture that includes a Virtual Bus Device
(VBD) to extend functionalities beyond basic network connectivity. Microsoft, however, does not currently support this
architecture when loading an operating system through its Windows Deployment Services (WDS), which was previously

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known as Remote Installation Services (RIS), or for the deployment agent used in the Automated Deployment Services
(ADS). Therefore, a separate driver was created to accommodate these Microsoft deficiencies. This driver is known as the
NetXtreme II monolithic driver, but it is sometimes referred to as the "RIS" driver.
The NetXtreme II monolithic driver was developed to work only for the text mode portion of a WDS legacy installation and
to establish connectivity with a deployment agent for ADS. It is not intended to be used as a driver loaded in the running
state of an operating system. The exception to this would be when used for the Windows Preinstallation Environment
(WinPE).
For WDS, this driver is used similarly to any other network adapter driver for supporting network connectivity after the PXE
boot to the WDS server. When placed in the I386 or AMD64 directory (depending on the version of the operating system
being deployed), the monolithic driver is called to establish that there is driver support for the NetXtreme II adapter included
in the WDS legacy image.
For ADS, the driver is placed in the PreSystem directory on the server running ADS to establish connectivity with the
deployment agent on remote systems with NetXtreme II adapters when booting from PXE.
While Windows PE 2005 natively supports the VBD architecture, it was found that using the "minint" switch in the
startnet.cmd file does not. The minint switch performs a limited scan of the system bus to identify network devices only and,
therefore, does not support the VBD architecture. Since only network connectivity is required in Windows PE, the only
supported driver is the monolithic driver for the NetXtreme II adapter in this environment as well. Place the b06nd.inf file in
the INF directory within the Windows PE image, and place the appropriate driver file (b06nd51a.sys for x64-based builds or
b06nd51.sys for x86-based builds) in the driver’s directory. If Windows PE is deployed as a flat image from a RIS or WDS
server, you must also place both the b06nd.inf and the appropriate driver file in the I386 or AMD64 directory containing the
image. If the RIS or WDS server is running Windows 2000 Server and deploying an x86 WinPE image, you may need to
include the Windows 2000 monolithic driver file (b06nd50x.sys) in the I386 directory. In cases where adding the Windows
2000 monolithic driver still does not work, apply the following modification to the b06nd.inf file located in the I386 directory
as follows:
1. Locate [Manufacturer] header within the file.
2. Review the line below it which reads: %brcm% = broadcom, ntx86, ntamd64, ntia64 or equivalent.
3. Modify that line to read: %brcm% = broadcom.ntx86, ntamd64, ntia64. The change made replaces the comma and space
after “broadcom” with a period.
4. Save the file.
5. Restart the RIS service (binlsvc) or WDS services (wdsserver).

INSERTING THE NETXTREME II MONOLITHIC DRIVER IN A WINPE 2.0
IMAGE
The Microsoft Windows Server 2008 method of inserting the NetXtreme II monolithic driver in a WinPe 2.0 image is different
from the Windows Server 2008 R2 method, as discussed below.
By default, the monolithic driver is not included in the boot.wim and install.wim files that come with the Microsoft Windows
Server 2008/Vista CD. Microsoft's Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) allows you to modify the default boot.wim and
install.wim files, and create WinPE 2.0 images to include the NetXtreme II monolithic driver in the Windows Server 2008/
Vista installation.
To insert the monolithic driver into a WinPE 2.0 boot image (Windows Server 2008)

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To insert Broadcom's NetXtreme II monolithic driver in a WinPE 2.0 image, download AIK from http://www.microsoft.com/
downloads/en/default.aspx and install.
After installing AIK, copy the latest monolithic driver to a directory on the local hard drive of the system you installed the AIK.
Follow the procedure below to insert the monolithic driver into a WinPE 2.0 boot image.
1. From All Programs, open Windows AIK and select Windows PE Tools Command prompt.
2. At the command prompt, run the copype.cmd script. The script requires two arguments: hardware architecture and
destination location.
copype.cmd
For example: copype x86 c:\VistaPEx86

NOTE: The directory structure c:\VistaPEx86 is used throughout this procedure.
3. Mount the base image to a local directory so that you can add or remove packages by typing:
imagex /mountrw c:\VistaPEx86\winpe.wim 1 c:\VistaPEx86\mount
4. Place the monolithic driver and inf file in c:\drivers\x32\ by typing:
peimg /inf=c:\Drivers\x32\b06nd.inf c:\VistaPEx86\mount\windows
AIK inserts the driver into the WinPE 2.0 image.
5. To complete the customization of the image, prepare the image for deployment, type:
peimg /prep c:\VistaPEx86\mount\windows
6. When asked to continue and have the program prepare the image for deployment, type:
yes
7. To commit the changes to the original image file (Winpe.wim), type:
imagex /unmount c:\VistaPEx86\mount /commit
8. To replace the default Boot.wim file in the \ISO directory with your new custom image, type:
copy c:\VistaPex86\winpe.wim c:\VistaPEx86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

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To add a device driver to an offline Windows PE image (Windows Server 2008 R2)
This procedure demonstrates how to use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to add a device
driver (.inf) to an offline Windows PE image. Before running a DISM command, first mount the Windows PE image.
1. Mount the base image by using the DISM tool to a local Windows PE directory. For example:
Dism /Mount-WIM /WimFile:c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim /index:1 /MountDir:c:\winpe_x86\mount

NOTE: The directory structure c:\winpe_x86 is used throughout this procedure.
2. Add the .inf file to the base image by using the dism command with the /Add-Driver option. For example Driver.inf is the
Broadcom driver, evnd.inf is the driver for the 10 Gbps devices, and b06nd.inf is the driver for the 1 Gbps devices.
Dism /image: /Add-Driver /Driver:c:\winpe_x86\mount\Windows\driver.inf
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each additional device driver.
4. Unmount the image after modifying it.
dism /unmount-wim /Mountdir:c:\winpe_x86\mount /commit
5. After unmounting the image, burn it to the designated media.
To create a bootable CD-ROM
1. On your technician computer, at the command prompt, create an .iso file by typing:
oscdimg -n -bc:\VistaPEx86\etfsboot.com c:\VistaPEx86\ISO C:\VistaPEx86\VistaPEx86.iso
2. Burn the iso image to a CD.

CONFIGURING THE SPEED/DUPLEX SETTING FOR THE NETXTREME II
MONOLITHIC DRIVER
Since the typical environment where the NetXtreme II monolithic driver is used does not provide the means to configure
advanced network adapter properties, the driver file (b06nd.inf) was modified to include a section that allows it to be
configured for a specific speed and/or duplex. This provides a more robust connection to the network as it allows the adapter
to match the settings of its link partner (e.g., a switch, router, etc.).
To manually configure the speed and duplex
1. Open the b06nd.inf file with a text editor like Microsoft Notepad or WordPad.
2. Perform a search on the file for "Registry parameters" to locate the section that will allow you to configure the adapter
speed/duplex.
3. Once located, notice the following information shown.
[params_utp]
hkr, , req_medium,
2, "0"
[params_fiber]
hkr, , req_medium,
2, "65283"
These make up two separate sections that can be configured: one for standard RJ-45 copper interfaces (params_utp) and
one for fiber devices (params_fiber).
4. As described in the file, replace the value above in quotation marks under the correct section, depending upon the
network adapter in your system. The available values are shown below.
Options for copper interfaces:

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•

Auto (1 Gbps is enabled when that speed is supported) = "0"

•

10 Mbps Half Duplex = "65794"

•

10 Mbps Full Duplex = "258"

•

100 Mbps Half Duplex = "66050"

•

100 Mbps Full Duplex = "514"

Options for fiber interfaces:
•

Auto (1 Gbps is enabled when that speed is supported) = "0"

•

1 Gbps Full Duplex = "771"

•

Auto with 1 Gbps Fallback = "33539"

•

Hardware default = "65283"

An example is provided in the file showing how to configure a copper interface for a 10 Mbps Full Duplex connection. The
example is shown below.
hkr, , req_medium,

2, "258"

VIEWING OR CHANGING THE PROPERTIES OF THE ADAPTER
To view or change the properties of the Broadcom network adapter
1. In Control Panel, click Broadcom Control Suite 3.
2. Click the Advanced section of the Configurations tab.
3. See Setting Adapter Properties for a detailed description of the available properties as well as for instructions for viewing
and changing the value of a particular property.

SETTING POWER MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
You can set power management options to allow the operating system to turn off the controller to save power or to allow the
controller to wake up the computer. If the device is busy doing something (servicing a call, for example) however, the
operating system will not shut down the device. The operating system attempts to shut down every possible device only
when the computer attempts to go into hibernation. To have the controller stay on at all times, do not click the Allow the
computer to turn off the device to save power check box.

NOTE: Power management options are not available on blade servers.

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NOTES:
•

The Power Management tab is available only for servers that support power management.

•

To enable Wake on LAN (WOL) when the computer is on standby, click Allow the device to bring the
computer out of standby box.

•

If you select Only allow management stations to bring the computer out of standby, the computer can be
brought out of standby only by Magic Packet.

CAUTION! Do not select Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power for any adapter that is a member
of a team.

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U s i n g B ro a d c o m A dvan c e d C o nt rol S u i t e 3 :
Broadcom Ne tXtrem e II™ N etwor k Adapter Use r
G ui de
•

Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 Overview

•

Starting Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3

•

Using Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3

•

Configuring Teaming

•

Configuring With the Command Line Interface Utility

BROADCOM ADVANCED CONTROL SUITE 3 OVERVIEW
Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS 3) is an integrated utility that provides useful information about each network
adapter that is installed in your system. BACS 3 also enables you to perform detailed tests, diagnostics, and analyses on
each adapter, as well as to view and modify property values and view traffic statistics for each adapter.
Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP), which runs within Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3, is used to configure
teams for load balancing, fault tolerance, and virtual local area networks (VLANs). BASP functionality is available only on
systems that use at least one Broadcom network adapter.

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STARTING BROADCOM ADVANCED CONTROL SUITE 3
In Control Panel, click Broadcom Control Suite 3.
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 includes the runtime and associated files needed to run BACS 3, and must be installed on
your system in order for BACS 3 to operate. For information on the minimum and recommended .NET Framework versions
for your operating system, see Table 1.

NOTES:
•

Starting BACS 3 without .NET Framework (version 2.0 or above) installed on your system will result in an error.

•

For optimal performance of BACS 3, Broadcom recommends .NET Framework 2.0 SP1, .NET Framework 3.0
SP1, or .NET Framework 3.5, depending on your operating system.

Table 1: Minimum and Recommended .NET Framework Versions for BACS 3
Minimum Required

Recommended

Operating System
Version

How to Obtain

Version

How to Obtain

Windows 2000 Server

.NET 2.0

Download from Microsoft

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2003

.NET 2.0

Download from Microsoft

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2003 R2

.NET 2.0

Included in OS package,
but by default, not included
during installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Vista

.NET 2.0

Included in .NET 3.0,
which is included during
OS installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Download from Microsoft

Windows Server 2008

.NET 2.0

Included in .NET 2.0 SP1,
which is included during
OS installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Included in OS package

Windows Server 2008 R2

.NET 2.0

Included in .NET 2.0 SP1,
which is included during
OS installation

.NET 2.0 SP1

Included in OS package

USING BROADCOM ADVANCED CONTROL SUITE 3
Start BACS 3. Click the tab that provides the information of interest or from which to perform a desired test, diagnostic,
analysis, or set adapter properties. To create a team, see Configuring Teaming.

USING THE INTERFACE
BACS 3 features a context-sensitive interface. When an item is selected in the Explorer View, such as an adapter, driver,
team, or VLAN, the interface changes to display the information and options available for the selected item. Certain tabs,

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menu options, and device information are only available based on the types of devices installed or the item selected in the
interface.
Two buttons at the bottom of the interface control what you want to manage: click the Device Management button to manage
the connected devices, or click the Team Management button to create and manage teams.

Device Management
The Device Management pane lists the devices that can be viewed, analyzed, tested, or adjusted by BACS 3. When an item
is selected in the Device Management pane, the tabs showing the information and options that are available for the item
appear. Because the BACS 3 interface is context-sensitive, only the information that applies to the selected item can be
viewed or adjusted.
Items in Device Management can be listed by type or by connection.
To list items in Device Management by type
•

At the top of the Device Management pane, click By Type.

A single hardware device may be using several different drivers, so Device Management breaks each item out into separate
categories.
•

Network Adapters. Lists the available NDIS client adapters.

•

iSCSI Controllers. Lists client items using iSCSI network protocols.

•

System Devices. Lists VBD server drivers.

To list items in Device Management by connection
•

At the top of the Device Management pane, click By Connection.

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The Connection View lists the server and client devices in a parent/child hierarchy, which makes it easier to see the
relationships between the adapters. Just as in the Device Management pane, selecting items in the Connection View shows
the options available for that item.

Device Icons
The icon next to each device in the Device Management pane shows its status. An icon next to a device name that appears
normal means the device is connected and working.
•

X. A red “X” that appears on the device’s icon indicates the device is currently not connected to the network.

•

Greyed out. A device icon that appears greyed out indicates the device is currently disabled.

Team Management
The Team Management pane displays how network adapters have been grouped together to function as a team, or virtual
LAN. The pane separates the adapters that have been grouped into a team from those that remain unassigned.
Team Management only becomes available when more than one Broadcom network adapters are installed and available to
be grouped into a team.

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To create or edit teams
•

See Configuring Teaming.

CONFIGURING BACS USER INTERFACE OPTIONS
Enabling/Disabling the BACS Tray Icon
BACS 3 places an icon in the Windows taskbar when the program is installed. Use the Options window to turn this icon on
or off.
To enable or disable the BACS tray icon
1. From the Tools menu, select Options.
2. In the Options window, select General.
3. Select or clear Enable Tray Icon (the option is enabled by default).
4. Click OK.

CONFIGURING BACS USER INTERFACE APPEARANCE
Changing the Look and Feel
The appearance of the BACS 3 interface can be customized.
To change the interface appearance
1. From the Tools menu, select Options.

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2. In the Options window, select Appearance.
3. Choose the appearance settings. Click Apply to set changes. Click OK to set changes and close the Options window.
To reset the interface to the default appearance
1. From the Tools menu, select Options.
2. In the Options window, select General.
3. Click Restore Default.
4. Close and then restart BACS 3.

VIEWING VITAL SIGNS
The Vital Signs section of the Information tab has useful information about the network adapters that are installed in your
system, such as the link status of the adapter and general network connectivity.
To view Vital Signs information for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Device
Management pane, then click the Information tab.
•

If the Information tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device Management, and then
Information.

•

If the Vital Signs section within the Information tab is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right side of
the window, select Information and then select Vital Signs.

NOTES:
•

Information about Broadcom network adapters may be more comprehensive than information about network
adapters made by others.

•

Some information may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.

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MAC Address. A physical MAC (media access control) address that is assigned to the adapter by the manufacturer. The
physical address is never all 0s.
Permanent MAC Address. The unique hardware address assigned to the network adapter.
iSCSI MAC Address. If an iSCSI network adapter is loaded onto the system, this parameter will display the iSCSI MAC
address.
IPv4 DHCP. The IP address is from a DHCP server if the value is Enable.
IP Address. The network address associated with the adapter. If the IP address is all 0s, the associated driver has not been
bound with Internet Protocol (IP).
IPv6 IP Address. The IPv6 network address associated with the adapter.
Link Status. The status of the network link.
•

Up. A link is established.

•

Down. A link is not established.

Duplex. The adapter is operating in the indicated duplex mode.
Speed. The link speed of the adapter, in megabits per second.

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Offload Capabilities. The offload capabilities supported by the adapter. This information is only available for Broadcom
NetXtreme II adapters.
•

TOE. TCP Offload Engine (TOE) allows simultaneous operation of up to 1024 fully offloaded TCP connections for
1-Gbps network adapters and 1880 fully offloaded TCP connections for 10-Gbps network adapters to the hardware.

•

iSCSI. iSCSI offload for block-level transfer of data.

•

LSO. Large Send Offload (LSO) prevents an upper level protocol such as TCP from breaking a large data packet into a
series of smaller packets with headers appended to them.

•

CO. Checksum Offload (CO) allows the TCP/IP/UDP checksums for send and receive traffic to be calculated by the
adapter hardware rather than by the host CPU.

LiveLink IP Address. The network address of the LiveLink enabled adapter.
Local Connection. Identifies the module to which the blade server is attached.
•

Chassis SW. Chassis switch module

•

Chassis PHY. Pass-through module

•

None. No modules attached

BASP State. Information about the status of the BASP application. This information is displayed only when there is a team
(see Configuring Teaming).

VIEWING DRIVER INFORMATION
The Driver Information section of the Information tab displays data about the driver for the selected network adapter.
To view Driver Information for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Device Management
pane, then click the Information tab.
•

If the Information tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device Management, and then
Information.

•

If the Driver Information section within the Information tab is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right
side of the window, select Information and then select Driver.

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Driver Status. The status of the adapter driver.
•

Loaded. Normal operating mode. The adapter driver has been loaded by Windows and is functioning.

•

Not Loaded. The driver associated with the adapter has not been loaded by Windows.

•

Information Not Available. The value is not obtainable from the driver that is associated with the adapter.

Driver Name. The file name of the adapter driver.
Driver Version. The current version of the adapter driver.
Driver Date. The creation date of the adapter driver.

VIEWING RESOURCE INFORMATION
The Resources section of the Information tab displays information about connections and other essential functions for the
selected network adapter.
To view Resources for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Device Management pane,
then click the Information tab.
•

If the Information tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device Management, and then
Information.

•

If the Resources section within the Information tab is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the

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window, select Information and then select Resources.

NOTE: Some information may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.

Bus Type. The type of input/output (I/O) interconnect used by the adapter.
Bridge. The bridge type, which is the PCI-E to PCI-X bridge. This information is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II
adapters.
Bridge Lanes. The number of PCI-E lanes connected to the bridge. This information is only available for Broadcom
NetXtreme II adapters.
Bridge Speed. The clock speed on PCI-E bus. This information is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters.
Slot No. The slot number on the system board occupied by the adapter. This item is not available for PCI Express type
adapters.
Bus Speed (MHz). The bus clock signal frequency used by the adapter. This item is not available for PCI Express type
adapters.
Bus Width (bit). The number of bits that the bus can transfer at a single time to and from the adapter. This item is not
available for PCI Express type adapters.

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Bus No. Indicates the number of the bus where the adapter is installed.
Device No. The number assigned to the adapter by the operating system.
Function No. The port number of the adapter. For a single-port adapter, the function number is 0. For a two-port adapter,
the function number for the first port is 0, and the function number for the second port is 1.
Interrupt Request. The interrupt line number that is associated with the adapter. Valid numbers range from 2 to 25.
Memory Address. The memory mapped address that is assigned to the adapter. This value can never be 0.
MSI Version. This is the Message Signaled Interrupts (MSI) version being used. The option MSI corresponds to the PCI 2.2
specification that supports 32 messages and a single MSI address value. The option MSI-X corresponds to the PCI 3.0
specification that supports 2,048 messages and an independent message address for each message.

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VIEWING HARDWARE INFORMATION
The Hardware section of the Information tab displays information about the hardware settings for the selected network
adapter.
To view Hardware for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Device Management pane,
then click the Information tab.
•

If the Information tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device Management, and then
Information.

•

If the Hardware section within the Information tab is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the
window, select Information and then select Hardware.

NOTE: Some information may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.

ASIC Version. The chip version of the Broadcom adapter (this information is not available for adapters made by others).
Boot Code Version. The version of the boot code. This information is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters.
Firmware Family Version. The global firmware version that represents all firmware on the device.
Management Firmware. The firmware version installed on the system.

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Vendor ID. The vendor ID.
Device ID. The adapter ID.
Subsystem Vendor ID. The subsystem vendor ID.
Subsystem ID. The subsystem ID.
External PHY Firmware Version. The external PHY firmware version.

TESTING THE NETWORK
The Network Test option on the Diagnostics tab lets you verify IP network connectivity. This test verifies if the driver is
installed correctly and tests connectivity to a gateway or other specified IP address on the same subnet.
The network test uses TCP/IP to send ICMP packets to remote systems, then waits for a response. If a gateway is
configured, the test automatically sends packets to that system. If a gateway is not configured or if the gateway is
unreachable, the test prompts for a destination IP address.

NOTE: The network test option is not available on adapters that are grouped into a team (see Configuring
Teaming).
To run the network test
1. Click the name of the adapter to test in the Device Management pane.
2. Click the Diagnostics tab. If the Diagnostics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device
Management, and then Diagnostics.
3. From the Select a test to run list, select Network Test. If the Network Test option is not available, then from the
Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Diagnostics and then select Network Test.
4. To change the destination IP address, select IP address to ping, then click the browse button (…). In the Network Test
window, enter a Destination IP address, then click OK.
5. Click Run.
The results of the network test are displayed in the Result field.

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RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
The Diagnostic Tests option on the Diagnostics tab lets you check the state of the physical components on a Broadcom
network adapter. You can trigger the tests manually, or choose to have BACS 3 continuously perform them. If the test are
performed continuously, then the number of passes and fails in the Status field for each test increments every time the tests
are performed. For example, if a test is performed four times and there are no fails, the value in the Status field for that test
is 4/0. However, if there were 3 passes and 1 fail, the value in the Status field is 3/1.

NOTES:
•

You must have administrator privileges to run diagnostic tests.

•

The network connection is temporarily lost while these tests are running.

•

This option is available for Broadcom NetXtreme II VBD drivers.

•

Some tests are not supported on all Broadcom adapters.

To run the diagnostic tests once
1. Click the name of the adapter to test in the Device Management pane.

NOTE: For Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters, select a VBD driver; for other adapters, select an NDIS driver.
2. Click the Diagnostics tab. If the Diagnostics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device
Management, and then Diagnostics.
3. From the Select a test to run list, select Diagnostic Tests. If the Diagnostic Tests option is not available, then from
the Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Diagnostics and then select Diagnostic Tests.
4. Select the diagnostic tests you want to run. Click Select All to select all tests or Clear All to clear all test selections.
5. Click Run.
6. In the error message window that warns of the network connection being temporarily interrupted, click Yes. The results
are displayed in the Status field for each test.
To run the diagnostic tests continuously
1. Click the name of the adapter to test in the Device Management pane.

NOTE: For Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters, select a VBD driver; for other adapters, select an NDIS driver.
2. Click the Diagnostics tab. If the Diagnostics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device
Management, and then Diagnostics.
3. From the Select a test to run list, select Diagnostic Tests. If the Diagnostic Tests option is not available, then from
the Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Diagnostics and then select Diagnostic Tests.
4. Select the diagnostic tests you want to run. Click Select All to select all tests or Clear All to clear all test selections.
5. Select Run Continuously.
6. Click Run.
7. In the error message window that warns of the network connection being temporarily interrupted, click Yes. The
diagnostic tests will run continuously, and the Status field for each test displays the accumulated total of passes and
failures.
8. To stop the continuous testing, click Abort.

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Control Registers. This test verifies the read and write capabilities of the network adapter registers by writing various values
to the registers and verifying the results. The adapter driver uses these registers to perform network functions such as
sending and receiving information. A test failure indicates that the adapter may not be working properly.
MII Registers. This test verifies the read and write capabilities of the registers of the physical layer (PHY). The physical layer
is used to control the electrical signals on the wire and to configure network speeds such as 1000 Mbit/s.
EEPROM. This test verifies the content of the electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) by reading
a portion of the EEPROM and computing the checksum. The test fails if the computed checksum is different from the
checksum stored in the EEPROM. An EEPROM image upgrade does not require a code change for this test.
Internal Memory. This test verifies that the internal memory of the adapter is functioning properly. The test writes patterned
values to the memory and reads back the results. The test fails if an erroneous value is read back. The adapter cannot
function if its internal memory is not functioning properly.
On-Chip CPU. This test verifies the operation of the internal CPUs in the adapter.
Interrupt. This test verifies that the Network Device Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver is able to receive interrupts
from the adapter.
Loopback MAC and Loopback PHY. These tests verify that the NDIS driver is able to send packets to and receive packets
from the adapter.

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Test LED. This test causes all of the port LEDs to blink 5 times for the purpose of identifying the adapter.

ANALYZING CABLES
The Cable Analysis option on the Diagnostics tab lets you monitor the conditions of each wire pair in an Ethernet Category
5 cable connection within an Ethernet network. The analysis measures the cable quality and compares it against the IEEE
802.3ab specification for compliance.

NOTES:
•

You must have administrator privileges to run the cable analysis test.

•

The network connection is temporarily lost during an analysis.

•

This option is not available for NetXtreme II 10 GbE network adapters.

•

This option is not available for all Broadcom network adapters.

•

This option is available for Broadcom NetXtreme II VBD drivers.

To run a cable analysis
1. Connect the cable to a port on a switch where the port is set to Auto and the Speed & Duplex driver settings are also
set to Auto.
2. Click the name of the adapter to test in the Device Management pane.

NOTE: For Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters, select a VBD driver; for other adapters, select an NDIS driver.
3. Click the Diagnostics tab. If the Diagnostics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device
Management, and then Diagnostics.
4. From the Select a test to run list, select Cable Analysis. If the Cable Analysis option is not available, then from the
Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Diagnostics and then select Cable Analysis.
5. Click Run.
6. In the error message window that warns of the network connection being temporarily interrupted, click Yes.

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Distance. The valid cable length in meters (except when the Noise result is returned).
Status. The result of the analysis for the indicated pair.
•

Good. Good cable/PCB signal paths, but no gigabit link.

•

Crossed. Pin short or crosstalk along two or more cable/PCB signal paths.

•

Open. One or both pins are open for a twisted pair.

•

Short. Two pins from the same twisted pair are shorted together.

•

Noise. Persistent noise present (most likely caused by Forced 10/100).

•

GB Link. Gigabit link is up and running.

•

N/A. Algorithm failed to reach a conclusion.

Link. The link connection speed and mode.
Status. The status after the test is run, either completed or failed.
There are several factors that could have an effect on the test results:
•

Link partner. Various switch and hub manufacturers implement different PHYs. Some PHYs are not IEEE compliant.

•

Cable quality. Category 3, 4, 5, and 6 may affect the test results.

•

Electrical interference. The testing environment may affect the test results.

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SETTING ADAPTER PROPERTIES
Advanced and iSCSI Boot Configuration on the Configurations tab allow you to view and change the values of the
available properties of the selected adapter. The potentially available properties and their respective settings are described
below.

NOTES:
•

You must have administrator privileges to change the values for a property.

•

The list of available properties for your particular adapter may be different.

•

Some properties may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.

•

If an adapter is included as a member of a team and you change any advanced property, then you must rebuild
the team to ensure that the team’s advanced properties are properly set.

To set adapter properties
1. Click the name of the adapter in the Device Management pane.
2. Click the Configurations tab. If the Configurations tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Device Management, and then Configurations.
3. From the Advanced or iSCSI Boot Configuration section, select the property you want to set. If the Advanced or iSCSI
Boot Configuration section is not available, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the window, select
Configurations and then select Advanced or iSCSI Boot Configuration.
4. To change the value of a property, select an item from the property’s list or type a new value, as appropriate (selection
options are different for different properties).
5. Click Apply to confirm the changes to all properties. Click Reset to return the properties to their original values. Click
Defaults to restore all settings to their default values.

NOTES:
•

Clicking Reset after clicking Defaults, but before clicking Apply, will purge all values.

•

Apply must be clicked to make changes go into effect.

•

Any changes to existing settings will be lost upon clicking Defaults.

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802.1p QOS. Enables quality of service, which is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) specification
that treats different types of network traffic diversely to ensure required levels or reliability and latency according to the type
of traffic. This property is disabled by default. Unless the network infrastructure supports QoS, do not enable this property.
Otherwise, problems may occur.
Ethernet@Wirespeed. Enables a Gigabit Ethernet adapter to establish a link at a lower speed when only two pairs of wires
are available in the cabling plant. The default setting for this property is Enabled.

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Flow Control. Enables or disables the receipt or transmission of PAUSE frames. PAUSE frames allow the network adapter
and a switch to control the transmit rate. The side that is receiving the PAUSE frame momentarily stops transmitting. By
enabling TOE, network performance improves, but with the increased performance, TOE performance is more susceptible
to packet loss when flow control is disabled. Enable flow control to reduce the number of packets lost.

Auto (default). Receive and transmit PAUSE frame functionality are optimized. This option indicates that the adapter
automatically adjusts the flow control settings for optimal performance, and its purpose is not enabling auto negotiation
of the flow control parameters.

•

Disable. Receive and transmit PAUSE frame functionality are disabled.

•

Rx PAUSE. Receive PAUSE frame is enabled.

•

Rx/Tx PAUSE. Receive and transmit PAUSE frame are enabled.

•

Tx PAUSE. Transmit PAUSE frame is enabled.

IPv4 Checksum Offload. Normally, the checksum function is computed by the protocol stack. When you select one of the
Checksum Offload property values (other than None), the checksum can be computed by the network adapter.
•

Rx Enabled. Enables receive TCP/IP/UDP checksum offload.

•

Tx Enabled. Enables transmit TCP/IP/UDP checksum offload.

•

Tx/Rx Enabled (default). Enables transmit and receive TCP/IP/UDP checksum offload.

•

None. Disables checksum offload.

IPv4 Large Send Offload. Normally, the TCP segmentation is done by the protocol stack. When you enable the Large Send
Offload property, the TCP segmentation can be done by the network adapter. The default setting for this property is Enabled.
This property is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters.
Jumbo MTU. Enables the network adapter to transmit and receive oversized Ethernet frames that are greater than 1514
bytes, but less than or equal to 9000 bytes in length (9600 bytes for network adapters that operate at 10 Gbps). This property
requires the presence of a switch that is able to process jumbo frames. This property is only available for Broadcom
NetXtreme II adapters.
Frame size is set at 1500 bytes by default. To increase the size of the received frames, raise the byte quantity in 500-byte
increments.

NOTE: If Jumbo MTU is set to 5000 bytes or greater on network adapters that support 10 Gbps link speed, ensure
that Flow Control is set to Auto to prevent the system performance from performing at less than optimal levels.
This limitation exists on a per-port basis.
Locally Administered Address. The Locally Administered Address is a user-defined MAC address that is used in place of
the MAC address originally assigned to the network adapter. Every adapter in the network must have its own unique MAC
address. This locally administered address consists of a 12-digit hexadecimal number.
•

Value. Assigns a unique node address for the adapter.

•

Not Present (default). Uses the factory-assigned node address on the adapter.

The appropriate assigned ranges and exceptions for the locally administered address include the following:

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•

The range is 00:00:00:00:00:01 to FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FD.

•

Do not use a multicast address (least significant bit of the high byte = 1).

•

Do not use all 0s or all Fs.

Receive Side Scaling. Allows configuring network load balancing across multiple CPUs. The default setting for this property
is Enabled.

NOTE: For all network adapters, IPv6 Receive Side Scaling is not supported on Windows Server 2003 due to a
limitation in the operating system. However, BCM5709, BCM57710, and BCM57711 network adapters support IPv6
Receive Side Scaling on Windows Server 2008 and later.
Switch Configuration. Allows configuring of the connected switch for BCM57710 network adapters.

NOTE: Switch Configuration only applies to blade configurations.
•

SW_Config_10G (default). Sets the switch speed to 10 Gbit/s.

•

SW_Config_1G. Sets the switch speed to 1 Gbit/s.

Speed & Duplex. The Speed & Duplex property sets the connection speed and mode to that of the network. Note that FullDuplex mode allows the adapter to transmit and receive network data simultaneously.
•

10 Mb Full. Sets the speed at 10 Mbit/s and the mode to Full-Duplex.

•

10 Mb Half. Sets the speed at 10 Mbit/s and the mode to Half-Duplex.

•

100 Mb Full. Sets the speed at 100 Mbit/s and the mode to Full-Duplex.

•

100 Mb Half. Sets the speed at 100 Mbit/s and the mode to Half-Duplex.

•

1 Gb Full Auto. Sets the speed to Auto-Negotiate at 1000 Mb Full-Duplex mode only.

•

2.5 Gb Full. Sets the speed at 2.5

•

10 GB Full. Sets the speed to 10 Gbit/s and the mode to Full-Duplex.

•

Auto (default). Sets the speed and mode for optimum network connection (recommended).

NOTES:
•

Auto is the recommended setting. This setting allows the network adapter to dynamically detect the line speed
of the network. Whenever the network capability changes, the network adapter automatically detects and
adjusts to the new line speed and duplex mode. A speed of 1 Gbit/s is enabled by selecting Auto, when that
speed is supported.

•

1 Gb Full Auto must be attached to a link partner that is also capable of a 1 Gb connection. Since the connection
is limited to a 1 Gb connection only, the Ethernet@Wirespeed feature will be disabled. If the link partner
supports a 1 Gb connection only, the Wake on LAN feature may not work. Additionally, management traffic
(IPMI or UMP) in the absence of an operating system may also be affected.

•

10 Mb Half and 100 Mb Half settings force the network adapter to connect to the network in Half-Duplex mode.
Note that the network adapter may not function if the network is not configured to operate at the same mode.

•

10 Mb Full and 100 Mb Full settings force the network adapter to connect to the network in Full-Duplex mode.
The network adapter may not function if the network is not configured to operate at the same mode.

Speed & Duplex (SerDes)
•

1 Gb Full. Forces the speed to 1 Gb Full based on a matching setting for its link partner.

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•

Auto (default). Sets the speed to auto-negotiate with its link partner at the highest matching speed.

•

Auto with 1Gb Fallback Full. Sets the speed to auto-negotiate with its link partner, but if the attached link partner is
forced at 1 Gbit/s, it will fall back to this mode.

•

Hardware Default. Sets the speed to negotiate according to the setting specified by the manufacturer (see
manufacturer documentation for more information).

iSCSI Crash Dump. Crash dump is used to collect information on adapters that were booted remotely using iSCSI. To
enable crash dump, set to Enable and reboot the system. If you perform an upgrade of the device drivers, re-enable iSCSI
Crash Dump.
Interrupt Moderation. Enables interrupt moderation, which limits the rate of interrupt to the CPU during packet transmission
and packet reception. The disabled option allows one interrupt for every packet transmission and packet reception. Enable
is the default option.
Number of RSS Queues. Allows configuring RSS queues. For 1 Gbps network adapters, the RSS queue options are 1, 2,
4, and 8, with 8 RSS queues as the default option. For 10 Gbps network adapters, the RSS queue options are Auto, 1, 2, 4,
8, and 16, with Auto being the default option.
Receive Buffers. The number of receive buffers. Receive buffers are data segments that allow the network adapter to
allocate receive packets to memory. For 1 Gbps adapters, the range of valid receive buffers is 50 to 2000 in increments of
1 with 750 receive buffers as the default value.
Receive Buffers (0=Auto). The number of receive buffers. Receive buffers are data segments that allow the network
adapter to allocate receive packets to memory. For 10 Gbps adapters, the range of valid receive buffers is 0 to 3000 in
increments of 1 with 0 receive buffers as the default value.
Transmit Buffers. The number of transmit buffers. Transmit buffers are data segments that allow the network adapter to
monitor transmit packets in the system memory. The range of valid transmit buffers is 0 to 2500 in increments of 1 with 1500
transmit buffers as the default value.
TCP Connection Offload (IPv4). Enables and disables TOE offload when using the IPv4 protocol. The default is Enabled.
TCP Connection Offload (IPv6). Enables and disables TOE offload when using the IPv6 protocol. The default is Enabled.
Pause on Exhausted Host Ring. For BCM57711 network adapters, there are two possible scenarios that can trigger
pause frames to be generated: a host ring buffer is exhausted or the on-chip buffers are depleted. With RSS enabled inside
the system, it is possible to achieve better Ethernet throughput if no pause frames are being generated in a case where a
host ring buffer (of multiple RSS rings) is exhausted. The default is Disabled.

CONFIGURING SYSTEM SETTINGS
System Management on the Configurations tab allow you to view and change the values of the available properties for
the system. The potentially available properties and their respective settings are described below.
Chimney Offload State. Enables TCP Offload Engine (TOE) for the entire system. On Windows Server 2003 and Windows
Server 2008 operating systems, the options are Enable (default) and Disable. For Windows Server 2008 R2, the options are
Enable, Disable, and Auto (default). If Chimney Offload State is configured for Auto, then a 10 Gbps network adapter will
have TOE enabled, but not for a 1 Gbps network adapter.
To enable TOE for individual network adapters, configure Chimney Offload State to Enable and also enable TCP Connection
Offload (IPv4) or TCP Connection Offload (IPv6) from the Advanced area of the Configuration tab.

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VIEWING STATISTICS
The information provided on the Statistics tab allows you to view traffic statistics for both Broadcom network adapters and
network adapters made by others. Statistical information and coverage are more comprehensive for Broadcom adapters.
To view Statistics information for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Device
Management pane, then click the Statistics tab.
•

If the Statistics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Device Management, and then
Statistics.

•

If any of the sections described below is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the window,
select Statistics and then select the name of the missing section.

Click Refresh to get the most recent values for each statistic. Click Reset to change all values to zero for the current BACS3
session.

NOTES:
•

Team statistics are not compiled for a Broadcom network adapter if it is disabled.

•

Some statistics may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.

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General Statistics
General Statistics show the transmitted and received statistics to and from the adapter.
Frames Tx OK. A count of the frames that were successfully transmitted. This counter is incremented when the transmit
status is reported as Transmit OK.
Frames Rx OK. A count of the frames that were successfully received. This does not include frames received with frametoo-long, frame check sequence (FCS), length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost due to internal MAC sublayer errors. This
counter is incremented when the receive status is reported as Receive OK.
Directed Frames Tx. A count of directed data frames that were successfully transmitted.
Multicast Frames Tx. A count of frames that were successfully transmitted (as indicated by the status value Transmit OK)
to a group destination address other than a broadcast address.
Broadcast Frames Tx. A count of frames that were successfully transmitted (as indicated by the transmit status Transmit
OK) to the broadcast address. Frames transmitted to multicast addresses are not broadcast frames and are excluded.
Directed Frames Rx. A count of directed data frames that were successfully received.
Multicast Frames Rx. A count of frames that were successfully received and are directed to an active nonbroadcast group
address. This does not include frames received with frame-too-long, FCS, length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost
because of internal MAC sublayer errors. This counter is incremented as indicated by the Receive OK status.
Broadcast Frames Rx. A count of frames that were successfully received and are directed to a broadcast group address.
This count does not include frames received with frame-too-long, FCS, length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost because
of internal MAC sublayer errors. This counter is incremented as indicated by the Receive OK status.
Frames Rx with CRC Error. The number of frames received with CRC errors.
Initiator Login Statistics. iSCSI login enables a connection for iSCSI use between the initiator and the target and is used
to authenticate parties, negotiate the session's parameters, open security association protocol, and mark the connection as
belonging to an iSCSI session.
Login Accept Responses. The number of login requests accepted by the target.
Login other failed Responses. The number of login requests that were not accepted by the target.
Login Redirect Responses. The number of responses that required further action by the initiator.
Login Authentication Failed Responses. The number of login requests that failed due to party authentication failure.
Login target authentication failure. The number of instances where the login could not authenticate the target.
Login target negotiation failure. The number of instances where the login could not negotiate the sessions parameters.
Normal logout command PDU. The number of normal logout commands issued by the initiator to remove a connection
from a session or to close a session.
Other logout comman PDU. The number of logout commands issued by the initiator for reasons other than to remove a
connection from a session or to close a session.

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Local Initiator login failures. The number of login failures likely caused by the initiator.
Initiator Instance Statistics. The statistics in this area pertain to all sessions.
Session digest errors. The number of sessions with errors due to an invalid payload or header.
Session connection timeout error. The number of sessions that were terminated due to any of the many timeout errors.
Session format error. The number of sessions with errors due to inconsistent fields, reserved fields not 0, non-existent
LUN, etc.
Sessions failed. The number of failed sessions.
Custom
Custom statistics.
Total Offload iSCSI Connections. The total number of offloaded iSCSI connections.
Session Statistics
The statistics in this area only pertain to the named session.
Session Name. The name used for the session between the initiator and the target.
Session Id. The identifier used for the session between the initiator and the target.
Bytes sent. The number of bytes sent for the named session.
Bytes received. The number of bytes received for the named session.
PDU sent. The number of iSCSI PDUs sent for the named session.
PDU received. The number of iSCSI PDUs received for the named session.
Digest errors. The number of errors due to an invalid payload or header for the named session.
Connection Timeout errors. The number of connection timeout errors for the named session.
Format errors. The number of errors due to inconsistent fields, reserved fields not 0, non-existen LUN, etc. for the named
session.
IEEE 802.3 Statistics
Frames Rx with Alignment Error. A count of the frames that were not an integral number of octets in length and do not
pass the FCS check. This counter is incremented when the receive status is reported as Alignment Error.
Frames Tx with one Collision. A count of the frames that were involved in a single collision and were subsequently
transmitted successfully. This counter is incremented when the result of a transmission is reported as Transmit OK, and the
attempt value is 2.

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Frames Tx with more than one Collision. A count of the frames that were involved in more than one collision and were
subsequently transmitted successfully. This counter is incremented when the transmit status is reported as Transmit OK,
and the value of the attempts variable is greater than 2 and less than or equal to the attempt limit.
Frames Tx after Deferral. A count of the frames that were delayed being transmitted on the first attempt because the
medium was busy. The frames involved in any collision are not counted.
Custom Statistics

NOTE: Custom statistics are available only for an enabled Broadcom network adapter.
Out of Recv. Buffer. The number of times the adapter ran out of Receive Buffer Descriptors. This information is only
available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters.
Frames size less than 64-byte with bad FCS. The number of frames with a size less than 64 bytes with bad FCS.
MAC Rx w/ Pause Command and Length = 0. MAC control frames with the pause command and a length equal to 0.
MAC Rx w/ Pause Command and Length greater than 0. MAC control frames with the pause command and a length
greater than 0.
MAC Rx w/ no Pause Command. MAC control frames with no pause command.
MAC Sent X-on. MAC Transmit with X-on was on.
MAC Sent X-off. MAC Transmit with X-on was off.
Large Send Offload Transmit Requests. The number of times the adapter was requested to transmit a packet performing
TCP segmentation.
Total Offload TCP Connections. The total number of offloaded TCP connections.

VIEWING RESOURCE RESERVATIONS

NOTES:
•

Resource Reservation information is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters and VBD drivers.

•

Not all offload technologies are available with all adapters.

The Resource Reservations section shows the number of connections allocated to an offload technology: TOE and iSCSI.
•

TCP Offload Engine (TOE) for accelerating TCP over 1 GbE, 2.5 GbE, and 10 GbE.

•

Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) offload for accelerating network storage access featuring
centralized boot functionality (iSCSI boot).

You can also view the number of unlicensed resources and unallocated resources.
TOE and iSCSI can only be configured on certain adapters and require a license key. License keys are preprogrammed in
the hardware.

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To view resource reservations
1. Click the name of the Broadcom NetXtreme II system device in the Device Management pane.
2. Click the Configurations tab. If the Configurations tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Device Management, and then Configurations.
3. From the Resource Reservations section, select the property you want to set. If the Resource Reservations section
is not available, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Configurations and then select
Resource Reservations.
4. Click Apply to confirm the changes to all properties. Click Reset to return the properties to their original values.
The Configurations tab for 1 Gbps network adapters is shown below.

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The Configurations tab for 10 Gbps network adapters is shown below.

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Configuring the IP Address for iSCSI Offload
For iSCSI-booted adapters, the Configurations tab is not available and you will not be able to perform this procedure.
To set the IP address of the iSCSI HBA for iSCSI offload
The iSCSI Management section of the Configurations tab allows you to set the IP address of the iSCSI HBA when using
iSCSI protocol to offload network processing from the CPU to the Broadcom network adapter.
1. Click the name of the Broadcom NetXtreme II iSCSI device in the SCSI controller section of the Device Management
pane.
2. Depending on the protocol you will be using, for IPv4 DHCP or IPv6 DHCP, select Enable (not available for iSCSI booted
adapters) to set the IP address dynamically using a DHCP server. Or select Disable to set the IP address using a static
IP address. Enter the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway.
3. Configure the VLAN ID for the iSCSI HBA by entering a number for VLAN ID. The value must be between 0 and 4094.
4. After the configurations are complete, click Apply to save the settings or click Reset to revert back to the previous
settings.

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VIEWING LICENSES

NOTES:
•

The Licenses section of the Configurations tab is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters and VBD
drivers.

•

Not all offload technologies are available with all adapters.

The Licenses section shows the number of connections available for TOE and iSCSI offload technologies.
To view licenses
1. Click the name of the Broadcom NetXtreme II system device in the Device Management pane.
2. Click the Configurations tab. If the Configurations tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Device Management, and then Configurations.

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CONFIGURING TEAMING
The teaming function allows you to group any available network adapters together to function as a team. Teaming is a
method of creating a virtual NIC (a group of multiple adapters that functions as a single adapter). The benefit of this approach
is that it enables load balancing and failover. Teaming is done through the Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP)
software. For a comprehensive description of the technology and implementation considerations of the teaming software,
refer to the "Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services" section of your Broadcom network adapter user guide.
Teaming can be accomplished by either of the following methods:
•

Using the Broadcom Teaming Wizard

•

Using Expert Mode

NOTES:
•

For further information regarding teaming protocols, see “Teaming” in your Broadcom network adapter user
guide.

•

If you do not enable LiveLink™ when configuring teams, disabling Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) at the switch
is recommended. This minimizes the downtime due to spanning tree loop determination when failing over.
LiveLink mitigates such issues.

•

BASP is available only if a system has one or more Broadcom network adapters installed.

•

The TCP Offload Engine (TOE), Large Send Offload (LSO), and Checksum Offload properties are enabled for
a team only when all of the members support and are configured for the feature.

•

If an adapter is included as a member of a team and you change any advanced property, then you must rebuild
the team to ensure that the team’s advanced properties are properly set.

•

You must have administrator privileges to create or modify a team.

•

The load balance algorithm in a team environment in which members are connected at different speeds favors
members connected with a Gigabit Ethernet link over members connected at lower speed links (100 Mbps or
10 Mbps) until a threshold is met. This is normal behavior.

•

Prior to creating a team on a Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 system, ensure that RSS is
disabled in all members of the team. See Setting Adapter Properties for more information. If you include an
adapter in a team that has RSS enabled, then disable RSS and rebuild the team to ensure that the team’s
advanced properties are properly set.

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TEAM TYPES
You can create four types of load balance teams:
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Smart Load Balance and Failover

•

Link Aggregation (802.3ad) (TOE is not applicable)

•

Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static (TOE is not applicable)

•

SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) – The Auto-Fallback Disable feature is configured for Smart Load Balance and Failover
type teams in the Teaming Wizard.

NOTE: NetXtreme II network adapters with iSCSI enabled is supported only in an SLB team type.
Smart Load Balance and Failover
In this type of team, a standby member handles the traffic if all of the load balance members fail (a failover event). All load
balance members have to fail before the standby member takes over. When one or more of the load balance members is
restored (fallback), the restored team member(s) resumes the handling of the traffic. The LiveLink feature is supported for
this type of team.
Link Aggregation (802.3ad)
In this type of team, you can dynamically configure the network adapters that have been selected to participate in a given
team. If the link partner is not correctly configured for IEEE 802.3ad link configuration, errors are detected and noted. All
adapters in the team are configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. The outbound load balancing scheme is
determined by the BASP driver. The link partner of the team determines the load balancing scheme for inbound packets. In
this mode, at least one of the link partners must be in active mode.

NOTE: TOE is not applicable for Link Aggregation team type. NetXtreme II network adapters with iSCSI enabled
is not supported for Link Aggregation team type.
Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static
This type of team is very similar to the link aggregation type, in that all adapters in the team must be configured to receive
packets for the same MAC address. This mode does not provide link aggregation control protocol (LACP) or marker protocol
support. This mode supports a variety of environments where the link partners are statically configured to support a
proprietary trunking mechanism. Trunking supports load balancing and failover for both outbound and inbound traffic.

NOTE: TOE is not applicable for Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static team type. NetXtreme II
network adapters with iSCSI enabled is not supported for Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static team
type.
SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)
This team is identical to Smart Load Balance and Failover, with the following exception: when the standby member is active,
if a primary member comes back online, the team continues using the standby member rather than switching back to the
primary member. This type of team is supported only for situations in which the network cable is disconnected and
reconnected to the network adapter. It is not supported for situations in which the adapter is removed/installed through

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Device Manager or Hot-Plug PCI. If any primary adapter assigned to a team is disabled, the team functions as a Smart Load
Balancing and Failover type of team in which auto-fallback occurs. The LiveLink feature is supported for this type of team.

STANDBY TEAM MEMBER AND AUTO-FALLBACK DISABLE MODE
You can designate one team member in an SLB type of team to be the standby member. The standby member does not
actively send and receive normal network traffic while other adapters on the team are active. If all of the active adapters on
the team fail or are disconnected, the standby member takes over the handling of the network activities.
In Auto-Fallback Disable mode, if a load balance member returns on line, the team continues using the standby member
rather than switching back to using the load balance member. Consequently, the adapter that was initially designated a load
balance member remains in an inactive state and becomes the new standby member.

LIVELINK
LiveLink is a feature of BASP that is available for the Smart Load Balancing (SLB) and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type of
teaming. The purpose of LiveLink is to detect link loss beyond the switch and to route traffic only through team members that
have a live link.

USING THE BROADCOM TEAMING WIZARD
You can use the Broadcom Teaming Wizard to create a team, configure an existing team if a team has already been created,
or create a VLAN.
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Click Teams at the top of the Team Management pane, or select one of the listed adapters.
3. Create or edit a team:
To create a new team, select Create a Team from the Team menu, or right-click one of the devices in the “Unassigned
Adapters” section and select Create a Team. This option is not available if there are no devices listed in the “Unassigned
Adapters” sections, which means all adapters are already assigned to teams.

To configure an existing team, select Edit Team from the Team menu, or right-click one of the teams in the list and select
Edit Team. This option is only available if a team has already been created and is listed in the Team Management pane.

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NOTE: If you prefer to work without the wizard for now, click Expert Mode. If you want to always use Expert Mode
to create a team, select Default to Expert Mode on next start. See Using Expert Mode.
4. To continue using the wizard, click Next.

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5. Type the team name and then click Next. If you want to review or change any of your settings, click Back. Click Cancel
to discard your settings and exit the wizard.

NOTE: The team name cannot exceed 39 characters, cannot begin with spaces, and cannot contain any of the
following characters: & \ / : * ? < > |

6. Select the type of team you want to create. If the team type is an SLB type team, click Next. If the team type is not an
SLB type team, then a dialog box appears. Verify that the network switch connected to the team members is configured
correctly for the team type, click OK, and continue.

NOTE: NetXtreme II network adapters with iSCSI enabled is supported only in an SLB team type. To continue with
the creation of non-SLB team types, first disable iSCSI by deselecting iSCSI Offload Engine from the Resource
Reservations area of the Configurations tab.

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7. From the Available Adapters list, click the adapter you want to add to the team and then click Add. Remove team
members from the Team Members list by clicking the adapter and then clicking Remove. Click Next.

NOTE: There must be at least one Broadcom network adapter assigned to the team.
The TCP Offload Engine (TOE), Large Send Offload (LSO) and Checksum Offload (CO) columns indicate if the TOE,
LSO, Jumbo MTU, and/or the CO properties are supported for the adapter. The TOE, LSO, Jumbo MTU, and CO
properties are enabled for a team only when all of the members support and are configured for the feature. If this is the
case, then the team offload capabilities appear on the bottom of the screen.

NOTES:
•

Adding a network adapter to a team where its driver is disabled may negatively affect the offloading capabilities
of the team. This may have an impact on the team’s performance. Therefore, it is recommended that only driverenabled network adapters be added as members to a team.

8. If you want to designate one of the adapters as a standby member (optional), select Use the following member as a
standby member, then choose the standby member from the list of adapters.
9. The Auto-Fallback Disable mode feature allows the team to continue using the standby member rather than switching
back to the primary member if the primary member comes back online. To enable this feature, select Enable AutoFallback Disable mode. Click Next.

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10. If you want to configure LiveLink, select Yes, otherwise select No, then click Next.

11. Select the probe interval (the number of seconds between each retransmission of a link packet to the probe target) and
the maximum number of probe retries (the number of consecutively missed responses from a probe target before a
failover is triggered).
12. Set the Probe VLAN ID to allow for connectivity with probe targets residing on a tagged VLAN. The number set must
match the VLAN ID of the probe targets as well as the port(s) on the switch to which the team is connected.

NOTE: Each LiveLink enabled team can only communicate with Probe Targets on a single VLAN. Also, VLAN ID 0
is equivalent to an untagged network. If the Probe VLAN ID is set to a value other than 0, then a VLAN must be

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created with an identical VLAN tag value (see Step 18.).
13. Click the probe target at the top of the list, click Edit Target IP Address, type the target IP address in the IP Address
box for one or all probe targets, and then click OK. Click Next.

NOTE: Only the first probe target is required. You can specify up to three additional probe targets to serve as
backups by assigning IP addresses to the other probe targets.

14. Select a listed team member, click Edit Member IP Address, and then type the member IP address in the IP Address
box. Repeat for all listed team members and then click OK. Click Next.

NOTE: All of the member IP addresses must be in the same subnet as the subnet of the probe targets.

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15. If you want to create a VLAN on the team, select Add VLAN, or if you want to change the settings of an existing VLAN,
select Edit VLAN, then click Next. If you do not want to create or edit a VLAN, select Skip Manage VLAN, then click
Next, and continue with the wizard from the Finish screen (see Step 20. of this procedure).
VLANs enable you to add multiple virtual adapters that are on different subnets. The benefit of this is that your system
can have one network adapter that can belong to multiple subnets.

NOTE: VLANs can only be created when all team members are Broadcom adapters.

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16. Type the VLAN name and then click Next.

NOTE: The team name cannot exceed 39 characters, cannot begin with spaces, and cannot contain any of the
following characters: & \ / : * ? < > |

17. To tag the VLAN, select Tagged and then click Next. Otherwise, click Untagged, click Next, and continue with the
wizard to add additional VLANs (see Step 19. of this procedure).

18. Type the VLAN tag value and then click Next. The value must be between 1 and 4094.

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19. Select Yes to add or manage another VLAN and then click Next. Repeat until you do not want to add or manage any
additional VLANs.

NOTE: You can define up to 64 VLANs per team (63 VLANs that are tagged and 1 VLAN that is not tagged). Adding
several VLANS may slow down the reaction time of the Windows interface due to memory and processor time
usage for each VLAN. The degree to which Windows performance may suffer depends on system configuration.

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20. To apply and commit the changes to the team, select Commit changes to system and Exit the wizard. To apply your
changes but continue using the wizard, select Save changes and continue to manage more teams. Click Finish.

NOTE: At any point in the Broadcom Teaming Wizard procedure, click Preview to get a visual representation of
what the team will look like before committing any changes.

21. Click the team name in the Team Management pane to view the team's properties in the Information tab, transfer and
receive data in the Statistics tab, and team customization options in the Configurations tab.

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USING EXPERT MODE
Use Expert Mode to create a team, modify a team, add a VLAN, and configure LiveLink for a Smart Load Balance and
Failover and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) team. To create a team using the wizard, see Using the Broadcom Teaming
Wizard.
To set the default Teaming Mode, select Options from the Tools menu. In the Options window, click the General tab, then
select Expert Mode or Wizard Mode (the default is Wizard Mode).

Creating a Team

NOTE: Enabling Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is not recommended for members of an SLB type
of team.
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Click Teams at the top of the Team Management pane, or select one of the listed devices in the “Unassigned Adapters”
section.
3. From the Team menu, select Create a Team, or right-click one of the devices in the “Unassigned Adapters” section and
select Create a Team. This option is not available if there are no devices listed in the “Unassigned Adapters” sections,
which means all adapters are already assigned to teams.

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4. Click Expert Mode.

NOTE: If you want to always use Expert Mode to create a team, click Default to Expert Mode on next start.

5. Click the Create Team tab.

NOTE: The Create Team tab appears only if there are teamable adapters available.
6. Click the Team Name field to enter a team name.
7. Click the Team Type field to select a team type.
8. Click Manage Members at the top of the window.

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9. Assign any available adapter or adapters to the team by moving the adapter from the Available Adapters list to the Load
Balance Members list. There must be at least one adapter in the Load Balance Members list.
10. You can assign any other available adapter to be a standby member by selecting it from the Standby Member list.

NOTE: There must be at least one Broadcom network adapter assigned to the team.
The TCP Offload Engine (TOE), Large Send Offload (LSO), and Checksum Offload (CO) columns indicate if the TOE,
LSO, and/or the CO properties are supported for the adapter. The TOE, LSO, and CO properties are enabled for a team
only when all of the members support and are configured for the feature. If this is the case, then the team offload
capabilities appear on the bottom of the screen.

NOTES:
•

11. Click OK to accept your changes to the team members.
12. Click Create to save the team information.
13. Repeat steps 6. through 12. to define additional teams. As teams are defined, they can be selected from the team list,
but they have not yet been created. Click the Preview tab to view the team structure before applying the changes.
14. Click Apply/Exit to create all the teams you have defined and exit the Manage Teams window.
15. Click Yes when the message is displayed indicating that the network connection will be temporarily interrupted.

NOTES:
•

The team name cannot exceed 39 characters, cannot begin with spaces, and cannot contain any of the
following characters: & \ / : * ? < > |

•

Team names must be unique. If you attempt to use a team name more than once, an error message is displayed
indicating that the name already exists.

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•

The maximum number of team members is 8.

•

When team configuration has been correctly performed, a virtual team adapter driver is created for each
configured team.

•

If you disable a virtual team and later want to reenable it, you must first disable and reenable all team members
before you reenable the virtual team.

•

When you create Generic Trunking and Link Aggregation teams, you cannot designate a standby member.
Standby members work only with Smart Load Balancing and Failover and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) types
of teams.

•

For an SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) team, to restore traffic to the load balance members from the standby
member, click the Fallback button on the Team Properties tab.

•

When configuring an SLB team, although connecting team members to a hub is supported for testing, it is
recommended to connect team members to a switch.

•

Not all network adapters made by others are supported or fully certified for teaming.

16. Configure the team IP address.
a. From Control Panel, double-click Network Connections.
b. Right-click the name of the team to be configured, and then click Properties.
c. On the General tab, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties.
d. Configure the IP address and any other necessary TCP/IP configuration for the team, and then click OK when
finished.

Modifying a Team
After you have created a team, you can modify the team in the following ways:
•

Change the type of team

•

Change the members assigned to the team

•

Add a VLAN

•

Modify a VLAN (using Expert Mode)

•

Remove a team or a VLAN (using Expert Mode)

To modify a team
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Select one of the listed teams.
3. From the Team menu, click Edit Team, or right-click one of the teams in the list and select Edit Team. This option is
only available if a team has already been created and is listed in the Team Management pane.

4. The wizard Welcome screen appears. Click Next to continue modifying a team using the wizard or click Expert Mode to
work in Expert Mode.

NOTE: The Edit Team tab in Expert Mode appears only if there are teams configured on the system.
5. Click the Edit Team tab.

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6. Make the desired changes, and then click Update. The changes have not yet been applied; click the Preview tab to view
the updated team structure before applying the changes.
7. Click Apply/Exit to apply the updates and exit the Manage Teams window.
8. Click Yes when the message is displayed indicating that the network connection will be temporarily interrupted.

Adding a VLAN
You can add virtual LANs (VLANs) to a team. This enables you to add multiple virtual adapters that are on different subnets.
The benefit of this is that your system can have one network adapter that can belong to multiple subnets. With a VLAN, you
can couple the functionality of load balancing for the load balance members, and you can employ a failover adapter.
You can define up to 64 VLANs per team (63 VLANs that are tagged and 1 VLAN that is not tagged). VLANs can only be
created when all teams members are Broadcom adapters. If you try to create a VLAN with a non-Broadcom adapter, an error
message is displayed.
To configure a team with a VLAN
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Select one of the listed teams.
3. From the Teams menu, select Add VLAN.
4. The Welcome screen appears.
5. Click Expert Mode.
6. On the Create Team tab of the Manage Teams window, click Manage VLAN(s).

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7. Type the VLAN name, then select the type and ID.
8. Click Create to save the VLAN information. As VLANs are defined, they can be selected from the Team Name list, but
they have not yet been created.
9. Continue this process until all VLANs are defined, then click OK to create them.

10. Click Yes when the message is displayed indicating that the network connection will be temporarily interrupted.

NOTE: To maintain optimum adapter performance, your system should have 64 MB of system memory for each of
the eight VLANs created per adapter.

Viewing VLAN Properties and Statistics and Running VLAN Tests
To view VLAN properties and statistics and to run VLAN tests
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Select one of the listed VLANs.
3. Click the Information tab to view the properties of the VLAN adapter.
4. Click the Statistics tab to view the statistics for the VLAN adapter.
5. Click the Diagnostics tab to run a network test on the VLAN adapter.

Deleting a VLAN
The procedure below applies when you are in Expert Mode.
To delete a VLAN
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Select the VLAN to delete.
3. From the Teams menu, select Remove VLAN.
4. Click Apply.
5. Click Yes when the message is displayed indicating that the network connection will be temporarily interrupted.

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NOTE: If you delete a team, any VLANs configured for that team are also deleted.

Configuring LiveLink for a Smart Load Balancing and Failover and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) Team
LiveLink is a feature of BASP that is available for the Smart Load Balancing (SLB) and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type of
teaming. The purpose of LiveLink is to detect link loss beyond the switch and to route traffic only through team members that
have a live link.
Read the following notes before you attempt to configure LiveLink.

NOTES:
•

Before you begin configuring LiveLink™, review the description of LiveLink. Also verify that each probe target
you plan to specify is available and working. If the IP address of the probe target changes for any reason,
LiveLink must be reconfigured. If the MAC address of the probe target changes for any reason, you must restart
the team (see “Troubleshooting”).

•

A probe target must be on the same subnet as the team, have a valid (not a broadcast, multicast, or unicast),
statically-assigned IP address, and be highly available (always on).

•

To ensure network connectivity to the probe target, ping the probe target from the team.

•

You can specify up to four probe targets.

•

The IP address assigned to either a probe target or team member cannot have a zero as the first or last octet.

To configure LiveLink
1. Click the Team Management button at the bottom of the BACS 3 window, or from the View menu, select Navigate, then
Team Management.
2. Select the Smart Load Balance and Failover or SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) team.
3. From the Teams menu, select Edit Team.
4. Click Expert Mode (to configure LiveLink using the Teaming Wizard, see Using the Broadcom Teaming Wizard).
5. In the Manage Teams window, click the Edit Team tab.
6. Select Enable LiveLink. The LiveLink Configuration options appear below.
7. It is recommended to accept the default values for Probe interval (the number of seconds between each retransmission
of a link packet to the probe target) and Probe maximum retries (the number of consecutively missed responses from
a probe target before a failover is triggered). To specify different values, click the desired probe interval in the Probe
interval (seconds) list and click the desired maximum number of probe retries in the Probe maximum retries list.
8. Set the Probe VLAN ID to correspond with the VLAN where the probe target(s) resides. This will apply the appropriate
VLAN tag to the link packet based on the shared configuration of the attached switch port(s).

NOTE: Each LiveLink enabled team can only communicate with Probe Targets on a single VLAN. Also, VLAN ID 0
is equivalent to an untagged network.
9. Select Probe Target 1 and type the target IP address for one or all probe targets.

NOTE: Only the first probe target is required. You can specify up to 3 additional probe targets to serve as backups
by assigning IP addresses to the other probe targets.

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10. Select one of the listed team members and type the member IP address.

NOTE: All of the member IP addresses must be in the same subnet as the probe targets.
11. Click Update. Repeat these steps for each of the other listed team members.
12. Click Apply/Exit.

Saving and Restoring a Configuration
To save a configuration
1. From the File menu, select Team Save As.
2. Type the path and file name of the new configuration file, and then click Save (a .bcg extension is added).
The configuration file is a text file that can be viewed by any text editor. The file contains information about both the
adapter and the team configuration.
To restore a configuration
1. From the File menu, select Team Restore.
2. Click the name of the file to be restored, and then click Open.

NOTE: If necessary, go to the folder where the file is located.
3. Click Apply.
4. Click Yes when the message is displayed indicating that the network connection will be temporarily interrupted.

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5. If a configuration is already loaded, a message is displayed that asks if you want to save your current configuration. Click
Yes to save the current configuration. Otherwise, the configuration data that is currently loaded is lost.

VIEWING BASP STATISTICS
The Statistics section shows performance information about the network adapters that are on a team.
To view BASP Statistics information for any team member adapter or the team as a whole, click the name of the adapter or
team listed in the Team Management pane, then click the Statistics tab.
•

If the Statistics tab is not visible, then from the View menu, select Navigate, then Team Management, and then
Statistics.

•

If the General section is not visible, then from the Context View tab on the right side of the window, select Statistics
and then select General.

Click Refresh to get the most recent values for each statistic. Click Reset to change all values to zero.

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CONFIGURING WITH THE COMMAND LINE INTERFACE UTILITY
An alternate method to BACS 3 for configuring Broadcom network adapters is with BACSCLI, which is a Broadcom utility
that allows you to view information and configure network adapters using a console in either a non-interactive command line
interface (CLI) mode or an interactive mode. As with BACS 3, BACSCLI provides information about each network adapter,
and enables you to perform detailed tests, run diagnostics, view statistics, and modify property values. BACSCLI also allows
you the ability to team network adapters together for load balancing and failover.
For a complete list of available commands and examples, see the BACSCLI ReadMe text file on the installation CD.

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEMS
BACSCLI is supported on the following operating systems:
•

Windows 2000

•

Windows XP

•

Windows Server 2003

•

Windows Server 2008 (including Server Core)

•

Windows Server 2008 R2 (including Server Core)

INSTALLATION
On a system with Broadcom NetXtreme I and NetXtreme II network adapters, BACSCLI is installed when BACS 3 is installed
with the installer.

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S p e c if i c a t io n s : B ro adcom NetXtreme II™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

10/100/1000BASE-T and 10GBASE-T Cable Specifications

•

1000/2500BASE-X Fiber Optic Specifications

•

Interface Specifications

•

NIC Physical Characteristics

•

NIC Power Requirements

•

Wake On LAN Power Requirements

•

Environmental Specifications

10/100/1000BASE-T AND 10GBASE-T CABLE SPECIFICATIONS
Table 1: 10/100/1000BASE-T Cable Specifications
Port Type

Connector

Media

Maximum Distance

10BASE-T

RJ-45

Category 3, 4, or 5 unshielded
twisted pairs (UTP)

100m (328 feet)

100/1000BASE-T1

RJ-45

Category 52 UTP

100m (328 feet)

1000BASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 5 balanced cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:2002
and ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-B.

Category 5 is the minimum requirement. Category 5e and Category 6 are fully supported.

Table 2: 10GBASE-T Cable Specifications
Port Type

Connector

Media

Maximum Distance

10GBASE-T

RJ-45

Category 61 UTP

50m (164 feet)
100m (328 feet)

Category 6A1 UTP
1

10GBASE-T signaling requires four twisted pairs of Category 6 or Category 6A (augmented Category 6) balanced
cabling, as specified in ISO/IEC 11801:2002 and ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.

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1000/2500BASE-X FIBER OPTIC SPECIFICATIONS
Table 3: 1000/2500BASE-X Fiber Optic Specifications
Port Type

Connector

Media

Maximum Distance

1000BASE-X

Small form-factor pluggable
(SFP) transceiver with LC™
connection system
(Infineon p/n V23818-K305L57)

Multimode fiber (MMF)
System optimized for 62.5/
50 µm graded index fiber

550m (1804 feet)

2500BASE-X1

Small form-factor pluggable
(SFP) transceiver with LC™
connection system
(Finisar p/n
FTLF8542E2KNV)

Multimode fiber (MMF)
System optimized for 62.5/
50 µm graded index fiber

550m (1804 feet)

Electricals leveraged from IEEE 802.3ae-2002 (XAUI). 2500BASE-X is term used by Broadcom to describe 2.5 Gbit/s
(3.125GBd) operation. LC is a trademark of Lucent Technologies.

INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS
Table 4: 10/100/1000BASE-T Performance Specifications
Feature

Specification

PCI Express Interface

x4 link width

10/100/1000BASE-T

10/100/1000 Mbps

Table 5: 10GBASE-T Performance Specifications
Feature

Specification

PCI Express Interface

x8 link width

10GBASE-T

10 Gbps

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NIC PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Table 6: NIC Physical Characteristics
NIC Type

NIC Length

NIC Width

BCM5708 PCI Express

14.7 cm (5.79 inches)

6.4 cm (2.52 inches)

BCM5709 PCI Express x4 low-profile

11.9 cm (4.7 inches)

6.9 cm (2.7 inches)

BCM57710/BCM57711 PCI Express x8 low
profile

16.8 cm (6.6 inches)

5.1 cm (2.0 inches)

NIC POWER REQUIREMENTS
Table 7 shows the power requirements for the BCM5708C add-in NIC.

Table 7: BCM5708C NIC Power Requirements
Link

NIC 3.3V Current Draw (A)

NIC Power (W)

Idle (no link)

1.44

4.75

1 Gbit

1.97

6.50

100 Mbit

1.60

5.28

10 Mbit

1.62

5.35

Table 8 shows the power requirements for the BCM5709 add-in NIC.

Table 8: BCM5709C NIC Power Requirements
Link

NIC 3.3V Current Draw (A)

NIC Power (W)

Idle (no link)

1.01

3.32

1 Gbit

1.43

4.71

100 Mbit

1.16

3.81

10 Mbit

1.12

3.71

Table 9 shows the power requirements for the BCM57710/BCM57711 add-in NIC.

Table 9: BCM57710/BCM57711 NIC Power Requirements
Link

NIC 12V Current Draw (A)

NIC 3.3V Current Draw (A)

NIC Power (W)a

Idle (no link)

0.60

0.28

8.12

Low power mode

0.50

0.35

7.16

10GBASE-T link

1.23

1.79

20.67

10GBASE-T traffic

1.24

1.95

21.32

a.Power, measured in watts (W), is a direct calculation of total current draw (A) multiplied by voltage (V). The maximum
power consumption for the adapter will not exceed 30W.

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WAKE ON LAN POWER REQUIREMENTS
Table 10: BCM5708C Wake On LAN Power Requirements (Nominal Conditions)
100 Mbit Link
NIC 3.3V Current (mA)

10 Mbit Link

NIC Power (W)

236

NIC 3.3V Current (mA)

NIC Power (W)

150

0.5

0.78

Table 11: BCM5709C Wake On LAN Power Requirements (Nominal Conditions)
100 Mbit Link
NIC 3.3V Current (mA)

10 Mbit Link

NIC Power (W)

NIC 3.3V Current (mA)

NIC Power (W)

0.85

0.87

ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS
Table 12: BCM5708 Environmental Specifications
Condition

Operating Specification

Storage Specification

Temperature

0°C to 55°C (+32°F to +131°F)

–40°C to +85°C (–40°F to +185°F)

Relative humidity

5% to 85% (noncondensing)
40°C, 16 hour dwells at extremes

5% to 95% (noncondensing)
10°C/hour

Altitude

Up to 10,000 ft.

Up to 35,000 ft.

Shock

10g, 1/2 sine wave, 11 ms

60g, 1/2 sine wave, 11 ms

Vibration, peak to peak displacement

0.005 in. max (5 Hz to 32 Hz)

0.1 in. max (5 Hz to 17 Hz)

Vibration, peak acceleration

0.25g (5 Hz to 500 Hz)
(Sweep Rate = 1 octave/min.)

Table 13: BCM5709 Environmental Specifications
Parameter

Condition

Operating Temperature

0°C to 55°C

Air Flow Requirement (LFM)

Storage Temperature

–40°C to +65°C

Storage Humidity

5% to 95% condensing

Vibration and Shock

IEC 68, FCC Part 68.302, NSTA, 1A

Electrostatic/Electromagnetic Susceptibility

EN 61000-4-2, EN 55024

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R e gu l a t o r y I n for m a t i on : Broadcom NetXtreme
I I ™ N e t wo r k A da pt e r U s e r G u id e
•

FCC Notice

•

VCCI Notice

•

CE Notice

•

Canadian Regulatory Information (Canada Only)

•

Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Notice (Republic of Korea Only)

FCC NOTICE
FCC, CLASS B
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
The equipment complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: 1) The device
may not cause harmful interference, and 2) This equipment must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
The equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. The equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio-frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If the equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•

Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

•

Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

•

Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

•

Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for assistance.

Do not make mechanical or electrical modifications to the equipment.

NOTE: If the device is changed or modified without permission of Broadcom, the user may void his or her authority
to operate the equipment.

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FCC, CLASS A
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operations is subject to the following two conditions: 1) This device
may not cause harmful interference, and 2) This device must accept any interference received, including interference that
may cause undesired operation.
This product has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This product generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, may cause harmful interference with radio
communications. Operation of this product in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case you will
be required to correct the interference at your own expense.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a non-residential installation.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, you
are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
•

Reorient the receiving antenna.

•

Relocate the system with respect to the receiver.

•

Move the system away from the receiver.

•

Plug the system into a different outlet so that the system and receiver are on different branch circuits.

Do not make mechanical or electrical modifications to the equipment.

NOTE: If the device is changed or modified without permission of Broadcom, the user may void his or her authority
to operate the equipment.

VCCI NOTICE
CLASS B
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA

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The equipment is a Class B product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference from Information
Technology Equipment (VCCI). If used near a radio or television receiver in a domestic environment, it may cause radio
interference. Install and use the equipment according to the instruction manual.

CAUTION! The potential exists for this equipment to become impaired in the presence of conducted radio frequency
energy between the frequency range of 59–66 MHz. Normal operation will return upon removal of the RF energy
source.

VCCI Class B Statement (Japan)

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CLASS A
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
This equipment is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for interference by Information
Technology Equipment (VCCI). If used in a domestic environment, radio disturbance may arise. Install and use the
equipment according to the instruction manual.

VCCI Class A Statement (Japan)

CE NOTICE
CLASS B
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller

CLASS A
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller

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CANADIAN REGULATORY INFORMATION (CANADA ONLY)
INDUSTRY CANADA, CLASS B
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Notice: The Industry Canada regulations provide that changes or modifications not expressly approved by Broadcom could
void your authority to operate this equipment.

INDUSTRY CANADA, CLASS A
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Notice: The Industry Canada regulations provide that changes or modifications not expressly approved by Broadcom could
void your authority to operate this equipment.

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INDUSTRY CANADA, CLASSE B
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme canadienne ICES-003.
Avis : Dans le cadre des réglementations d'Industry Canada, vos droits d'utilisation de cet équipement peuvent être annulés
si des changements ou modifications non expressément approuvés par Broadcom y sont apportés.

INDUSTRY CANADA, CLASSE A
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
Cet appareil numérique de classe A est conforme à la norme canadienne ICES-003.
Avis : Dans le cadre des réglementations d'Industry Canada, vos droits d'utilisation de cet équipement peuvent être annulés
si des changements ou modifications non expressément approuvés par Broadcom y sont apportés.

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KOREA COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (KCC) NOTICE (REPUBLIC OF
KOREA ONLY)
B CLASS DEVICE

Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA
Note that this device has been approved for non-business purposes and may be used in any environment, including
residential areas.

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A CLASS DEVICE

Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom NetXtreme II 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
Broadcom Corporation
190 Mathilda Place
Sunnyvale, California 94086 USA

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U s e r D i agn o s t i c s : B ro a d c o m N e tXt r e m e I I ™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

Introduction

•

System Requirements

•

Performing Diagnostics

•

Diagnostic Test Descriptions

INTRODUCTION
Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics is an MS-DOS based application that runs a series of diagnostic tests (see
Table 3) on the Broadcom NetXtreme II network adapters in your system. Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics also
allows you to update device firmware and to view and change settings for available adapter properties. There are two
versions of the Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics: uxdiag.exe (for BCM5706/BCM5708/BCM5709 network adapters)
and uediag.exe (for BCM57710 network adapters).
To run Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics, create an MS-DOS 6.22 bootable disk containing the uxdiag.exe or
uediag.exe file. Next, start the system with the boot disk in drive A. See Performing Diagnostics for further instructions on
running diagnostic tests on Broadcom network adapters.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Operating System: MS-DOS 6.22
Software: uxdiag.exe (BCM5706/BCM5708/BCM5709), or uediag.exe (BCM57710)

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PERFORMING DIAGNOSTICS
At the MS-DOS prompt, type uxdiag (for BCM5706/BCM5708/BCM5709 network adapters) or uediag (for BCM57710
network adapters) followed by the command options. The uxdiag command options are shown in Table 1 and the uediag
command options are shown in Table 2. For example, to run all diagnostic tests on adapter #1 except Group B tests:
C:\>uxdiag -c 1 -t b

NOTE: You must include uxdiag or uediag at the beginning of the command string each time you type a command.

Table 1: uxdiag Command Options
Command Options

Description

uxdiag

Performs all tests on all Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters in your system.

uxdiag -c

Specifies the adapter (devnum) to test. Use all in place of a specific device number to test
all adapters.

uxdiag -cof

Allows tests to continue after detecting a failure.

uxdiag -F

Forces an upgrade of the image without checking the version.

uxdiag -fbc

Specifies the bin file to update the bootcode.

uxdiag -fib

Specifies the bin file for iSCSI boot.

uxdiag -fibc

Programs the iSCSI configuration block. Used only with -fib .

uxdiag -fibp

Programs the iSCSI configuration software. Used only with -fib .

uxdiag -fipmi

Specifies the bin file to update IPMI firmware.

uxdiag -fmba

Specifies the bin file to update the MBA.

uxdiag -fncsi

Specifies the bin file to update the NCSI firmware.

uxdiag -fnvm

Programs the raw image into NVM.

uxdiag -fump

Specifies the bin file to update UMP firmware.

uxdiag -help

Displays the Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics (uxdiag) command options.

uxdiag -I

Specifies the number of iterations to run on the selected tests.

uxdiag -idmatch

Enables matching of VID, DID, SVID, and SSID from the image file with device IDs. Used
only with -fnvm .

uxdiag -log

Logs the test results to a specified log file.

uxdiag -mba <1/0>

Enables/disables Multiple Boot Agent (MBA) protocol.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uxdiag -mbap

Sets the MBA boot protocol.
0 = PXE
1 = RPL
2 = BOOTP
3 = iSCSI_Boot

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Table 1: uxdiag Command Options (Cont.)
Command Options

Description

uxdiag -mbas

Sets the MBA/PXE speed.
0 = Auto
1 = 10H
2 = 10F
3 = 100H
4 = 100F
6 = 1000F

uxdiag -mbav <1|0>

Enables/disables MBA VLAN.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uxdiag -mbavval

Sets MBA VLAN (<65536).

uxdiag -mfw <1/0>

Enables/disables management firmware.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uxdiag -t

Disables certain groups/tests.

uxdiag -T

Enables certain groups/tests.

uxdiag -ver

Displays the version of Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics (uxdiag) and all installed
adapters.

uxdiag -wol <1/0>

Enables/disables Magic Packet WOL.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

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Table 2: uediag Command Options
Command Options

Description

uediag

Performs all tests on all Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters in your system.

uediag -c

Specifies the adapter (device#) to test. Similar to -dev (for backward compatibility).

uediag -cof

Allows tests to continue after detecting a failure.

uediag -dev

Specifies the adapter (device#) to test.

uediag -F

Forces an upgrade of the image without checking the version.

uediag -fbc

Specifies the bin file to update the bootcode.

uediag -fbc1

Specifies the bin file to update bootcode 1.

uediag -fbc2

Specifies the bin file to update bootcode 2.

uediag -fl2b

Specifies the bin file for L2B firmware.

uediag -fib

Specifies the bin file for iSCSI boot.

uediag -fibc

Programs iSCSI configuration block 0. Used only with -fib .

uediag -fibc2

Programs iSCSI configuration block 1. Used only with -fib .

uediag -fibp

Programs iSCSI configuration software. Used only with -fib .

uediag -fipmi

Specifies the bin file to update IPMI firmware.

uediag -fmba

Specifies the bin file to update the MBA.

uediag -fnvm

Programs the raw image into NVM.

uediag -fump

Specifies the bin file to update UMP firmware.

uediag -help

Displays the Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics (uediag) command options.

uediag -I

Specifies the number of iterations to run on the selected tests.

uediag -idmatch

Enables matching of VID, DID, SVID, and SSID from the image file with device IDs: Used
only with -fnvm .

uediag -log

Logs the tests results to a specified log file.

uediag -mba <1/0>

Enables/disables Multiple Boot Agent (MBA) protocol.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uediag -mbap

Sets the MBA boot protocol.
0 = PXE
1 = RPL
2 = BOOTP
3 = iSCSI_Boot

uediag -mbav <1/0>

Enables/disables MBA VLAN.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uediag -mbavval

Sets MBA VLAN (<65536).

uediag -mfw <1/0>

Enables/disables management firmware.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

uediag -t

Disables certain groups/tests.

uediag -T

Enables certain groups/tests.

uediag -ver

Displays the version of Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics (uediag) and all installed
adapters.

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Table 2: uediag Command Options (Cont.)
Command Options

Description

uediag -wol <1/0>

Enables/disable Magic Packet WOL.
1 = Enable
0 = Disable

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DIAGNOSTIC TEST DESCRIPTIONS
The diagnostic tests are divided into four groups: Basic Functional Tests (Group A), Memory Tests (Group B), Block Tests
(Group C), and Ethernet Traffic Tests (Group D). The diagnostic tests are listed and described in Table 3.

Table 3: Diagnostic Tests
Test
Description
Number

Name

Group A: Basic Functional Tests
A1

Verifies that registers accessible through the PCI/PCI-E interface implement the
expected read-only or read/write attributes by attempting to modify those
registers.

PCI Configuration

Checks the functionality of the PCI Base Address Register (BAR) by varying the
amount of memory requested by the BAR and verifying that the BAR actually
requests the correct amount of memory (without actually mapping the BAR into
system memory). Refer to PCI or PCI-E specifications for details on the BAR and
its addressing space.

Interrupt

Generates a PCI interrupt and verifies that the system receives the interrupt and
invokes the correct ISR. A negative test is also performed to verify that a masked
interrupt does not invoke the ISR.

MSI

Verifies that a Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI) causes an MSI message to be
DMA’d to host memory. A negative test is also performed to verify that when an
MSI is masked, it does not write an MSI message to host memory.

Memory BIST

Invokes the internal chip Built-In Self Test (BIST) command to test internal
memory.

Group B: Memory Tests
B1

TXP Scratchpad

TPAT Scratchpad

RXP Scratchpad

COM Scratchpad

CP Scratchpad

MCP Scratchpad

TAS Header Buffer

TAS Payload Buffer

RBUF via GRC

B10

RBUF via Indirect
Access

B11

RBUF Cluster List

B12

TSCH List

B13

CSCH List

B14

RV2P Scratchpads

B15

TBDC Memory

B16

RBDC Memory

B17

CTX Page Table

B18

CTX Memory

The Group B tests verify all memory blocks of the Broadcom NetXtreme II
adapter by writing various data patterns (0x55aa55aa, 0xaa55aa55, walking
zeroes, walking ones, address, etc.) to each memory location, reading back the
data, and then comparing it to the value written. The fixed data patterns are used
to ensure that no memory bit is stuck high or low, while the walking zeroes/ones
and address tests are used to ensure that memory writes do not corrupt adjacent
memory locations.

Group C: Block Tests

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Table 3: Diagnostic Tests (Cont.)
Test
Description
Number

Name

CPU Logic and DMA
Interface

Verifies the basic logic functionality of all the on-chip CPUs. It also exercises the
DMA interface exposed to those CPUs. The internal CPU tries to initiate DMA
activities (both read and write) to system memory and then compares the values
to confirm that the DMA operation completed successfully.

RBUF Allocation

Verifies the RX buffer (RBUF) allocation interface by allocating and releasing
buffers and checking that the RBUF block maintains an accurate count of the
allocated and free buffers.

CAM Access

Verifies the content-addressable memory (CAM) block by performing read,
write, add, modify, and cache hit tests on the CAM associative memory.

TPAT Cracker

Verifies the packet cracking logic block (i.e., the ability to parse TCP, IP, and
UDP headers within an Ethernet frame) as well as the checksum/CRC offload
logic. In this test, packets are submitted to the chip as if they were received over
Ethernet and the TPAT block cracks the frame (identifying the TCP, IP, and UDP
header data structures) and calculates the checksum/CRC. The TPAT block
results are compared with the values expected by Broadcom NetXtreme II User
Diagnostics and any errors are displayed.

FIO Register

The Fast IO (FIO) verifies the register interface that is exposed to the internal
CPUs.

NVM Access and
Reset-Corruption

Verifies non-volatile memory (NVM) accesses (both read and write) initiated by
one of the internal CPUs. It tests for appropriate access arbitration among
multiple entities (CPUs). It also checks for possible NVM corruption by issuing a
chip reset while the NVM block is servicing data.

Core-Reset Integrity

Verifies that the chip performs its reset operation correctly by resetting the chip
multiple times, checking that the bootcode and the internal uxdiag driver loads/
unloads correctly.

DMA Engine

Verifies the functionality of the DMA engine block by performing numerous DMA
read and write operations to various system and internal memory locations (and
byte boundaries) with varying lengths (from 1 byte to over 4 KB, crossing the
physical page boundary) and different data patterns (incremental, fixed, and
random). CRC checks are performed to ensure data integrity. The DMA write
test also verifies that DMA writes do not corrupt the neighboring host memory.

VPD

Exercises the Vital Product Data (VPD) interface using PCI configuration cycles
and requires a proper bootcode to be programmed into the non-volatile memory.
If no VPD data is present (i.e., the VPD NVM area is all 0s), the test first initializes
the VPD data area with non-zero data before starting the test and restores the
original data after the test completes.

C11

FIO Events

Verifies that the event bits in the CPU’s Fast IO (FIO) interface are triggering
correctly when a particular chip events occur, such as a VPD request initiated by
the host, an expansion ROM request initiated by the host, a timer event
generated internally, toggling any GPIO bits, or accessing NVM.

Group D: Ethernet Traffic Tests
D1

MAC Loopback

Enables MAC loopback mode in the adapter and transmits 5000 Layer 2 packets
of various sizes. As the packets are received back by Broadcom NetXtreme II
User Diagnostics, they are checked for errors. Packets are returned through the
MAC receive path and never reach the PHY. The adapter should not be
connected to a network.

PHY Loopback

Enables PHY loopback mode in the adapter and transmits 5000 Layer 2 packets
of various sizes. As the packets are received back by Broadcom NetXtreme II
User Diagnostics, they are checked for errors. Packets are returned through the
PHY receive path and never reach the wire. The adapter should not be
connected to a network.

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Table 3: Diagnostic Tests (Cont.)
Test
Description
Number

Name

LSO

Verifies the functionality of the adapter’s Large Send Offload (LSO) support by
enabling MAC loopback mode and transmitting large TCP packets. As the
packets are received back by Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics, they are
checked for proper segmentation (according to the selected MSS size) and any
other errors. The adapter should not be connected to a network.

EMAC Statistics

Verifies that the basic statistics information maintained by the chip is correct by
enabling MAC loopback mode and sending Layer 2 packets of various sizes.
The adapter should not be connected to a network.

RPC

Verifies the Receive Path Catch-up (RPC) block by sending packets to different
transmit chains. The packets traverse the RPC logic (though not the entire MAC
block) and return to the receive buffers as received packets. This is another
loopback path that is used by Layer 4 and Layer 5 traffic within the MAC block.
As packets are received back by Broadcom NetXtreme II User Diagnostics, they
are checked for errors. The adapter should not be connected to a network.

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Tro ubl e s ho ot i n g: B ro a d c o m N e tXt r e m e I I ™
Network Adapter Us er Guide
•

Hardware Diagnostics

•

Checking Port LEDs

•

Troubleshooting Checklist

•

Checking if Current Drivers are Loaded

•

Running a Cable Length Test

•

Testing Network Connectivity

•

Microsoft Virtualization with Hyper-V

•

Removing the Broadcom NetXtreme II Device Drivers

•

Upgrading Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2003

•

Upgrading Windows Operating Systems

•

Preparing an Answer File for Unattended Installation

•

Broadcom Boot Agent

•

Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP)

•

Linux

•

Miscellaneous

HARDWARE DIAGNOSTICS
Loopback diagnostic tests are available for testing the adapter hardware. These tests provide access to the adapter internal/
external diagnostics, where packet information is transmitted across the physical link (for instructions and information on
running tests in an MS-DOS environment, see User Diagnostics; for Windows environments, see Running Diagnostic Tests).

CHECKING PORT LEDS
See Network Link and Activity Indication to check the state of the network link and activity.

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TROUBLESHOOTING CHECKLIST
CAUTION! Before you open the cabinet of your server to add or remove the adapter, review Safety Precautions.
The following checklist provides recommended actions to take to resolve problems installing the Broadcom NetXtreme II
adapter or running it in your system.
•

Inspect all cables and connections. Verify that the cable connections at the network adapter and the switch are attached
properly. Verify that the cable length and rating comply with the requirements listed in Connecting the Network Cables.

•

Check the adapter installation by reviewing Installation of the Add-In NIC. Verify that the adapter is properly seated in
the slot. Check for specific hardware problems, such as obvious damage to board components or the PCI edge
connector.

•

Check the configuration settings and change them if they are in conflict with another device.

•

Verify that your server is using the latest BIOS.

•

Try inserting the adapter in another slot. If the new position works, the original slot in your system may be defective.

•

Replace the failed adapter with one that is known to work properly. If the second adapter works in the slot where the first
one failed, the original adapter is probably defective.

•

Install the adapter in another functioning system and run the tests again. If the adapter passed the tests in the new
system, the original system may be defective.

•

Remove all other adapters from the system and run the tests again. If the adapter passes the tests, the other adapters
may be causing contention.

CHECKING IF CURRENT DRIVERS ARE LOADED
WINDOWS
See Viewing Vital Signs to view vital information about the adapter, link status, and network connectivity.

NETWARE
To verify that the driver is loaded properly, type
LOAD BX2.LAN FRAME_ETHERNET_II NAME=BX2_1_EII

This command automatically verifies if the link is active. If the link is active, the command returns Link is up.
From the command line, type config then press ENTER. The following status information is displayed:
Broadcom NetXtreme II Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Version:
Hardware Setting:
Node Address:
Frame Type:
Board Name:

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LAN Protocol: ARP (see note)
LAN Protocol: IP Addr: (see note)

NOTE: The LAN protocol status is displayed after an IP address is assigned to the adapter.

LINUX
To verify that the bnx2.o driver is loaded properly, run:
lsmod

If the driver is loaded, a line similar to the one below is displayed, where size is the size of the driver in bytes, and n is the
number of adapters configured.

Module

Size

Used by

BCM5706

size

BCM5708

size

RUNNING A CABLE LENGTH TEST
For Windows operating systems, see Analyzing Cables for information on running a cable length test. Cable analysis is not
available for NetXtreme II 10 GbE network adapters.

TESTING NETWORK CONNECTIVITY
NOTE: When using forced link speeds, verify that both the adapter and the switch are forced to the same speed,
or that at least one link partner is configured for auto-negotiation.

WINDOWS
Network connectivity can be tested using the Testing the Network feature in Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3.
An alternate method is to use the ping command to determine if the network connection is working.
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
3. Type ipconfig /all to view the network connection to be tested.
4. Type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.
The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether the network connection is working or not.

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NETWARE
Ping an IP host on the network to verify connection has been established.
From the command line, type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.
The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether or not the network connection is working.

LINUX
To verify that the Ethernet interface is up and running, run ifconfig to check the status of the Ethernet interface. It is possible
to use netstat -i to check the statistics on the Ethernet interface. See Linux Driver Software for information on ifconfig and
netstat.
Ping an IP host on the network to verify connection has been established.
From the command line, type ping IP address, and then press ENTER.
The ping statistics that are displayed indicate whether or not the network connection is working.

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MICROSOFT VIRTUALIZATION WITH HYPER-V
Microsoft Virtualization is a hypervisor virtualization system for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2. This
section is intended for those who are familiar with Hyper-V, and it addresses issues that affect the configuration of
NetXtreme II network adapters and teamed network adapters when Hyper-V is used. For more information on Hyper-V, see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/hyperv.aspx.
Table 1 identifies Hyper-V supported features that are configurable for NetXtreme II network adapters. This table is not an
all-inclusive list of Hyper-V features.

Table 1: Configurable Network Adapter Hyper-V Features
Feature

Supported in
Windows Server
2008

Supported in
Windows Server
2008 R2

Comments/Limitation

IPv4

Yes

–

IPv6

Yes

–

IPv4 Large Send Offload (LSO)
(parent and child partition)

Yes

–

IPv4 Checksum Offload (CO) (parent
and child partition)

Yes

–

IPv4 TCP Offload Engine (TOE)

No*

Yes

*When bound to a virtual network,
OS limitation.

IPv6 LSO (parent and child partition)

No*

Yes

*When bound to a virtual network,
OS limitation.

IPv6 CO (parent and child partition)

No*

Yes

*When bound to a virtual network,
OS limitation.

IPv6 TOE)

No*

Yes

*When bound to a virtual network,
OS limitation.

iSCSI offload

No*

Yes

*OS limitation.

Jumbo frames

No*

Yes

*OS limitation.

RSS

OS limitation.

NOTE: Ensure that Integrated Services, which is a component of Hyper-V, is installed in the guest operating system
(child partition) for full functionality.

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SINGLE NETWORK ADAPTER
Windows Server 2008
When configuring a NetXtreme II network adapter on a Hyper-V system, be aware of the following:
•

An adapter that is to be bound to a virtual network should not be configured for VLAN tagging through the driver’s
advanced properties. Instead, Hyper-V should manage VLAN tagging exclusively.

•

Since Hyper-V does not support Jumbo Frames, it is recommended that this feature not be used or connectivity issues
may occur with the child partition.

•

The Locally Administered Address (LAA) set by Hyper-V takes precedence over the address set in the adapter’s
advanced properties.

•

A TOE-enabled network adapter that is bound to a Hyper-V virtual network will report TOE as an offload capability in
BACS; however, TOE will not work. This is a limitation of Hyper-V. Hyper-V does not support TOE.

•

In an IPv6 network, a team that supports CO and/or LSO and is bound to a Hyper-V virtual network will report CO and
LSO as an offload capability in BACS; however, CO and LSO will not work. This is a limitation of Hyper-V. Hyper-V does
not support CO and LSO in an IPv6 network.

Windows Server 2008 R2
When configuring a NetXtreme II network adapter on a Hyper-V system, be aware of the following:
•

An adapter that is to be bound to a virtual network should not be configured for VLAN tagging through the driver’s
advanced properties. Instead, Hyper-V should manage VLAN tagging exclusively.

•

The Locally Administered Address (LAA) set by Hyper-V takes precedence over the address set in the adapter’s
advanced properties.

•

The LSO and CO features in the guest OS are independent of the network adapter properties.

•

To allow jumbo frame functionality from the guest OS, both the network adapter and the virtual adapter must have
jumbo frames enabled. The Jumbo MTU property for the network adapter must be set to allow traffic of large MTU from
within the guest OS. The jumbo packet of the virtual adapter must be set in order to segment the sent and received
packets.

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TEAMED NETWORK ADAPTERS
Table 2 identifies Hyper-V supported features that are configurable for NetXtreme II teamed network adapters. This table is
not an all-inclusive list of Hyper-V features.

Table 2: Configurable Teamed Network Adapter Hyper-V Features
Supported in
Windows Server
2008

Supported in
Windows Server
2008 R2

Smart Load Balancing and Failover
(SLB) team type

Yes

Multi-member SLB team allowed
with latest BASP6 version.

Link Aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad
LACP) team type

Yes

–

Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)
802.3ad Draft Static team type

Yes

–

Failover

Yes

–

LiveLink

Yes

–

Large Send Offload (LSO)

Limited*

Yes

*Conforms to miniport limitations
outlines in Table 1.

Checksum Offload (CO)

Limited*

Yes

*Conforms to miniport limitations
outlines in Table 1.

TCP Offload Engine (TOE)

Limited*

Yes

*Conforms to miniport limitations
outlines in Table 1.

Hyper-V VLAN over an adapter

Yes

–

Hyper-V VLAN over a teamed
adapter

Yes

–

Feature

Comments/Limitation

Hyper-V VLAN over a VLAN

Limited*

Only an untagged VLAN.

Hyper-V virtual switch over an
adapter

Yes

–

Hyper-V virtual switch over a teamed
adapter

Yes

–

Hyper-V virtual switch over a VLAN

Yes

–

iSCSI boot

No*

*Remote boot to SAN is supported.

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Windows Server 2008
When configuring a team of NetXtreme II network adapters on a Hyper-V system, be aware of the following:
•

Create the team prior to binding the team to the Hyper-V virtual network.

•

Create a team only with an adapter that is not already assigned to a Hyper-V virtual network.

•

A TOE-enabled team that is bound to a Hyper-V virtual network will report TOE as an offload capability in BACS;
however, TOE will not work. This is a limitation of Hyper-V. Hyper-V does not support TOE.

•

To successfully perform VLAN tagging for both the host (parent partition) and the guest (child partition) with the BASP
teaming software, you must configure the team for tagging. Unlike VLAN tagging with a single adapter, tagging cannot
be managed by Hyper-V when using BASP software.

•

When making changes to a team or removing a team, remove the team’s binding from all guest OSs that use any of the
VNICs in the team, change the configuration, and then rebind the team’s VNICs to the guest OS. This can be done in
the Hyper-V Manager.

Windows Server 2008 R2
When configuring a team of NetXtreme II network adapters on a Hyper-V system, be aware of the following:
•

Create the team prior to binding the team to the Hyper-V virtual network.

•

Create a team only with an adapter that is not already assigned to a Hyper-V virtual network.

•

A BASP virtual adapter configured for VLAN tagging can be bound to a Hyper-V virtual network. However, the VLAN
tagging capability through Hyper-V cannot be enabled with this configuration. Hyper-V VLAN tagging will only work if
bound to an untagged BASP virtual adapter.

•

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User Guide

NetXtreme II

January 2010

REMOVING THE BROADCOM NETXTREME II DEVICE DRIVERS
Uninstall the Broadcom NetXtreme II device drivers from your system only through the InstallShield wizard. Uninstalling the
device drivers with Device Manager or any other means may not provide a clean uninstall and may cause the system to
become unstable. For information on uninstalling Broadcom NetXtreme II device drivers, see Removing the Device Drivers.

UPGRADING WINDOWS 2000 SERVER TO WINDOWS SERVER 2003
Prior to performing an OS upgrade from Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2003 when a Broadcom NetXtreme II
adapter is installed in your system, Broadcom recommends that you uninstall the adapter’s driver. This is to ensure that no
errors are encountered in the installation of the Windows Server 2003 drivers for the NetXtreme II adapters. The device
drivers for Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 are not the same and require the installation of the Windows 2003
drivers to be performed after the OS upgrade is completed.

UPGRADING WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEMS
This section covers Windows upgrades for the following:
•

From Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008

•

From Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2

Prior to performing an OS upgrade when a Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter is installed on your system, Broadcom
recommends the procedure below.
1. Save all team and adapter IP information.
2. Uninstall all Broadcom drivers using the installer.
3. Perform the Windows upgrade.
4. Reinstall the latest Broadcom adapter drivers and the BACS application.

PREPARING AN ANSWER FILE FOR UNATTENDED INSTALLATION
When creating an answer file for an unattended installation or for the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) utility, the following
sections must be included under the [Unattend] section:
OemPreinstall=Yes
OemPnpDriversPath=Drivers\NIC

NOTES:
•

This does not include an unattended installation when performed from a CD-ROM.

•

The path shown in OemPnpDriversPath can be appended with the path to other applicable drivers.

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For an unattended installation, place the Broadcom NetXtreme II driver files in the $OEM$\$1\Drivers\NIC directory. For
Sysprep, the drivers are located in Drivers\NIC at the root of the system drive. The Broadcom NetXtreme II driver files are
listed below according to the operating system to be installed:
Windows 2000: bxvbd.inf, bxvbdx.sys, bxvbd.cat, bxnd.inf, bxnd.cat, bxnd50x.sys, bxndcox.dll, bxdiag.cat, bxdiag.inf,
bxdiagx.sys, wdfcoinstaller01005.dll, and wUDFUpdate_01005.dll
Windows Server 2003 (ia32): bxvbd.inf, bxvbdx.sys, bxvbd.cat, bxnd.inf, bxnd.cat, bxnd52x.sys, bxndcox.dll, bxdiag.cat,
bxdiag.inf, bxdiagx.sys, wdfcoinstaller01005.dll, and wUDFUpdate_01005.dll
Windows Server 2003 (x64): bxvbd.inf, bxvbda.sys, bxvbd.cat, bxnd.inf, bxnd.cat, bxnd52a.sys, bxndcoa.dll, bxdiag.cat,
bxdiag.inf, bxdiaga.sys, wdfcoinstaller01005.dll, and wUDFUpdate_01005.dll
When applying network properties through an answer file for a NetXtreme II device where the PnP iD is being used as the
identifier, show as follows:
For a BCM5708C NetXtreme II GigE - InfId = "b06bdrv\l2nd&pci_164c14e4"
For a BCM5708S Netxtreme II GigE - InfId = "b06bdrv\l2nd&pci_16ac14e4"
For a BCM5706C Netxtreme II GigE - InfId = "b06bdrv\l2nd&pci_164a14e4"
For a BCM5706S Netxtreme II GigE - InfId = "b06bdrv\l2nd&pci_16aa14e4"
Currently, the PCI location (PCI bus, device, function numbers) method is not supported for the NetXtreme II device as an
identifier or the adapter in the answer file due to a limitation with the Windows operating system.

BROADCOM BOOT AGENT
Problem: Unable to obtain network settings through DHCP using PXE.
Solution: For proper operation make sure that the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is disabled or that portfast mode (for Cisco)
is enabled on the port to which the PXE client is connected. For instance, set spantree portfast 4/12 enable.

BROADCOM ADVANCED SERVER PROGRAM (BASP)
Problem: After deleting a team that uses IPv6 addresses and then re-creating the team, the IPv6 addresses from the old
team are used for the re-created team.
Solution: This is a third-party issue. To remove the old team’s IPv6 addresses, locate the General tab for the team’s TCP/
IP properties from your system’s Network Connections. Either delete the old addresses and type in new IPv6 addresses or
select the option to automatically obtain IP addresses.
Problem: Adding an NLB-enabled NetXtreme II adapter to a team may cause unpredictable results.
Solution: Prior to creating the team, unbind NLB from the NetXtreme II adapter, create the team, and then bind NLB to the
team.

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Problem: A BASP team in Windows 2003 may not function properly if a team member driver property is modified.
Solution: Due to a limitation in Windows 2003, the features of team members should remain static during the entire life of
the team. To change the characteristics of a team member, remove the team member from the team, modify the team
member, and then re-add the adapter to the team. The limitation does not exist in Windows 2008 and later.
Problem: A system containing an 802.3ad team causes a Netlogon service failure in the system event log and prevents it
from communicating with the domain controller during boot up.
Solution: Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 326152 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326152/en-us) indicates that Gigabit
Ethernet adapters may experience problems with connectivity to a domain controller due to link fluctuation while the driver
initializes and negotiates link with the network infrastructure. The link negotiation is further affected when the Gigabit
adapters are participating in an 802.3ad team due to the additional negotiation with a switch required for this team type. As
suggested in the Knowledge Base Article above, disabling media sense as described in a separate Knowledge Base Article
239924 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/239924/) has shown to be a valid workaround when this problem occurs.
Problem: The 802.3ad team member links disconnect and reconnect continuously (applies to all operating systems).
Solution: This is a third-party issue. It is seen only when configuring an 802.3ad team with greater than two members on
the server and connecting an HP2524 switch, with LACP enabled as passive or active. The HP switch shows an LACP
channel being brought up successfully with only two team members. All other team member links disconnect and reconnect.
This does not occur with a Cisco Catalyst 6500.
Problem: A Generic Trunking (GEC/FEC) 802.3ad-Draft Static type of team may lose some network connectivity if the driver
to a team member is disabled.
Solution: If a team member supports underlying management software (ASF/IPMI/UMP) or Wake-On-LAN, the link may be
maintained on the switch for the adapter despite its driver being disabled. This may result in the switch continuing to pass
traffic to the attached port rather than route the traffic to an active team member port. Disconnecting the disabled adapter
from the switch will allow traffic to resume to the other active team members.
Problem: Large Send Offload (LSO) and Checksum Offload are not working on my team.
Solution: If one of the adapters on a team does not support LSO, LSO does not function for the team. Remove the adapter
that does not support LSO from the team, or replace it with one that does. The same applies to Checksum Offload.
Problem: The advanced properties of a team do not change after changing the advanced properties of an adapter that is a
member of the team.
Solution: If an adapter is included as a member of a team and you change any advanced property, then you must rebuild
the team to ensure that the team’s advanced properties are properly set.
Problem: Errors occur when an RSS-enabled adapter is included as a member of a team on Windows Server 2003 and and
later.
Solution: Disable RSS from all members of the team and rebuild the team.

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LINUX
Problem: On kernels older than 2.6.16 when 16 partitions are created on a server containing two BCM57711 network
adapters, not all partitions would come up and an error indicating a shortage of space would display.
Solution: On architectures where the default vmalloc size is relatively small and not sufficient to load many interfaces, use
vmalloc= during boot to increase the size.
Problem: Routing does not work for NetXtreme II 10 GbE network adapters installed in Linux systems.
Solution: For NetXtreme II 10 GbE network adapters installed in systems with Linux kernels older than 2.6.26, disable TPA
with either ethtool (if available) or with the driver parameter (see disable_tpa). Use ethtool to disable TPA (LRO) for a specific
NetXtreme II 10 GbE network adapter.
Problem: On a NetXtreme II 1 GbE network adapter in a CNIC environment, flow control does not work.
Solution: Flow control is working, but in a CNIC environment, it has the appearance that it is not. The network adapter is
capable of sending pause frames when the on-chip buffers are depleted, but the adapter also prevents the head-of-line
blocking of other receive queues. Since the head-of-line blocking causes the on-chip firmware to discard packets inside the
on-chip receive buffers, in the case a particular host queue is depleted, the on-chip receive buffers will rarely be depleted,
therefore, it may appear that flow control is not functioning.

MISCELLANEOUS
Problem: When setting the Jumbo MTU property to 5000 bytes or greater and forcing Flow Control on network adapters
that support a link speed of 10 Gbps, the system performance performs at less than optimal levels.
Solution: If Jumbo MTU is set to 5000 bytes or greater, ensure that Flow Control is set to Auto.
Problem: iSCSI Crash Dump is not working.
Solution: After upgrading the device drivers using the installer, the iSCSI crash dump driver is also upgraded, and iSCSI
Crash Dump must be re-enabled from the Advanced section of the BACS Configuration tab.
Problem: In Windows 2008 R2, if the OS is running as an iSCSI boot OS, the VolMgr error, “The system could not
successfully load the crash dump driver,” appears in the event log.
Solution: Enable iSCSI Crash Dump from the Advanced section of the BACS Configuration tab.
Problem: Although installed, the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 (BACS) application does not start and an error
message appears.
Solution: .NET Framework 2.0 is required for BACS 3 to operate. Install .NET Framework 2.0.
Problem: Broadcom Advanced Control Suite 3 takes a long time to start up.
Solution: This is a limitation of .NET Framework 2.0. Apply .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 and reboot your system.

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January 2010

Problem: The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter may not perform at optimal level on some systems if it is added after the
system has booted.
Solution: The system BIOS in some systems does not set the cache line size and the latency timer if the adapter is added
after the system has booted. Reboot the system after the adapter has been added.
Problem: Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) is not functioning properly.
Solution: IPMI works only when LiveLink™ is disabled. See Configuring LiveLink for a Smart Load Balancing and Failover
and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) Team.
Problem: Although the Broadcom 5708S SerDes adapter is capable of connecting at speeds up to 2.5 Gbps when licensed
and configured, Windows Task Manager incorrectly reports the speed at 2 Gbps.
Solution: This reporting error is a known Microsoft issue. Locate the actual link speed from Viewing Vital Signs in BACS.
Problem: Cannot configure Resource Reservations in BACS 3 after SNP is uninstalled.
Solution: Reinstall SNP. Prior to uninstalling SNP from the system, ensure that NDIS is enabled via the checkbox on the
Resource Configuration screen, available from the Resource Reservations section of the Configurations tab (see Viewing
Resource Reservations). If NDIS is disabled and SNP is removed, there is no access to re-enable the device.
Problem: TOE performance is more susceptible to packet loss when flow control is disabled.
Solution: Enable flow control to reduce the number of packets lost.
Problem: A DCOM error message (event ID 10016) appears in the System Even Log during the installation of the Broadcom
adapter drivers.
Solution: This is a Microsoft issue. For more information, see Microsoft knowledge base KB913119 at http://
support.microsoft.com/kb/913119.
Problem: Performance is degraded when multiple BCM57710 network adapters are used in a system.
Solution: Ensure that the system has at least 2 GB of main memory when using up to four network adapters and 4 GB of
main memory when using four or more network adapters.
Problem: Remote installation of Windows Server 2008 to an iSCSI target via iSCSI offload fails to complete, and the
computer restarts, repeatedly.
Solution: This is a Microsoft issue. For more information on applying the Microsoft hotfix, see Microsoft knowledge base
article KB952942 at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/952942.

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Miscellaneous

Page 247

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