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:
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 full-duplex 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.
The following is a list of the Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter features. Some features may not be available on all adapters.
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.
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.
FCoE (Fibre Channel Backbone-5 (FC-BB-5)) allows Fibre Channel protocol to be transferred over Ethernet. FCoE preserves existing Fibre Channel infrastructure and capital investments. The following FCoE features are supported:
NOTES: FCoE is not available for all Broadcom network adapters.
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:
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.
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 (BACS) is an integrated utility that provides useful information about each network adapter that is installed in your system. The BACS 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.
The Broadcom NetXtreme II adapter has software support for the following operating systems:
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 and SFP+, 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 also provides information about the status of the network link and activity (see Viewing Vital Signs).
LED Appearance
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Network State
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Off
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No link (cable disconnected)
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Continuously illuminated
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Link
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Blinking
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Network activity
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