Broadcom NetXtreme II User manual

User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User Guide Page 1
Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User
Guide
• 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
•UsingiSCSI
• 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

NetXtreme II User Guide
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Page 2 Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User Guide Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R
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
ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R

User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Functionality and Features: Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User Guide Page 3
Functionality and Features: Broadcom
NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User 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 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.

NetXtreme II User Guide
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Page 4 Features Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R
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

User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Features Page 5
• Integrated 96 KB frame buffer memory
• 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.

NetXtreme II User Guide
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Page 6 Features Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R
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.

User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Supported Operating Environments Page 7
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®
•SCOOpenServer
®

NetXtreme II User Guide
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Page 8 Network Link and Activity Indication Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R
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 Network State
Link LED Off No link (cable disconnected)
Continuously illuminated Link
Activity LED 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

User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Configuring Teaming: Broadcom NetXtreme II™ Network Adapter User Guide Page 9
Configuring Teaming: Broadcom NetXtreme II™
Network Adapter User 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.

NetXtreme II User Guide
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Page 10 Load Balancing and Fault Tolerance Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R
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.