H3C ETH521i User manual

ETH521i Mezz Network Adapter
User Guide
New H3C Technologies Co., Ltd.
https://www.h3c.com/en/
Document version: 6W100-20230224

Copyright © 2023, New H3C Technologies Co., Ltd. and its licensors
All rights reserved
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written
consent of New H3C Technologies Co., Ltd.
Trademarks
Except for the trademarks of New H3C Technologies Co., Ltd., any trademarks that may be mentioned in this
document are the property of their respective owners.
Notice
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. All contents in this document, including
statements, information, and recommendations, are believed to be accurate, but they are presented without
warranty of any kind, express or implied. H3C shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions
contained herein.
Environmental protection
This product has been designed to comply with the environmental protection requirements. The storage, use,
and disposal of this product must meet the applicable national laws and regulations.

Preface
This user guide describes the specifications, supported features, and configuration methods for
ETH521i Mezz network adapters.
This preface includes the following topics about the documentation:
•
Audience.
•
Conventions.
•
Documentation feedback.
Audience
This documentation is intended for:
•
Network planners.
•
Field technical support and servicing engineers.
•
Network administrators.
Conventions
The following information describes the conventions used in the documentation.
Command conventions
Convention
Description
Boldface Bold text represents commands and keywords that you enter literally as shown.
Italic Italic text represents arguments that you replace with actual values.
[ ] Square brackets enclose syntax choices (keywords or arguments) that are optional.
{ x | y | ... }
Braces enclose a set of required syntax choices separated by vertical bars, from which
you select one.
[ x | y | ... ]
Square brackets enclose a set of optional syntax choices separated by vertical bars,
from which you select one or none.
{ x | y | ... } *
Asterisk marked braces enclose a set of required syntax choices separated by vertical
bars, from which you select a minimum of one.
[ x | y | ... ] *
Asterisk marked square brackets enclose optional syntax choices separated by vertical
bars, from which you select one choice, multiple choices, or none.
&<1-n> The argument or keyword and argument combination before the ampersand (&) sign
can be entered 1 to n times.
# A line that starts with a pound (#) sign is comments.
GUI conventions
Convention
Description
Boldface Window names, button names, field names, and menu items are in Boldface. For
example, the New User window opens; click OK.
> Multi-level menus are separated by angle brackets. For example, File > Create >
Folder.

Symbols
Convention
Description
WARNING!
An alert that calls attention to important information that if not understood or followed
can result in personal injury.
CAUTION:
An alert that calls attention to important information that if not understood or followed
can result in data loss, data corruption, or damage to hardware or software.
IMPORTANT:
An alert that calls attention to essential information.
NOTE:
An alert that contains additional or supplementary information.
TIP:
An alert that provides helpful information.
Network topology icons
Convention
Description
Represents a generic network device, such as a router, switch, or firewall.
Represents a routing-capable device, such as a router or Layer 3 switch.
Represents a generic switch, such as a Layer 2 or Layer 3 switch, or a router that
supports Layer 2 forwarding and other Layer 2 features.
Represents an access controller, a unified wired-WLAN module, or the access
controller engine on a unified wired-WLAN switch.
Represents an access point.
Represents a wireless terminator unit.
Represents a wireless terminator.
Represents a mesh access point.
Represents omnidirectional signals.
Represents directional signals.
Represents a security product, such as a firewall, UTM, multiservice security
gateway, or load balancing device.
Represents a security module, such as a firewall, load balancing, NetStream, SSL
VPN, IPS, or ACG module.
Examples provided in this document
Examples in this document might use devices that differ from your device in hardware model,
configuration, or software version. It is normal that the port numbers, sample output, screenshots,
and other information in the examples differ from what you have on your device.
T
T
T
T

Documentation feedback
You can e-mail your comments about product documentation to [e-mail].
We appreciate your comments.

i
Contents
Safety information··························································································1
General operating safety····································································································································1
Electrical safety··················································································································································1
ESD prevention··················································································································································1
Configuring the network adapter····································································1
Viewing mapping relations between network adapter ports and ICM ports·······················································1
Verifying the identification status of network adapter ports in the operating system ·········································1
Linux operation systems ····························································································································1
Windows operating systems ······················································································································2
Installing and removing a network adapter driver in the operating system························································3
Linux operating systems ····························································································································3
Windows operating systems ······················································································································4
Configuring PXE·················································································································································7
Configuring iSCSI···············································································································································8
Configuring iSCSI boot·······························································································································8
Configuring iSCSI SAN····························································································································11
Configuring FCoE·············································································································································18
Configuring FCoE boot·····························································································································18
Configuring FCoE SAN····························································································································21
Configuring NPAR············································································································································29
Configuring SR-IOV ·········································································································································29
Configuring advanced features························································································································33
Configuring VLAN ····································································································································33
Configuring bonding (Linux)·····················································································································35
Configuring teaming (Windows)···············································································································37
Configuring TCP offloading······················································································································39
FAQs·············································································································1
iSCSI boot cannot be used to install H3C CAS ·································································································1
Port goes down after the network adapter speed is set to 1 Gbps ····································································1
Virtual port created through NPAR configuration cannot be switched to FCoE mode·······································1
Appendix A Specifications and features························································1
Network adapter view·········································································································································1
Specifications·····················································································································································1
Product specifications································································································································1
Technical specifications·····························································································································2
Features·····························································································································································2
Feature compatibility··································································································································2
Feature description ····································································································································3
Appendix B Hardware and software compatibility·········································1
Compatible operating systems···························································································································1
Compatible blade servers ··································································································································1
Compatible ICMs················································································································································3
Network adapters and ICM compatibility····································································································3
Network adapter and ICM interconnection·································································································3
Networking applications·····································································································································6
Appendix C Acronyms··················································································1

1
Safety information
To avoid bodily injury or device damage, read the following information carefully before you operate
the network adapter.
General operating safety
To avoid bodily injury or damage to the device, follow these guidelines when you operate the network
adapter:
•
Only H3C authorized or professional engineers are allowed to install or replace the network
adapter.
•
Before installing or replacing the network adapter, stop all services, power off the blade server,
and then remove the blade server.
•
When disassembling, transporting, or placing the blade server, do not use excessive force.
Make sure you use even force and move the device slowly.
•
Place the blade server on a clean, stable workbench or floor for servicing.
•
To avoid being burnt, allow the blade server and its internal modules to cool before touching
them.
Electrical safety
Clear the work area of possible electricity hazards, such as ungrounded chassis, missing safety
grounds, and wet work area.
ESD prevention
Electrostatic charges that build up on people and other conductors might damage or shorten the
lifespan of the network adapter.
Preventing electrostatic discharge
To prevent electrostatic damage, follow these guidelines:
•
Transport or store the network adapter in an antistatic bag.
•
Keep the network adapters in antistatic bags until they arrive at an ESD-protected area.
•
Place the network adapter on an antistatic workbench before removing it from its antistatic bag.
•
Install the network adapter immediately after you remove it from its antistatic bag.
•
Avoid touching pins, leads, or circuitry.
•
Put away the removed network adapter in an antistatic bag immediately and keep it secure for
future use.
Grounding methods to prevent electrostatic discharge
The following are grounding methods that you can use to prevent electrostatic discharge:
•
Wear an ESD wrist strap and make sure it makes good skin contact and is reliably grounded.
•
Take adequate personal grounding measures, including wearing antistatic clothing and static
dissipative shoes.
•
Use conductive field service tools.
•
Use a portable field service kit with a folding static-dissipating work mat.

1
Configuring the network adapter
The figures in this section are for illusion only.
Viewing mapping relations between network
adapter ports and ICM ports
To view the mapping relations between the network adapter ports and ICM ports, log in to OM and
access the Compute Nodes> Port Mapping page.
Verifying the identification status of network
adapter ports in the operating system
This section describes how to verify if the network adapter ports have been identified by the
operating system. It uses CentOS 7.4 and Windows Server 2012 R2 as examples.
Linux operation systems
1. Execute the lspci | grep BCM57840 command to view PCI device information for the
ETH521i network adapter. The four PCI devices represent the four ports of the network
adapter.
Figure 1 Viewing PCI device information
2. Execute the ifconfig -a command to verify that the four network adapter ports are
recognized. The port names are determined by the operating system naming rule. If no ports
are recognized, install the most recent driver and try again. For more information, see "Installing
and removing a network adapter driver in the operating system."

2
Figure 2 Viewing network adapter port information
If the network adapter is enabled with NPAR, the output from the lspci | grep BCM57840
and ifconfig -a commands display 8 PCI devices and 8 NIC ports.
Figure 3 Command output for a network adapter enabled with NPAR
Windows operating systems
1. Open Network Connections and verify that the Qlogic 57840 adapters can be displayed
correctly, which indicates that the ETH521i network adapters are installed correctly.
Figure 4 Viewing network adapters

3
2. If the network adapter is not displayed, open Device Manager, and examine if an Ethernet
controller exists in the Network adapters > Other devices window.
If an Ethernet controller exists, an error has occurred on the driver. Install the most recent
driver and try again. For more information, see "Installing and removing a network adapter
driver in the operating system."
If no Ethernet controllers exist, verify that the network adapter is installed securely.
Figure 5 Viewing network adapters
Installing and removing a network adapter driver
in the operating system
The driver used by the network adapter and the installation method for the driver varies by operating
system. This section uses CentOS 7.4 and Windows Server 2012 R2 as examples.
Linux operating systems
1. Execute the modinfo bnx2x command to view the current driver version.
Figure 6 Viewing the driver version
2. If the driver is an .rpm file, run the executable file and install the driver directly.
a. Copy the RPM driver file (for example, kmod-netxtreme2-7.14.46-1.rhel7u4.x86_64.rpm) to
the operating system.
b. Execute the rpm –ivh file_name.rpm command to install the driver.
Figure 7 Installing the driver
c. After the installation finishes, restart the operating system or execute the rmmod bnx2x
and modprobe bnx2x commands to reload the driver to have the driver take effect.

4
d. Execute the modinfo bnx2x or ethtool –iethX command to verify that the driver
version is correct.
The ethX argument represents the port on the network adapter.
Figure 8 Verifying the driver version
3. If the driver is a .tar.gz compressed file, you must compile it first.
a. Execute the tar –zxvf netxtreme2-<ver>.tar.gz command to decompress the file.
b. Execute the cd netxtreme2-<ver>command to enter the directory of the source file.
c. Execute the make install command to compile the file and install the driver.
Figure 9 Compiling the file and installing the driver
d. After the installation finishes, restart the operating system or execute the rmmod bnx2x
and modprobe bnx2x commands to reload the driver to have the driver take effect.
4. To uninstall the driver, execute the rpm –e kmod-netxtreme2 command. Restart the
operating system or execute the rmmod bnx2x and modprobe bnx2x commands to load the
old driver.
Windows operating systems
1. Verify the current driver for the network adapter.
a. Click the Start icon to enter the menu.
b. Select Control Panel > Hardware > Device Manager.

5
Figure 10 Opening Device Manager
c. Right click the port on the network adapter, and then select Properties > Driver.
Figure 11 Device Manager
2. Install the driver.
a. Obtain the driver from the H3C official website.
b. Double click the driver and then click Next >.

6
Figure 12 Installing the driver
c. After the installation finishes, restart the operating system to have the driver take effect.
d. Verify that the driver version has been updated.
Figure 13 Verifying the driver version
3. Remove the driver.
a. Click the Start icon to enter the menu page.
b. Select Control Panel > Hardware > Device Manager.
c. Right click the network adapter whose driver is to be removed, select Properties > Driver,
and then click Uninstall.

7
Figure 14 Removing a driver
Configuring PXE
This section describes how to enable PXE on a network adapter in the BIOS. To use the PXE feature,
you must set up a PXE server. You can obtain the setup method for a PXE server from the Internet.
To configure PXE:
1. During startup of the server, press Delete or ESC as prompted to enter the BIOS Setup utility.
2. Enable PXE.
In UEFI boot mode:
a. Click the Advanced tab, select Network Stack Configuration, and then press Enter.
Figure 15 The Advanced page
b. Set Ipv4 PXE Support and Ipv6 PXE Support to Enabled.
Figure 16 Enabling PXE in UEFI mode
In legacy mode:
a. Click the Advanced tab, select Network_Adapter > MBA Configuration Menu, and then
press Enter.

8
b. Set Legacy Boot Protocol to PXE.
Figure 17 Enabling PXE in legacy mode
3. Press F4 to save the configuration.
The server restarts automatically. During startup, press F12 at the POST phase to boot the
server from PXE.
Configuring iSCSI
The iSCSI feature must cooperate with a remote network storage device. The configuration methods
for network storage devices vary by device. For more information, see the related document for the
storage device. This document describes only configuration on the local server.
Configuring iSCSI boot
iSCSI boot is supported only in UEFI boot mode.
To configure iSCSI boot:
1. Log in to OM.
2. Click Policy Management. In the Compute Node Network Policy area, click Create.
3. On the page that opens, specify the slot number and model for the Mezz network adapter and
then click the plus sign for the port to be configured.
Select the correct slot number and port number for the Mezz network adapter according to
mapping relations described in "Network adapter and ICM interconnection."
4. In the expanded area, select iSCSI for PF Type, configure iSCSI parameters, and click Save.
For more information about iSCSI parameters, see the OM online help.
5. Click Policy Management > Policy Application. In the policy application list, select a compute
node slot, specify a network policy, and click Apply. In the dialog box that opens, click OK.
6. Install the operating system (for example, RHEL 7.5). Specify the network disk as the system
disk.
a. Press eto edit the setup parameters.

9
Figure 18 Pressing e to edit the setup parameters
b. Enter the ip=ibft string after quiet, and then press Ctrl-x.
Figure 19 Adding the ip=ibft string
c. Click INSTALLATION DESTINATION.

10
Figure 20 Clicking INSTALLATION DESTINATION
d. On the page that opens, click Add a disk…to add a network disk.
Figure 21 Adding a network disk
e. Select the target network disk, and click Done at the upper left corner.
Figure 22 Selecting the target network disk
f. Continue to install the operating system.

11
Configuring iSCSI SAN
This document uses Windows and RHEL 7.5 as examples to describe how to configure iSCSI SAN
for the network adapter.
Windows operating systems
1. Assign an IP address to the network interface on the network adapter that connects to the iSCSI
network storage device. Make sure the host and iSCSI storage device can reach each other.
Figure 23 Configuring the local IP address
2. Enable and configure iSCSI.
a. Open Control Panel, and then click iSCSI Initiator. Click OK on the dialog box that opens.
Figure 24 Clicking iSCSI Initiator
b. Click the Configuration tab, click Change…, and then configure the name of the local
iSCSI initiator.

12
Figure 25 Configuring the name of the iSCSI initiator
c. Click the Discovery tab and click Discover Portals to add the address information about
the peer device (network storage device).
Figure 26 Adding the address information about the peer device
d. Click the Targets tab, and view the status of the discovered target. If the status is inactive,
click Connect to change the target status to Connected. Then, close the dialog box.

13
Figure 27 Connecting the target
3. Adding the network disk.
Before adding the network disk, make sure the related configuration has been completed on the
network storage device.
a. Open Control Panel, and then select Hardware > Device Manager > Storage controllers.
Right click the iSCSI adapter, and then select Scan for hardware changes.
Figure 28 Scanning iSCSI network storage device
b. Click the Start icon to enter the menu and open Disk Management to verify that a disk
which is in Unknown state is displayed.