User Manual

Rev 4.60
Mellanox Technologies
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Step 3. In this step, you can perform the following functions:
• If you choose the HW Defaults option, the port protocols will be determined according to the NIC’s
hardware default values.
• Choose the desired port protocol for the available port(s). If you choose IB or ETH, both ends of the
connection must be of the same type (IB or ETH).
• Enable Auto Sensing by checking the AUTO checkbox. If the NIC does not support Auto Sensing,
the AUTO option will be grayed out.
3.5 Load Balancing, Fail-Over (LBFO) and VLAN
Windows Server 2012 and above supports load balancing as part of the operating system. Please
refer to Microsoft guide “NIC Teaming in Windows Server 2012” following the link below:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14951.nic-teaming-in-windows-server-
2012.aspx
For other Operating Systems such as: Windows Server 2008 R2, please refer to the sections
below.
3.5.1 Adapter Teaming
Adapter teaming can group a group of ports inside a network adapters or a number of physical
network adapters into virtual adapters that provide the fault-tolerance and load-balancing func-
tions. Depending on the teaming mode, one or more interfaces can be active. The non-active
interfaces in a team are in a standby mode and will take over the network traffic in the event of a
link failure in the active interfaces. All of the active interfaces in a team participate in load-bal-
ancing operations by sending and receiving a portion of the total network traffic.
3.5.1.1 Teaming (Bundle) Modes
1. Fault Tolerance
Provides automatic redundancy for the server’s network connection. If the primary adapter
fails, the secondary adapter (currently in a standby mode) takes over. Fault Tolerance is the
basis for each of the following teaming types and is inherent in all teaming modes.
2. Switch Fault Tolerance
Provides a failover relationship between two adapters when each adapter is connected to a
separate switch.
3. Send Load Balancing
Provides load balancing of transmit traffic and fault tolerance. The load balancing performs
only on the send port.
4. Load Balancing (Send & Receive)
Provides load balancing of transmit and receive traffic and fault tolerance. The load balancing
splits the transmit and receive traffic statically among the team adapters (without changing
the base of the traffic loading) based on the source/destination MAC and IP addresses.
If you choose AUTO, the current setting will indicate the actual port settings: IB or
ETH.