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Note: To setup a team in Microsoft* operating systems,�from Device Manager right-click on the server adapter you wish to create the team from. For other Operating Systems, see the HTML manual for instructions. ( Viewable PRO/1000 manual or PRO/100)
Topics covered:
Teaming Features
For clarity, this paper will distinguish teaming features from teaming modes. Teaming Features include Failover protection, increased bandwidth through aggregation, and balancing of traffic among team members. Teaming Modes are AFT, SFT, ALB, RLB, and EtherChannel*/3ad (LA/FEC/GEC/3ad).
Features available by using Intel's Advanced Networking Software (ANS) include:
- Fault Tolerance
Uses one or more secondary adapters to take over for the primary adapter should the first adapter, its cabling or the link partner fail. Designed to ensure server availability to the network.
- Link Aggregation
The combining of multiple adapters into a single channel to provide greater bandwidth. This only works widens bandwidth to multiple destination addresses. ALB mode provides aggregation for transmission only while RLB and LA/FEC/GEC/3ad modes provide aggregation in both directions. FEC/GEC/LA/3ad modes require a matching aggregation capable switch, while ALB and RLB modes can be used with any switch.
- Load Balancing
The distribution of the transmission and reception load the among aggregated network adapters. An intelligent adaptive agent in the ANS driver repeatedly analyzes the traffic flow from the server and distributes the packets based on destination addresses. (In LA/FEC/GEC/3ad modes, the switch similarly provides load balancing on incoming packets.)
Note: Load Balancing in ALB mode can only occur on Layer 3 routed protocols (IP and NCP IPX). Load Balancing in RLB mode can only occur for TCP/IP. Multicast/Broadcast and non routed protocols (NetBeui, Microsoft* IPX, etc.) are transmitted only over the primary adapter.
Teaming Modes
Here is a chart of the features and the modes they are available in.
| Features |
Modes |
� |
| AFT |
ALB |
RLB |
LA/EC/3ad/Static |
Dyn3ad |
| Fault Tolerance |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Link Aggregation |
� |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Load Balancing |
� |
Tx |
Tx/Rx |
Tx/Rx |
Tx/Rx |
| Layer 3 Address Aggregation |
� |
X |
IP only |
X |
X |
| Layer 2 Address Aggregation |
� |
� |
� |
X |
X |
| Mixed Speed Adapters* |
X |
X |
� |
� |
X | |
- You may mix different adapter types for any mode but you must run all the adapters in the team at the same speed in LA/EC mode. Mixed Speed connections are possible in AFT, ALB, RLB, and SFT modes.
- MVT is applicable to all modes but only in Windows* 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows NT* 4.0.
- Dynamic Mode is only available in certain ANS releases. Not available in 6.1.
Settings (Roles)
For AFT, SFT, ALB and RLB modes you may choose a Primary and Secondary Role for selected adapters.
- The Primary adapter is the adapter that will carry the most traffic.
- With AFT and SFT it will be the only adapter used until that link fails.
- With ALB and non-routable protocols (anything other than IP or Novell's IPX), it will be the only adapter used. It will also be the only adapter used for broadcast and multicast traffic.
- With RLB, all traffic other than IP traffic will only pass on the primary adapter, regardless of its speed.
Note: If removed from a team, the primary should NOT be added back in anywhere on that network until the server it was removed from is rebooted, because it's mac address was given to the team.
If the primary is set by the user, instead of the software, it will allow failback to the chosen primary (if this preferred primary adapter is active at fail time).
- The Secondary adapter will become the Primary (if possible) at failure of the Primary (or it's cable or link partner).
Test Switch Configuration:
For Windows* Server 2003, Windows 2000, and Windows NT* 4.0, there is a utility within Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager on the Advanced Settings Team page that allows the ANS software to query the switch partner for configuration settings. If the switch appears to be configured differently than necessary for the team mode chosen in Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager, a troubleshooting page will appear in Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager listing possible corrective actions. When running this test, the team temporarily loses network connectivity. See Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager�Help for limitations.
Implementation Considerations:
- Teams appear as "Virtual Adapters." For Microsoft* OSs, use Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager to disable or remove virtual adapters. Using Device Manager or Network and Dial-up Connections may cause severe consequences.
- To avoid repeated unnecessary failovers, disable Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) for all modes except SFT.
- Some OS require reboots with any system configuration change.
- Configure team member features similarly or failover and team functionality will be affected with possible severe consequences.
- Virtual Adapters require memory resources beyond those of the actual physical adapters. Additionally the physical adapter buffers or descriptors may need to be increased when set into a team. Please consider tuning both the base adapter and the virtual adapter's settings, if the system is used more heavily, for either RX or TX traffic.
- You may have up to 8 ports in a team although environmental factors (OS, CPUs, RAM, bus, switch capabilities, et al) may limit the benefits of additional adapters and will determine total throughput capability. SFT can only use 2 adapters.
- For Link Aggregation/FEC/GEC/3ad, you must match your switch's capabilities for aggregation. 802.3ad DYNAMIC mode should only be used with switches capable of DYNAMIC 3ad active aggregation.
- For AFT and SFT modes, only one adapter will be active at a time. With ALB, only one adapter will receive while all will transmit IP or NetWare IPX packets (but never to the same destination address simultaneously.)
- Throughput will always be higher to multiple addresses than to a single address regardless of the number of adapters.
- Server adapters may be used in any team type across the applicable operating systems. (See Teaming Modes above on the OS list.) Currently produced Intel® PRO/100 and PRO/1000 desktop adapters may be added to a team in most operating systems. (Please see the HTML manual).
The Intel® PRO/100 Intelligent Server Adapter should only be teamed with other Intelligent Server adapters. Use only software designated for that adapter (Version 3.x).
- In Windows* NT 4.0, there is a timer for each adapter to prevent a non-working teamed adapter from holding up the boot to desktop. If you are using mixed speed adapters (the PRO/100 with PRO/1000) and using Teaming and/or a large number of VLANs, you may encounter a load time longer than the timer's limit. If this is encountered, disable the timer (for each adapter in the team) in the registry under the DWORD BindTimerTimeout:
<e100XbN>\parameters\iansprotocol\BindTimerTimeout
set value to 0
where N = the card instance Steps must be repeated whenever Intel Proset for Windows* Device Manager changes.
This applies to:
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