Issue 11
© Solarflare Communications 2014
2
Solarflare Server Adapter
User Guide
OpenOnload project or EnterpriseOnload, download the Onload user guide (SF-104474-CD) or
contact your reseller.
Advanced Features and Benefits
Virtual NIC support
The core of Solarflare technology. Protected VNIC interfaces can
be instantiated for each running guest operating system or
application, giving it a direct pipeline to the Ethernet network.
This architecture provides the most efficient way to maximize
network and CPU efficiency. The Solarflare Ethernet controller
supports up to 1024 vNIC interfaces per port.
On IBM System p servers equipped with Solarflare adapters,
each adapter is assigned to a single Logical Partition (LPAR)
where all VNICS are available to the LPAR.
PCI Express
Implements PCI Express 3.0.
High Performance
Support for 40G Ethernet interfaces and a new internal
datapath micro architecture.
Hardware Switch Fabric
Full hardware switch fabric in silicon capable of steering any
flow based on Layer 2, Layer 3 or application level protocols
between physical and virtual interfaces. Supporting an open
software defined network control plane with full PCI-IOV
virtualization acceleration for high performance guest operating
systems and virtual applications.
Improved flow processing
The addition of dedicated parsing, filtering, traffic shaping and
flow steering engines which are capable of operating flexibly
and with an optimal combination of a full hardware data plane
with software based control plane.
TX PIO
Transmit Programmed input/output is the direct transfer of data
to the adapter without CPU involvement. As an alternative to
the usual bus master DMA method, TX PIO improves latency
and is especially useful for smaller packets.
Multicast Replication
Received multicast packets are replicated in hardware and
delivered to multiple receive queues.
Sideband management
NCSI RMII interface for base board management integration.
SMBus interface for legacy base board management integration.