Configuring Teaming in Windows Server: Broadcom NetXtreme II® Network Adapter User Guide
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Configuring Teaming in Windows Server: Broadcom NetXtreme
II
®
Network Adapter User Guide
Broadcom Advanced Server Program Overview
Load Balancing and Fault Tolerance
NOTE: This chapter describes teaming for adapters in Windows Server systems. For more information on a similar
technology on Linux operating systems (called "Channel Bonding"), refer to your operating system documentation.
Broadcom Advanced Server Program Overview
Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP) is the Broadcom teaming software for the Windows family of operating systems.
BASP settings are configured by Broadcom Advanced Control Suite (BACS) utility.
BASP provides heterogeneous support for adapter teaming to include all of the Broadcom NetXtreme and NetXtreme II
adapters as well as Dell-shipping Intel NIC adapters/LOMs.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)
For more information on network adapter teaming concepts, see
Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services
.
NOTE: Windows Server 2012 provides built-in teaming support, called NIC Teaming. It is not recommended that users
enable teams through NIC Teaming and BASP at the same time on the same adapters.
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.
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:
