
Issue 11
© Solarflare Communications 2014
209
Solarflare Server Adapter
User Guide
4.26 Teaming and VLANs
About Teaming
Solarflare adapters support the following teaming configurations:
• IEEE 802.1AX (802.3ad) Dynamic link aggregation
• Static link aggregation
• Fault tolerant teams
Teaming allows the user to configure teams consisting of all Solarflare adapter ports on all installed
Solarflare adapters or might consist only of selected ports e.g. from a dual port Solarflare adapter,
the first port could be a member of team A and the second port a member of team B or both ports
members of the same team.
This section is only relevant to teams of Solarflare adapters. Solarflare adapters can be used in multi-
vendor teams when teamed using another vendor’s teaming driver.
Creating Teams and VLANs
To set up teams and VLANs in Windows using SAM, see
Using SAM to Configure Teams and VLANs
To set up teams and VLANs in Windows using the sfteam command line tool, see
Teaming and VLAN Tool on page 193
.
Link Aggregation
Link aggregation is a mechanism for supporting load balancing and fault tolerance across a team of
network adapters and their associated switch. Link aggregation is a partner teaming mode that
requires configuration at both ends of the link. Once configured, all links in the team are bonded into
a single virtual link with a single MAC address.
Two or more physical links are used to increase the potential throughput available between the link
partners, and also improve resilience against link failures. To be aggregated, all links in the team must
be between the same two link partner and each link must be full-duplex. Traffic is distributed evenly
to all links connected to the same switch. In case of link failover, traffic on the failed link will be re-
distributed to the remaining links.
Link aggregation offers the following functionality:
NOTE:
Adapter teaming and VLANs are not supported in Windows for iSCSI remote boot enabled
Solarflare adapters. To configure load balancing and failover support on iSCSI remote boot enabled
adapters, you can use Microsoft MultiPath I/O (MPIO), which is supported on all Solarflare
adapters.
NOTE:
Windows Server 2012 has native Windows teaming support. The user can elect to use native
windows driver of the Solarflare teaming, but the two methods should not be mixed.