Solarflare
Server
Adapter
User
Guide
Issue
20
©
Solarflare
Communications
2017
326
7
SR
‐
IOV
Virtualization
Using
KVM
7.1
Introduction
This
chapter
describes
SR
‐
IOV
and
virtualization
using
Linux
KVM
and
Solarflare
SFN7000
or
SFN8000
series
adapters.
SR
‐
IOV
enabled
on
Solarflare
adapters
provides
accelerated
cut
‐
through
performance
and
is
fully
compatible
with
hypervisor
based
services
and
management
tools.
The
advanced
design
of
Solarflare
SFN7000
and
SFN8000
series
adapters
incorporates
a
number
of
features
to
support
SR
‐
IOV.
These
features
can
be
summarized
as
follows:
•
PCIe
Virtual
Functions
(VF).
A
PCIe
physical
function,
PF,
can
support
a
configurable
number
of
PCIe
virtual
functions.
In
total
240
VFs
can
be
allocated
between
the
PFs.
The
adapter
can
also
support
a
total
of
2048
MSI
‐
X
interrupts.
•
Layer
2
Switching
Capability.
A
layer
2
switch
configured
in
firmware
supports
the
transport
of
network
packets
between
PCI
physical
functions
(PF),
Virtual
functions
(VF)
and
the
external
network.
This
allows
received
packets
to
be
replicated
across
multiple
PFs/VFs
and
allows
packets
transmitted
from
one
PF
to
be
received
on
another
PF
or
VF.
Figure
48:
Per
Adapter
‐
Configuration
Options