IBM XSERIES 220 manual Ethernet port, Configuring the Ethernet controller

Ethernet port

The server comes with an integrated Ethernet controller. This controller provides an interface for connecting to 10-Mbps or 100-Mbps networks and provides full-duplex (FDX) capability, which enables simultaneous transmission and reception of data on the Ethernet local area network (LAN).

To access the Ethernet port, connect a Category 3, 4, or 5 unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable to the RJ-45 connector on the rear of the server.

Note: The 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet standard requires that the cabling in the network be Category 5 or higher.

Configuring the Ethernet controller

When you connect the server to the network, the Ethernet controller automatically detects the data-transfer rate (10 Mbps or 100 Mbps) on the network and then sets the controller to operate at the appropriate rate. In addition, if the Ethernet port that the server is connected to supports auto-negotiation, the Ethernet controller will set the appropriate duplex state. That is, the Ethernet controller will adjust to the network data rate, whether the data rate is standard Ethernet (10BASE-T), Fast Ethernet (100BASE-TX), half duplex (HDX), or full duplex (FDX). The controller supports half- duplex (HDX) and full-duplex (FDX) modes at both speeds.

The Ethernet controller is a PCI Plug and Play device. You do not need to set any jumpers or configure the controller for the operating system before you use the Ethernet controller. However, you must install a device driver to enable the operating system to address the Ethernet controller. The device drivers are provided on the ServerGuide CDs.

Failover for redundant Ethernet

The IBM 10/100 Ethernet Adapter or the IBM 10/100 Etherjet™ PCI family of adapters are optional redundant network interface cards (NIC adapters) that you can install in the server. If you install this NIC adapter and connect it to the same logical segment as the primary Ethernet controller, you can configure the server to support a failover function. You can configure either the integrated Ethernet controller or the NIC adapter as the primary Ethernet controller. In failover mode, if the primary Ethernet controller detects a link failure, all Ethernet traffic that is associated with it is switched to the redundant (secondary) controller. This switching occurs without any user intervention. When the primary link is restored to an operational state, the Ethernet traffic switches back to the primary Ethernet controller.

High-performance Ethernet modes

The Ethernet controller supports optional modes, such as teaming, priority packets, and virtual LANs, which provide higher performance and throughput for the server.

Teaming Mode: The Ethernet controller provides options, called teaming options. These options increase throughput and fault tolerance when running with Windows NT 4.0 or NetWare 4.1x or later.

•Adapter fault tolerance (AFT) provides automatic redundancy for the adapter. If the primary adapter fails, the secondary adapter takes over. Adapter fault tolerance supports from two to four adapters per team.

•Adaptive load balancing (ALB) enables you to balance the transmission data flow among two to four adapters. ALB also includes the AFT option. You can use ALB with any 100BASE-TX switch.

Installing options 93