Dell Broadcom NetXtreme Family of Adapters Broadcom NetXtreme 57XX User Guide - Page 143

Selecting a Team Type

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team for your application. The teaming software supports up to eight ports in a single team and up to four teams in a single system. The four teams can be any combination of the supported teaming types, but each team must be on a separate network or subnet. Table 5. Comparison of Team Types Type of Team Function Number of ports per team (same broadcast domain) Number of teams Adapter fault tolerance Switch link fault tolerance (same broadcast domain) TX load balancing RX load balancing Requires compatible switch Heartbeats to check connectivity Mixed media (adapters with different media) Mixed speeds (adapters that do not support a common speed(s), but can operate at different speeds) Mixed speeds (adapters that support a common speed(s), but can operate at different speeds) Load balances TCP/IP Mixed vendor teaming Load balances non-IP Same MAC address for all team members Same IP address for all team members Load balancing by IP address Load balancing by MAC address Fault Load Tolerance Balancing SLB with Standbya SLB 2-8 2-8 4 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No No Yes Yes SwitchIndependent Switch-Dependent Dynamic Link Static Trunking Aggregation (IEEE 802.3ad) Generic Trunking Link Aggregation 2-8 4 Yes Switch-dependent Yes Yes (performed by the switch) Yes No Yes (switchdependent) 2-8 4 Yes Switchdependent Yes Yes (performed by the switch) Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No Yesb No No Yes No No Yes No (must be the same speed) Yes Yes Yesb Yesb Yes (IPX outbound traffic Yes only) No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (used for no-IP/IPX) Yes Yes Yes Yesb Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes a SLB with one primary and one standby member. b Requires at least one Broadcom adapter in the team. Selecting a Team Type The following flow chart provides the decision flow when planning for teaming. The primary rationale for teaming is the need for additional network bandwidth and fault tolerance. Teaming offers link aggregation and fault tolerance to meet both of these requirements. Preference teaming should be selected in the following order: Link Aggregation as the first choice, Generic Trunking as the second choice, and SLB teaming as the third choice when using unmanaged switches or switches that do not support the first two options. If switch fault tolerance is a requirement, then SLB is the only choice (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Process for Selecting a Team Type

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team for your application. The teaming software supports up to eight ports in a single team and up to four teams in a single
system. The four teams can be any combination of the supported teaming types, but each team must be on a separate
network or subnet.
Table 5. Comparison of Team Types
Type of Team
Fault
Tolerance
Load
Balancing
Switch-Dependent
Static Trunking
Switch-
Independent
Dynamic Link
Aggregation
(IEEE
802.3ad)
Function
SLB with
Standby
a
SLB
Generic Trunking
Link
Aggregation
Number of ports per team (same broadcast domain)
2–8
2–8
2–8
2–8
Number of teams
4
4
4
4
Adapter fault tolerance
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Switch link fault tolerance (same broadcast domain)
Yes
Yes
Switch-dependent
Switch-
dependent
TX load balancing
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
RX load balancing
No
Yes
Yes (performed by
the switch)
Yes (performed
by the switch)
Requires compatible switch
No
No
Yes
Yes
Heartbeats to check connectivity
No
No
No
No
Mixed media (adapters with different media)
Yes
Yes
Yes (switch-
dependent)
Yes
Mixed speeds (adapters that do not support a common
speed(s), but can operate at different speeds)
Yes
Yes
No
No
Mixed speeds (adapters that support a common
speed(s), but can operate at different speeds)
Yes
Yes
No (must be the
same speed)
Yes
Load balances TCP/IP
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mixed vendor teaming
Yes
b
Yes
b
Yes
b
Yes
b
Load balances non-IP
No
Yes (IPX
outbound traffic
only)
Yes
Yes
Same MAC address for all team members
No
No
Yes
Yes
Same IP address for all team members
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Load balancing by IP address
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Load balancing by MAC address
No
Yes (used for
no-IP/IPX)
Yes
Yes
a
SLB with one primary and one standby member.
b
Requires at least one Broadcom adapter in the team.
Selecting a Team Type
The following flow chart provides the decision flow when planning for teaming. The primary rationale for teaming is the need
for additional network bandwidth and fault tolerance. Teaming offers link aggregation and fault tolerance to meet both of
these requirements. Preference teaming should be selected in the following order: Link Aggregation as the first choice,
Generic Trunking as the second choice, and SLB teaming as the third choice when using unmanaged switches or switches that
do not support the first two options. If switch fault tolerance is a requirement, then SLB is the only choice (see
Figure 1
).
Figure 1. Process for Selecting a Team Type