Allied Telesyn International AT-2970 Series Series Gigabit Ethernet Adapter
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Readme File for CAT2970.lan v1.08
Allied Telesyn AT-2970 Series Gigabit Ethernet Adapter Driver for Novell
Netware 5.x
This file contains
(1) OVERVIEW
(2) REQUIRED FILES
(3) INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
(4) DRIVER PARAMETERS
(5) HISTORY
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(1) OVERVIEW
============
The CAT2970.LAN driver is a 32-bit ODI HSM Novell NetWare server driver for
the Allied Telesyn AT-2970 Series PCI Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. The driver
complies with the CHSM Driver Specification Version 1.11 from
January 29, 1998.
It supports the following operating systems:
- Novell Netware v3.12
- Novell Netware v3.20
- Novell NetWare v4.11
- Novell NetWare v4.20
- Novell NetWare v5.00
- Novell Client 32 for DOS
Note: The AT-2970T is not supported by this version of the driver. Check the
Allied Telesyn Web site (www.alliedtelesyn.com) for the latest NetWare
driver.
(2) REQUIRED FILES
==================
CAT2970.LAN driver
CAT2970.LDI installation script
(to use the hardware based IP/TCP/UDP checksum calculation
you must have installed at least Support Pack 2 for NetWare 5)
(3) INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
=============================
NOTE:
The setting for MINIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS in the STARTUP.NCF must
be increased by at least 120 per adapter (e.g. for three adapters you
should add to STARTUP.NCF "SET MINIMUM PACKET RECEIVE BUFFERS=360").
If the adapter is installed in the machine NetWare detects the new adapter
and tries to install a driver. Press <ENTER> to get a list of all available
drivers and then <INSERT> to install an unlisted driver. Enter the path to
the driver and select CAT2970.LAN. Choose Yes to copy the driver to
the server. NetWare will now install the driver.
Once the driver has been installed, the adapter parameters or bindings
can be changed in the AUTOEXEC.NCF file using the NWCONFIG tool.
***
(4) DRIVER PARAMETERS
=====================
SLOT = [ 1..65535 ]
Description: Defines the slot in which the adapter is installed.
If you do not enter a slot number, the driver scans
automatically for network adapters and prompts the
slot number in which the network card is found at
the server console.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... SLOT=3 ...
FRAME = [ ETHERNET_802.2 | ETHERNET_II | ETHERNET_SNAP | ETHERNET_802.3 ]
Description: Sets the frame type used by the network.
Help: The NetWare Server and the Workstations must use
the same frame type. Otherwise they cannot
communicate with each other.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... FRAME=ETHERNET_II ...
NODE = xxxxxxxxxxxx
Description: Overwrites the network card node address
Help: With this parameter, you can overwrite the default
node address.
In a network, every network card must have its own
unique node address.
Do not change this address unless you are prepared
to administer local addresses according to the
IEEE 802.2 specifications.
The driver defaults to the node address on the
board.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... NODE=40005A123456 ...
QUIET = [ ON | OFF | AUTO ]
Description: Suppress driver status messages.
By default AUTO will be used which means that
status messages will be displayed if running on
a server and will be suppressed if running on a
client. OFF means that messages will be displayed.
Redundant Link ManagemenT (RLMT)
The following parameters can be used to override the RLMT default settings.
These parameters are effective on dual link adapters only.
PREFERREDPORT = [ A | B ]
Description: Select the preferred port.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... PREFERREDPORT=B ...
RLMTMODE = [ CHECKLINK | CHECKLOCALPORT | CHECKSEG ]
Description: Select the RLMT mode.
Help: In CHECKLINK mode RLMT relies on the hardware
to signal the link state. The decision on the
active port depends on these signals only.
This mode is used by default.
The modes CHECKLOCALPORT and CHECKSEG are meant
to operate in configurations where a network path
between the ports on one adapter exists.
Especially, they are not designed to work where
adapters are connected back-to-back.
In CHECKLOCALPORT mode, the two ports of an
adapter exchange frames to check each other.
Please configure your network in a way that the
link between the ports transports LLC test packets.
In CHECKSEG mode RLMT requests information from the
switch where the two ports are connected to
determine if the net is segmented between the two
ports. You need switches for this mode to operate,
and the switches must be configured to use the
Spanning Tree Protocol.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... RLMTMODE=CHECKLOCALPORT
Auto-negotiation
Some switches or hubs do not work with auto-negotiation. To work around
this problem the driver works in a so called autosense mode. In this
mode it tries to use auto-negotiation and if it fails it forces full-
duplex or half-duplex. You can also force the mode using one of the
following parameters.
AUTONEG_A = [ ON | OFF | SENSE ]
Description: Set mode for auto-negotiation on port A.
By default SENSE will be used.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... AUTONEG_A=ON ...
AUTONEG_B = [ ON | OFF | SENSE ]
Description: Set mode for auto-negotiation on port B of a
dual link adapter.
By default SENSE will be used.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... AUTONEG_B=OFF ...
DUPCAP_A = [ BOTH | FULL | HALF ]
Description: This parameter defines the duplex-mode
capabilities the adapter will show on port A in
auto-negotiation process. Changing this parameter
may lead to a failed auto-negotiation process.
By default BOTH will be used which means the port
is capable to connect with full-duplex or
half-duplex.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... DUPCAP_A=FULL ...
DUPCAP_B = [ BOTH | FULL | HALF ]
Description: This parameter defines the duplex-mode
capabilities a dual link adapter will show on
port B in auto-negotiation process.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... DUPCAP_B=BOTH ...
FLOWCTRL_A = [ NONE | LOCSEND | SYM | SYMORREM ]
Description: Define flow control capabilities for port A. Used
as workaround for non standard conform behaving
switches.
By default SYMORREM will be used.
The values represent the following configurations:
NONE: supporting no flow control
LOCSEND: supporting asymmetric flow control to
other station (possible results: flow
control to other station, no flow
control)
SYM: supporting symmetric flow control only
(possible results: symmetric flow
control, no flow control)
SYMORREM: supporting symmetric flow control and
asymmetric flow control towards me
(possible results: symmetric flow
control, asymmetric flow control
towards me, no flow control)
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... FLOWCTRL_A=NONE ...
FLOWCTRL_B = [ NONE | LOCSEND | SYM | SYMORREM ]
Description: Define flow control capabilities for port B on
dual link adapters.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... FLOWCTRL_B=SYM ...
Interrupt Moderation (Paced Packet Batch)
Interrupt moderation can be used to decrease the CPU load on systems
with high utilization. But the latency of packets will increase. To
enable interrupt moderation you must specify the mode and the interrupt
rate. The parameters IRQPERSEC and MAXIRQPERSEC are mutual exclusive.
MODERATE = [ NONE | RX | TX | BOTH ]
Description: Interrupt moderation mode.
Help: By default NONE will be used which means interrupt
moderation is disabled. If RX is used only receive
interrupts are moderated which means if more than
the specified rate of interrupts occur they will be
congested to reach the specified rate. But other
interrupts may occur without any limitation. If TX
is specified transmit complete interrupts will be
moderated. BOTH will lead to a moderation of
receive and transmit interrupts.
IRQPERSEC = [ 1000 .. 15000 ]
Desription: Interrupt rate for static moderation.
Help: Independent of the interrupt load only at specified
intervals interrupts occur. This will increase
latency of receive or transmit path dependent on
the mode specified using parameter MODERATE.
This parameter has a different meaning if used
together with POLL.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... MODERATE=TX IRQPERSEC=5000
MAXIRQPERSEC = [ 1000 .. 15000 ]
Desription: Interrupt rate for dynamic moderation.
Help: Using dynamic interrupt moderation means that
interrupt moderation will be enabled only if more
than the specified number of interrupts occur. The
measured interrupt rate is not limited to receive
or transmit interrupts as specified in MODERATE.
All interrupts will be counted. If more interrupts
occur the interrupts specified in MODERATE are
moderated. If the number of interrupts goes down
below the specified level moderation is disabled.
Using dynamic interrupt moderation has the
advantage that the latency is increased only
if interrupt load is high.
Example:
LOAD CAT2970 ... MODERATE=BOTH IRQPERSEC=1000
Other Parameters
Please do not try changing these parameters in a production environment
unless you have figured out that they fit your needs. The changes can
affect the server performance in a postive or negative way. It depends
on the purpose of the server. The default settings of the driver should
meet the requirements of a normal server.
TXCOPYSIZE = [ 0 .. 1514 ]
Description: Size of copy buffers.
Help: The first fragments of a frame will be copied
together as long as they fit into this buffer.
This may lead to a higher transmit throughput
but it will cost some CPU load. A value of 0
will disable this feature. The default value
is 128 on a server and 0 on a client.
POLL
Description: Use polling instead of interrupts.
Help: In polling mode the adapter will not generate
interrupts for every received and transmitted
frame. Interrupts are used for backup purposes
only. The interrupt rate can be modified using
parameter IRQPERSEC between 10 and 15000 per
second (10 by default).
Polling may be useful if there are multiple
adapters in the server and interrupts become a
problem. By default the adapter works in
interrupt mode.
TXDESC1 = [ 20 .. 200 ]
Description: Number of transmit descriptors on active port.
Help: It may be useful to decrease this value if there
is not enough memory in the server. The default
value is 100 on a server and 40 on a client.
TXDESC2 = [ 20 .. 200 ]
Description: Number of transmit descriptors on standby port.
Help: It may be useful to decrease this value if there
is not enough memory in the server. The default
value is 30 on a server and 20 on a client.
RXDESC1 = [ 10 .. 200 ]
Description: Number of receive descriptors on active port.
Help: It may be useful to decrease this value if there
is not enough memory in the server. The default
value is 100 on a server and 20 on a client.
RXDESC2 = [ 10 .. 200 ]
Description: Number of receive descriptors on standby port.
Help: It may be useful to decrease this value if there
is not enough memory in the server. The default
value is 10.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.