FreeBSD Driver for Intel(R) PRO/10GbE Server Adapters
=====================================================
May 10, 2005
Contents
========
- Overview
- Supported Adapters
- Building and Installation
- Additional Configurations
- Known Limitations
Overview
========
This file describes the FreeBSD* driver, version 1.0.x, for the Intel(R)
PRO/10GbE Family of Adapters. This driver has been developed for use with
FreeBSD, version 4.8 and later.
For questions related to hardware requirements, refer to the documentation
supplied with your Intel PRO/10GbE adapter. All hardware requirements listed
apply to use with FreeBSD.
Supported Adapters
==================
The following Intel network adapters are compatible with the drivers in this
release:
Controller Adapter Name Physical Layer
---------- ------------ --------------
82597EX Intel(R) PRO/10GbE LR/SR 10G Base -LR and -SR
Server Adapter (1310 and 850 nm optical fiber)
Building and Installation
=========================
NOTE: You must have kernel sources installed in order to compile the driver
module.
In the instructions below, x.x.x is the driver version as indicated in
the name of the driver tar.
1. Move the base driver tar file to the directory of your choice. For
example, use /home/username/ixgb or /usr/local/src/ixgb.
2. Untar/unzip the archive:
tar xfz ixgb-x.x.x.tar.gz
3. To install man page:
cd ixgb-x.x.x
gzip -c ixgb.4 > /usr/share/man/man4/ixgb.4.gz
4. To load the driver onto a running system:
cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
make load
5. To assign an IP address to the interface, enter the following:
ifconfig ixgb<interface_num> <IP_address>
6. Verify that the interface works. Enter the following, where <IP_address>
is the IP address for another machine on the same subnet as the interface
that is being tested:
ping <IP_address>
7. If you want the driver to load automatically when the system is booted:
cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
make
make install
Edit /boot/loader.conf, and add the following line:
if_ixgb_load="YES"
OR
compile the driver into the kernel (see item 8).
Edit /etc/rc.conf, and create the appropriate ifconfig_ixgb<interface_num>
entry:
ifconfig_ixgb<interface_num>="<ifconfig_settings>"
Example usage:
ifconfig_ixgb0="inet 192.168.10.1 netmask 255.255.255.0"
NOTE: For assistance, see the ifconfig man page.
8. If you want to compile the driver into the kernel, enter:
cd ixgb-x.x.x/src
mkdir -p /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
cp if_ixgb* /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
cp ixgb* /usr/src/sys/dev/ixgb
mkdir -p /usr/src/sys/modules/ixgb
cp Makefile.kernel /usr/src/sys/modules/ixgb/Makefile
If you have an i386 platform, you will need to edit the files.i386 file.
This is usually in /usr/src/sys/conf/; actual locations will vary depending
on platform. Add the following lines:
dev/ixgb/ixgb_hw.c optional ixgb
dev/ixgb/ixgb_ee.c optional ixgb
dev/ixgb/if_ixgb.c optional ixgb
Remove the following lines from the files.i386 file, if they exist:
/dev/ixgb/if_ixgb_fx_hw.c optional ixgb
/dev/ixgb/if_ixgb_phy.c optional ixgb
Edit the kernel configuration file (i.e., GENERIC or MYKERNEL) in
/usr/src/sys/i386/conf, and ensure the following line is present:
device ixgb
Compile and install the kernel. The system must be reboot for the kernel
updates to take affect. For additional information on compiling the kernel,
consult the FreeBSD operating system documentation.
Additional Configurations
=========================
The driver supports Transmit/Receive Checksum Offload and Jumbo Frames on
all PRO/10GbE adapters.
Jumbo Frames
------------
To enable Jumbo Frames, use the ifconfig utility to increase the MTU
beyond 1500 bytes.
NOTES:
- Only enable Jumbo Frames if your network infrastructure supports
them.
- The Jumbo Frames setting on the switch must be set to at least
22 bytes larger than that of the adapter.
- There are known performance issues with this driver when running
UDP traffic with Jumbo Frames.
The Jumbo Frames MTU range for Intel Adapters is 1500 to 16114. The default
MTU range is 1500. To modify the setting, enter the following:
ifconfig ixgb<interface_num> <hostname or IP address> mtu 9000
To confirm an interface's MTU value, use the ifconfig command. To confirm
the MTU used between two specific devices, use:
route get <destination_IP_address>
VLANs
-----
To create a new VLAN pseudo-interface:
ifconfig <vlan_name> create
To associate the VLAN pseudo-interface with a physical interface and
assign a VLAN ID, IP address, and netmask:
ifconfig <vlan_name> <ip_address> netmask <subnet_mask> vlan
<vlan_id> vlandev <physical_interface>
Example:
ifconfig vlan10 10.0.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0 vlan 10 vlandev ixgb0
In this example, all packets will be marked on egress with 802.1Q VLAN
tags, specifying a VLAN ID of 10.
To remove a VLAN pseudo-interface:
ifconfig <vlan_name> destroy
Polling
-------
To enable polling in the driver, add the following options to the kernel
configuration, and then recompile the kernel:
options DEVICE_POLLING
options HZ=1000
At runtime, use the following command to turn on polling mode. Similarly,
turn off polling mode by setting the variable to 0:
sysctl kern.polling.enable=1
NOTES: DEVICE POLLING is only valid for non-SMP kernels.
The driver has to be built into the kernel for DEVICE POLLING to be
enabled in the driver.
Checksum Offload
----------------
Checksum offloading supports both TCP and UDP packets and is
supported for both transmit and receive.
Checksum offloading can be enabled or disabled using ifconfig.
Both transmit and receive offloading will be either enabled or
disabled together. You cannot enable/disable one without the other.
To enable checksum offloading:
ifconfig <interface_num> rxcsum
To disable checksum offloading:
ifconfig <interface_num> -rxcsum
To confirm the current setting:
ifconfig <interface_num>
Look for the presence or absence of the following line:
options=3 <RXCSUM,TXCSUM>
See the ifconfig man page for further information.
Known Limitations
=================
Under small packets UDP stress test with 10GbE driver, the FreeBSD system
will drop UDP packets due to the fullness of socket buffers. You may want
to change the driver's Flow Control variables to the minimum value for
controlling packet reception.
Support
=======
For general information and support, go to the Intel support website at:
http://support.intel.com
If an issue is identified with the released source code on the supported
kernel with a supported adapter, email the specific information related to
the issue to freebsdnic@mailbox.intel.com.
License
=======
This software program is released under the terms of a license agreement
between you ('Licensee') and Intel. Do not use or load this software or any
associated materials (collectively, the 'Software') until you have carefully
read the full terms and conditions of the LICENSE located in this software
package. By loading or using the Software, you agree to the terms of this
Agreement. If you do not agree with the terms of this Agreement, do not
install or use the Software.
* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
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.