4 Server: NetWare AFT
v1.10
NetWare* 4.1X Adapter Fault Tolerance Driver Installation Notes for
Intel's EtherExpress(TM) PRO/100+ adapter
===================================================================
Location of driver: \NWSERVER\AFT.NLM
NOTE: AFT is supported on NetWare 4.10 and 4.11 only.
Overview
--------
Adapter Fault Tolerance provides Adapter redundancy for two
EtherExpress PRO/100+ adapters. When configured, there becomes
a primary and secondary PRO/100+ adapter. If the primary loses
communication with the hub/switch, the secondary automatically takes
over. The secondary adapter will take over for such reasons as cable
connection problems, switch or hub port failure or adapter failure.
For more information on Adapter Fault Tolerance, see the AFT.TXT
readme file.
**********************************************************************
;- Example: With Adapter Fault Tolerance
**********************************************************************
;- Load Adapter Fault Tolerance (STARTUP.NCF)
load aft
;- Load LAN Driver on 1st Adapter (AUTOEXEC.NCF)
load e100b slot=4 frame=ethernet_802.2 name=pri_802.2
load e100b slot=4 frame=ethernet_802.3 name=pri_802.3
load e100b slot=4 frame=ethernet_snap name=pri_snap
load e100b slot=4 frame=ethernet_ii name=pri_ii
;- Load LAN Driver on 2nd Adapter
load e100b slot=5 frame=ethernet_802.2 name=sec_802.2
load e100b slot=5 frame=ethernet_802.3 name=sec_802.3
load e100b slot=5 frame=ethernet_snap name=sec_snap
load e100b slot=5 frame=ethernet_ii name=sec_ii
;- Bind ipx to 1st adapter
bind ipx pri_802.2 net=2
bind ipx pri_802.3 net=3
bind ipx pri_snap net=5
bind ipx pri_ii net=11
;-Set the 2nd Adapter to be a Fault Tolerance Partner with to the 1st
aft bind 4 5
Additional Information
Following are some commands that can be helpful in configuring or
troubleshooting Adapter Fault Tolerance.
Command: AFT BIND
Description: Used for creating Adapter Fault Tolerance group by
specifying slot numbers of primary and secondary NICs.
Format: AFT BIND PrimarySlotNo SecondarySlotNo
Example: AFT BIND 4 5
Error Conditions:
If you receive the error message: "Failed to create AFT group. Make
sure that the drivers for supported adapters are loaded, primary
adapter is bound to protocols and secondary adapter is not bound to
any protocols." Check the following:
1. The slot number is valid for the primary and secondary adapter.
2. The primary adapter has a protocol stack bound to it.
3. The secondary adapter is not bound to a protocol stack.
4. AFT is not being bound to an unsupported adapter.
Command: AFT NAMEBIND
Description: Used for creating a Adapter Fault Tolerance group by
specifying logical names associated with primary and secondary NICs.
Format: AFT NAMEBIND PrimaryLName SecondaryLname
Example: AFT NAMEBIND primary_8022 secondary_8022
Error Conditions:
If you receive the error message: "Failed to create AFT group. Make
sure that the drivers for supported adapters are loaded, primary
adapter is bound to protocols and secondary adapter is not bound to
any protocols." Check the following:
1. The specified board name is valid.
2. The primary adapter has a protocol stack bound to it.
3. The secondary adapter is not bound to a protocol stack.
4. AFT is not being bound to an unsupported adapter.
Command: AFT UNBIND
Description: Used for deleting a Adapter Fault Tolerance group from
the list. To delete a group, user has to specify the slot number
associated with primary adapter. The group gets deleted automatically
if LAN driver for that group is unloaded.
Format: AFT UNBIND PrimarySlotNo
Example: AFT UNBIND 4
Command: AFT RESET SLOT
Description: Used for issuing a hardware reset to the slot in the
system. This command is particularly useful after a transceiver
failure has happened and the user is trying to correct the problem.
If the fault was on the TPE cable, then AFT will detect the link as
soon as the cable is plugged in again. No reset command is required.
If the fault involved a MII transceiver that has failed or was
disconnected, transceivers that support hot-swapping can be replaced
and returned to service without downing the server. If this is done,
the card must be reset before AFT will add it back in to the group.
Format: AFT RESET SLOT SlotNumber
Example: AFT RESET SLOT 4
Command: AFT LINK TIMEOUT
Description: Used for setting the link timeout value. During the
binding process, AFT does a network topology test for short period of
time before creating an Adapter Fault Tolerance group. This test
ensures that both cards are connected to the same network segment, and
that they can properly transfer data. The default value for this
parameter is 5 seconds.
When using AFT with certain Fast Ethernet switches, AFT may fail to
create the group within the five second timeout. In this case, the
timeout should be extended to allow the switch to begin passing
traffic. The recommended value is 40 seconds for Catalyst 5000* and
other Cisco* switches.
This command must be issued before the AFT BIND command.
Format: AFT LINK TIMEOUT TimeoutValue
Example: AFT LINK TIMEOUT 40
Command: AFT STATUS
Description: Displays current status of Adapter Fault Tolerance
Groups.
Format: AFT STATUS
Example: AFT STATUS
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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.