Broadcom Advanced Control Suite (BACS) is an integrated utility that provides useful information about each network adapter that is installed in your system. BACS also enables you to perform detailed tests, diagnostics, and analyses on each adapter, as well as to view and modify property values and view traffic statistics for each network object.
Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP), which runs within Broadcom Advanced Control Suite, is used to configure teams for load balancing, fault tolerance, and virtual local area networks (VLANs). BASP functionality is available only on systems that use at least one Broadcom network adapter.
The BACS application includes a graphical user interface and a command line interface (BACSCLI). BACS GUI and BACS CLI can operate on the following operating system families:
For information on the latest supported OS versions, refer to the release documentation provided with your software distribution.
In Control Panel, click Broadcom Control Suite 4, or click the BACS icon in the taskbar located at the bottom of the Windows desktop.
On Linux systems, you can double-click the BACS4 desktop icon, or access the BACS program from the task bar under System Tools. (If you are having difficulty launching BACS on a Linux system, see the related topic in Troubleshooting BACS.)
The BACS interface is comprised of the following regions:
By default, the Explorer View pane is docked and pinned on the left side of the main window, the Context View pane on the right, the Context View selector below the menu bar, and the Description pane below the Context View pane. Drag the splitter between any two panes to vary the size of the panes.
You can dock and pin the Explorer View pane on the left side, right side, top, or bottom of the main window.
The Explorer View pane lists the objects that can be viewed, analyzed, tested, or configured by BACS. When an item is selected in the Explorer View pane, the tabs showing the information and options that are available for the item appear in the Context View pane.
The organization of this panel is designed to present the manageable objects in the same hierarchical manner as drivers and its subcomponents. This simplifies the management of various elements of the network interface controller (NIC). The top level of the hierarchy is the Host container, which lists all hosts managed by BACS. Below the hosts are the installed network adapters, with the manageable elements, such as physical port, VBD, and NDIS below the adapters.
The icon next to each device in the Explorer View pane shows its status. An icon next to a device name that appears normal means the device is connected and working.
The Context View selector appears below the menu bar and includes the filter and tab categories. Although you can expand and collapse the categories that appear on tabs in the Context View pane, you can alternatively display a category by selecting the box next to the category name.
In a multiple-host environment using several network adapters, there can be a large number of manageable elements per adapter that can be difficult and cumbersome to view, configure, and manage all elements. Use the filter to select a particular device function. Possible filter views include:
The Context View pane displays all the parameters that you can view for the object selected in the Explorer View pane. The parameters are grouped by tabs and categories, depending on the parameter type. The available tabs are Information, Configuration, Diagnostics, and Statistics. Because the BACS interface is context-sensitive, only the parameters that apply to the selected object can be viewed or configured in the Context View pane.
The following appear on the menu bar, but because the menu items are context-sensitive, not all items will be available at all times:
File menu
Action menu
View menu
Tools menu
Teams
The Description pane provides information, configuration instructions, and options for the selected parameter in the Context View pane.
To enable or disable the BACS tray icon
BACS places an icon in the Windows taskbar when the program is installed. Use the Options window to turn this icon on or off.
Setting the teaming mode
Setting the Explorer View refresh time
You can add one or more Windows or Linux hosts to manage from BACS.
To add a local host
To add a remote host
At the host level, you can view host information and configure parameters from the following tabs:
To view host information
Select the host in the Explorer View pane, and then select the Information tab to view host-level information.
Information Tab: Host Information
To configure the host
Select the host in the Explorer View pane, and then select the Configuration tab to configure host-level parameters.
Configuration Tab: System Management
The installed network adapters appear one level below the host in the hierarchical tree in the Explorer View pane. At the adapter level, you can view information and configure parameters from the following tabs:
The Vital Signs section of the Information tab has useful information about the network adapters that are installed in your system, such as the link status of the adapter and general network connectivity.
Select the network adapter in the Explorer View pane, and then select the Information tab to view adapter-level information.
NOTES:
The unique hardware address assigned to the network adapter.
The network address associated with the adapter. If the IP address is all 0s, the associated driver has not been bound with Internet Protocol (IP).
The status of the network link.
The adapter is operating in the indicated duplex mode.
The link speed of the adapter, in megabits per second.
The offload capabilities supported by the adapter.
The Driver Information section of the Information tab displays data about the driver for the selected network adapter.
To view Driver Information for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Explorer View pane, then click the Information tab.
The status of the adapter driver.
The file name of the adapter driver.
The current version of the adapter driver.
The creation date of the adapter driver.
The Resources section of the Information tab displays information about connections and other essential functions for the selected network adapter.
To view Resources for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Explorer View pane, then click the Information tab.
Note: Some information may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.
The type of input/output (I/O) interconnect used by the adapter.
The slot number on the system board occupied by the adapter. This item is not available for PCI Express type adapters.
The bus clock signal frequency used by the adapter. This item is not available for PCI Express type adapters.
The number of bits that the bus can transfer at a single time to and from the adapter. This item is not available for PCI Express type adapters.
Indicates the number of the bus where the adapter is installed.
The number assigned to the adapter by the operating system.
The port number of the adapter. For a single-port adapter, the function number is 0. For a two-port adapter, the function number for the first port is 0, and the function number for the second port is 1.
The interrupt line number that is associated with the adapter. Valid numbers range from 2 to 25.
The memory mapped address that is assigned to the adapter. This value can never be 0.
The Hardware section of the Information tab displays information about the hardware settings for the selected network adapter.
To view Hardware for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Explorer View pane, then click the Information tab.
Note: Some information may not be available for all Broadcom network adapters.
The chip version of the Broadcom adapter (this information is not available for adapters made by others).
The firmware version of the Broadcom adapter (this information is not available for adapters made by others). This information is only available for Broadcom NetXtreme adapters.
The vendor ID.
The adapter ID.
The subsystem vendor ID.
The subsystem ID.
The Network Test option on the Diagnostics tab lets you verify IP network connectivity. This test verifies if the driver is installed correctly and tests connectivity to a gateway or other specified IP address on the same subnet.
The network test uses TCP/IP to send ICMP packets to remote systems, then waits for a response. If a gateway is configured, the test automatically sends packets to that system. If a gateway is not configured or if the gateway is unreachable, the test prompts for a destination IP address.
NOTES:
To run the network test using the BACS GUI
The results of the network test are displayed in the Status field.
To run the network test using the BACS CLI
You can use the following CLI command to perform a network diagnostic test for the specified target. This command is available for NDIS and virtual adapters.
BACScli -t <target type> -f <target format> -i <target ID> networkdiag [-p <IP address>]
Examples:
BACScli -t NDIS -f mac -i 0010181a1b1c "networkdiag -p 192.168.1.5"
BACScli -t VNIC -f mac -i 0010181a1b1c "networkdiag"
In Interactive mode, use the list <view> and select <idx> commands to select the desired target device. Use networkdiag [-p <IP address>] to run the network diagnostics test for the selected target.
Examples:
The Diagnostic Tests option on the Diagnostics tab lets you check the state of the physical components on a Broadcom network adapter. You can trigger the tests manually, or choose to have BACS 4 continuously perform them. If the test are performed continuously, then the number of passes and fails in the Result field for each test increments every time the tests are performed. For example, if a test is performed four times and there are no fails, the value in the Result field for that test is 4/0. However, if there were three passes and one fail, the value in the Result field is 3/1.
NOTES:
To run the diagnostic tests once using the BACS GUI
This test verifies the read and write capabilities of the network adapter registers by writing various values to the registers and verifying the results. The adapter driver uses these registers to perform network functions such as sending and receiving information. A test failure indicates that the adapter may not be working properly.
This test verifies the read and write capabilities of the registers of the physical layer (PHY). The physical layer is used to control the electrical signals on the wire and to configure network speeds such as 1000 Mbit/s.
This test verifies the content of the electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) by reading a portion of the EEPROM and computing the checksum. The test fails if the computed checksum is different from the checksum stored in the EEPROM. An EEPROM image upgrade does not require a code change for this test.
This test verifies that the internal memory of the adapter is functioning properly. The test writes patterned values to the memory and reads back the results. The test fails if an erroneous value is read back. The adapter cannot function if its internal memory is not functioning properly.
This test verifies the operation of the internal CPUs in the adapter.
This test verifies that the Network Device Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver is able to receive interrupts from the adapter.
This test verifies that the NDIS driver is able to send packets to and receive packets from the adapter.
This test verifies that the NDIS driver is able to send packets to and receive packets from the adapter.
This test causes all of the port LEDs to blink 5 times for the purpose of identifying the adapter.
To run the diagnostic tests using the BACS CLI
You can use the following CLI command to run diagnostics tests on a specified target. This command is available for physical device ports only:
BACScli -t <target type> -f <target format> -i <target ID> "diag {[-c REG ] [-c MII ] [-c EEP] [-c MEM] [-c CPU] [-c INT] [-c MACLB ] [-c PHYLB] [-c LED] | [-c ALL]} [-l <cnt> ] [ -v <LEDIntv> ]"
Examples:
BACScli -t PHYPORTS -f bdf -i 01:00.00 "diag"
BACScli -t PHYPORTS -f bdf -i 01:00.00 "diag -c MII -c LED"
BACScli -t PHYPORTS -f bdf -i 01:00.00 "diag -c all -l 5 -v 8"
In Interactive mode, use the list <view> and select <idx> commands to select the desired target device. Use the following command to run diagnostic tests for the selected target:
diag {[-c REG ] [-c MII ] [-c EEP] [-c MEM] [-c CPU] [-c INT] [-c MACLB ] [-c PHYLB] [-c LED] | [-c ALL]} [-l <cnt> ] [ -v <LEDIntv> ]
Examples:
diag
diag -c MII -c LED
diag -c all -l 5 -v 8
The Cable Analysis option on the Diagnostics tab lets you monitor the conditions of each wire pair in an Ethernet Category 5 cable connection within an Ethernet network. The analysis measures the cable quality and compares it against the IEEE 802.3ab specification for compliance.
NOTES:
To run a cable analysis using the BACS GUI
The valid cable distance in meters (except when the Noise result is returned).
This shows the type of link on this cable pair.
The link connection speed and duplex mode.
The status after the test is run, either completed or failed.
There are several factors that could have an effect on the test results:
To run a cable analysis using BACS CLI
You can use the following CLI commands to run cable analysis for the specified target. This command is available for physical device ports only.
BACScli -t <target type> -f <target format> -i <target ID> cablediag
Example:
In Interactive mode, use the list <view> and select <idx> commands to select the desired target device. Use the cablediag command to run the cable analysis test for the selected target.
Example:
Advanced on the Configurations tab allow you to view and change the values of the available properties of the selected adapter. The potentially available properties and their respective settings are described below.
NOTES:
To set adapter properties
Enables quality of service, which is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) specification that treats different types of network traffic diversely to ensure required levels or reliability and latency according to the type of traffic. This property is disabled by default. Unless the network infrastructure supports QoS, do not enable this property. Otherwise, problems may occur.
Enables or disables the receipt or transmission of PAUSE frames. PAUSE frames allow the network adapter and a switch to control the transmit rate. The side that is receiving the PAUSE frame momentarily stops transmitting.
The Speed & Duplex property sets the connection speed and mode to that of the network. Note that Full-Duplex mode allows the adapter to transmit and receive network data simultaneously.
NOTES:
Enables the network adapter to wake up from a low-power mode when it receives a network wake-up frame. Two types of wake-up frames are possible: Magic Packet and Wake Up Frame.
Allows enabling both the prioritization of network traffic and VLAN tagging. VLAN tagging only occurs when the VLAN ID setting is configured with a value other than 0 (zero).
Note: If an intermediate driver is managing the network adapter for VLAN tagging, the Priority & VLAN Disabled and Priority Enabled settings should not be used. Use the Priority & VLAN Enabled setting and change the VLAN ID to 0 (zero).
Enables VLAN tagging and configures the VLAN ID when Priority & VLAN Enabled is selected as the Priority & VLAN setting. The range for the VLAN ID is 1 to 4094 and must match the VLAN tag value on the connected switch. A value of 0 (default) in this field disables VLAN tagging.
Risk Assessment of VLAN Tagging through the NDIS Miniport Driver
Broadcom's NDIS 6.0 miniport driver provides the means to allow a system containing a Broadcom adapter to connect to a tagged VLAN. On Windows XP systems, this support was only provided through the use of an intermediate driver (e.g., Broadcom Advanced Server Program - BASP). Unlike BASP, however, the NDIS 6.0 driver's support for VLAN participation is only for a single VLAN ID.
Also unlike BASP, the NDIS 6.0 driver only provides VLAN tagging of the outbound packet, but does not provide filtering of incoming packets based on VLAN ID membership. This is the default behavior of all miniport drivers. While the lack of filtering packets based on VLAN membership may present a security issue, the following provides a risk assessment based on this driver limitation for an IPv4 network:
A properly configured network that has multiple VLANs should maintain separate IP segments for each VLAN. This is necessary since outbound traffic relies on the routing table to identify which adapter (virtual or physical) to pass traffic through and does not determine which adapter based on VLAN membership.
Since support for VLAN tagging on Broadcom's NDIS 6.0 driver is limited to transmit (Tx) traffic only, there is a risk of inbound traffic (Rx) from a different VLAN being passed up to the operating system. However, based on the premise of a properly configured network above, the IP segmentation and/or the switch VLAN configuration may provide additional filtration to limit the risk.
In a back-to-back connection scenario, two computers on the same IP segment may be able to communicate regardless of their VLAN configuration since no filtration of VLAN membership is occurring. However, this scenario assumes that the security may already be breached since this connection type is not typical in a VLAN environment.
If the risk above is not desirable and filtering of VLAN ID membership is required, then support through an intermediate driver would be necessary.
Note: OOB Management is not available on all Broadcom NetXtreme network adapters.
The OOB Management section of the Configurations tab is used to configure parameters for the out-of-band management port on Broadcom network adapters. OOB management enables management of networked computers and servers when their operating system is absent. This includes a networked system with an inactive or inoperable operating system, or in a low-power system sleep state. Using industry-standard remote management protocols, a remote management console can control and monitor client systems via a channel separate from the data channel. Broadcom's implementation of these management protocols for its network adapters is called TruManage™ technology. Capabilities of OOB management include alerting and remote control.
TruManage is a Broadcom technology that integrates Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) open manageability standards and the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) and Data Center Manageability Interface (DCMI) standards. TruManage provides advanced power management features that enable enterprise-class PC, mobile, and server systems to be fully managed from a management console.
TruManage includes functionality for both servers and desktop/mobile adapters. TruManage for Servers is available only on Broadcom NetXtreme network adapters that support one or more of the following standards (refer to your adapter documentation for information whether any of these are supported on your adapter):
SMASH is supported on adapters based on the BCM5725 only. TruManage for Servers supports the following features for these standards:
IPMI and DCMI are supported on the BCM5725 controller only. TruManage supports the following features:
To start OOB Management, select OOB Management from the BACS Configurations tab.
To inspect or configure the basic OOB management operating parameters for a network adapter, select the TruManage-capable network adapter you want to configure, and then click OOB Management from the Configurations tab.
Note: Broadcom NetXtreme TruManage-enabled network adapters display OOB Management in the Configurations tab.
To configure general OOB management settings
The TruManage firmware type and revision number. This property is available only on network adapters that support TruManage.
Enables the TruManage functionality in the selected network adapter. If there is more than one network adapter in your computer, be sure that you enable TruManage functionality in only one network adapter at a time.
Note: Enabling TruManage functionality in more than one network adapter in a system results in unpredictable behavior.
Enables the network adapter to wake the computer upon receiving ARP or RMCP traffic while the computer is in low-power mode.
Note: The Wake on ARP or RMCP Traffic option is not available for TruManage-enabled network adapters.
Most Windows PCs today have the capability to conserve power by entering a low-power mode (stand-by, hibernate, or sleep). These computers also have the capability to wake up when an external event occurs. One such external event is when a network adapter receives an interesting packet. Typically, the computer wakes up if a network adapter receives one of the following types of interesting packets:
This Wake on LAN (WOL) behavior conflicts with the way a TruManage-enabled network adapter operates. When the computer enters low-power mode, a TruManage-enabled network adapter is still operational, sending PET messages and receiving and responding to RMCP messages and ARP requests. Received ARP and RMCP packets are direct-IP packets and would normally wake up the system, but this is not desirable behavior for most TruManage managed clients. By enabling or disabling wake on ARP or RMCP traffic, you can choose whether or not to wake-up the system when the network adapter receives an ARP or RMCP packet. When wake on TruManage traffic is enabled, the TruManage-enabled network adapter attempts to wake up the computer if the network adapter receives a TruManage power on/off frame.
The adapter IP address of the network adapter is displayed next to the Adapter IP Address.
This value is the subnet mask that is applied to network addresses to determine the network segment to be used for routing considerations.
The default gateway value is the network address of the gateway that will be used by the management firmware for packets destined for hosts external to the local network segment.
The displayed values are automatically updated whenever the network adapter IP address, subnet mask, or default gateway is changed via DHCP or manual configuration. The Broadcom Management Agent, which is a process that runs in the background as a service and has no user interface, automatically detects these changes and updates the properties in the ASF Configuration Table in the network adapter nonvolatile memory.
When the management console is located on a different subnet and is connected via a gateway router, the network adapter uses the subnet mask and default gateway values in the ASF Configuration Table to communicate with the management console.
Use this section to configure the IP protocol and IP addresses.
Identifies the IP addressing as either IPv4 Only, IPv6 Only, or IPv4 and IPv6.
If IPv4 is the addressing model. Use this section to configure the IPv4 properties.
If IPv6 is the addressing model, use this section to configure the IPv6 addresses.
Enter the IP address. For IPv4, enter the IP address in dotted-decimal notation. For IPv6, enter the IP address using the following notation: X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X, where `X' represents a hexadecimal number. When this parameter is set to 0.0.0.0, no IPv4 network communications will be supported by the management firmware. When this parameter is set to : :, only the IPv6 link-local address will be used for IPv6 network communications by the management firmware.
Enter the subnet mask value that is to be applied to the network addresses to determine the network segment to be used for routing considerations.
Enter the gateway address.
Enter the IP address of the primary server that will be used by the management firmware for host name lookups via DNS. For IPv4, enter the IP address in dotted-decimal notation. For IPv6, enter the IP address using the following notation: X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X, where `X' represents a hexadecimal number.
Enter the IP address of the secondary server that will be used by the management firmware for host name lookups via DNS. For IPv4, enter the IP address in dotted-decimal notation. For IPv6, enter the IP address using the following notation: X:X:X:X:X:X:X:X, where `X' represents a hexadecimal number.
Enables the use of a DHCP server when the host operating system network driver is not loaded. When this parameter is enabled and the operating system network driver is not loaded, the management firmware will perform DHCP network configuration negotiations and renewals.
If IPv6 is the addressing model, use this section to configure the IPv6 addresses.
Enter the subnet prefix length, in bits, for the IPv6 network address to determine the network segment to be used for IPv6 routing considerations. This value is typically 64 for IPv6. Do not use a forward slash with the subnet prefix length value.
The System ASF! Description Table defines the ASF-related capabilities and operating parameters of the computer, as defined by the computer manufacturer. This table is stored as an ACPI System Description Table in the computer firmware nonvolatile memory.
To view the System ASF! Description Table, click Tools from BACS and then select View ASF!.
Alerting provides system health information and error notification in low-power and operating-system-absent states, as well as during normal operation to a remote management console. The parameters in the Alerting section of OOB Management are used to configure the settings related to SNMP platform event trap (PET) messages.
Enables the network adapter to transmit PET messages when this parameter is set to Enabled and the Destination Address parameter contains a valid IP address or host name. When this parameter is set to Disabled, PETs will not be transmitted and the remaining configuration parameters in this section will have no effect.
When this paramter is set to Enabled and the Pet Heartbeat Interval parameter is non-zero, the management firmware will attempt to transmit periodic System Heartbeat PETs at the configured PET Heart Interval.
Identify the addressing model of the management console.
Type the IP address of the remote management console in the Management Console Address box to specify the IP address of the remote management console. An ASF or TruManage-enabled network adapter sends all PET messages to this IP address. The management console IP address is usually statically assigned and is seldom changed. If the management console IP address is changed, type the new IP address in the Management Console Address box.
Type the desired time interval in the Heartbeat Transmit Interval box to specify the time interval (in seconds) at which system heartbeat messages are sent.
Type the desired community name in the SNMP Community Name box to specify the SNMP community name that is included in transmitted PET messages. The default SNMP community name is public.
Type the desired time interval in the PET Retransmission Interval box to specify the time interval (in seconds) between retransmissions of a PET message. According to the ASF standard, each PET message (except the system heartbeat message) must be retransmitted three times to ensure successful delivery to the ASF management console. The default PET retransmission interval is 10 seconds.
The remote management console can query an ASF or DASH-enabled client for capabilities and system presence or state information. On request, a client system will return the ASF feature set of the requested system. The properties in the Remote Management (RMCP) section are used to configure the settings related to secure remote management.
Enables the management firmware to listen for incoming RMCP and/or Secure RMCP (RSP) requests based on the other parameters in this section. Note: With TruManage for servers, RMCP is used for discovery purposes only, whereas IPMI over LAN requests are sent using RMCP+.
A management console uses RMCP messages to communicate with an ASF or DASH managed client. When remote management is enabled, the network adapter acknowledges and responds to the following RMCP message types:
If secure management is also enabled, the network adapter acknowledges and responds to the following secure RMCP message types:
If allowed by the remote control capabilities and security profile for the network adapter, the following operations can be performed remotely:
When remote management is disabled, the network adapter does not acknowledge or respond to RMCP messages.
Enables presence ping as the only RMCP method to test the connection between the DASH-enabled adapter and the management console. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
Enter the destination port in decimal notation. By default, the RMCP server communicates on port 623.
Enables the network adapter to receive and respond to secure Remote Management Control Protocol (RMCP) messages on UDP port 298h (664 decimal). This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
Enter the destination port in decimal notation. By default, the RMCP secure server communicates on port 624. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
Enables the network adapter to receive and respond to insecure RMCP (ASF 1.0) messages on UDP port 26Fh (623 decimal). If Secure RMCP Support (ASF 2.0) is disabled, the network adapter automatically operates in ASF 1.0 compatibility mode, regardless of the setting for ASF 1.0 Compatibility. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
To specify the amount of a time (in seconds) that a secure session must be inactive before it times out, type the desired timeout period in the Secure Session Timeout box. The network adapter supports a maximum of two simultaneous secure sessions, so it is important that inactive secure sessions time out after a reasonable period of time. The default secure session timeout period is 300 seconds (5 minutes). This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
The value in the Data Integrity Key box is the shared secret key used for key generation operations (KG). Type the key in the Data Integrity Key box. If the generation key is in hexadecimal notation, select the (hex) check box. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
There are two types of authenticated user roles: Operator and Administrator. KO is the associated authentication key for Operator, and this parameter value is the 160-bit key used by the RSP Session Protocol (RSSP) when authenticating a remote management console requesting a secure RMCP session using the Operator role. Type the authentication key in the Authentication Key box. If the authentication key is in hexadecimal notation, select the (hex) check box. Possible values are 20 ASCII characters or 40 hexadecimal digits. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
There are two types of authenticated user roles: Operator and Administrator. KA is the associated authentication key for Administrator, and this parameter value is the 160-bit key used by the RSP Session Protocol (RSSP) when authenticating a remote management console requesting a Secure RMCP session using the Administrator role. Type the authentication key in the Authentication Key box. If the authentication key is in hexadecimal notation, select the (hex) check box. Possible values include up to 20 ASCII characters or 40 hexadecimal digits. This option is not available in TruManage for servers.
Note: Each security key (generation key, authentication key) may be typed as a set of up to 20 ASCII characters or as a set of hexadecimal bytes with each byte represented by 2 hexadecimal digits (0–F), with a maximum total length of 40 hexadecimal digits (20 bytes).
Both Operator and Administrator roles also have an associated set of rights that determines which RMCP Remote Control commands it has the right to execute on the managed client. These Remote Control commands include:
To assign rights to an authenticated operator or administrator, select the appropriate check boxes in the Rights section.
Web Services (WS) Management is a DMTF specification that delivers standards-based web services management for DASH-enabled clients and SMASH-enabled servers. Both HTTP and HTTPS protocols are supported.
This parameter determines whether or not HTTP communications will be supported by the management firmware. Both WS Management/HTTP (for DASH/SMASH Class A Security) and the web browser/GUI interface (over HTTP) depend on this parameter being set to Enabled.
This parameter determines the TCP port number on which the management firmware will listen for incoming HTTP connections. This port will be used both for incoming WS Management/HTTP and web browser/GUI (over HTTP) requests.
This parameter determines whether or not HTTPS communications will be supported by the management firmware. Both WS Management/HTTPS (for DASH/SMASH Class B Security) and the web browser/GUI interface (over HTTPS) depend on this parameter being set to Enabled. HTTPS support also depends on the Private RSA Key and TLS Server Certificate records containing valid data.
Enter the destination port in decimal notation on which the management firmware will listen for incoming HTTPS connections. This port will be used both for incoming WS Management/HTTPS and web browser/GUI (over HTTPS) requests.
TruManage technology is Broadcom's solution for remotely managing and controlling mobile and desktop clients and servers from a management console. It enables remote and secure PC manageability in organizations with limited resources by eliminating desk-side visits, optimizing PC deployment, and enabling efficient platform provisioning regardless of the state of the system or operating system.
The managed system can be managed in-band or out-of-band.
TruManage manages remote systems with a Broadcom NetXtreme TruManage-enabled adapter. This section assumes that the managed systems have been provisioned by the mobile/desktop client or server manufacturer.
Prior to managing a remote system, you must first add or discover the system and then connect to the system from a management console.
To discover a SMASH-enabled Broadcom adapter for management via TruManage
To add a server with a SMASH-enabled Broadcom adapter to be managed out of band via TruManage
To connect to a managed system using an in band connection
TruManage technology enables comprehensive asset tracking of hardware and software inventory, including detailed information about the processor(s)/cache(s), system memory, chassis, fan(s), power supplies, and driver/firmware versions.
To view system information
Hardware inventory of the managed system is available from the Information tab. The available components from the Hardware Inventory section of the Information tab varies from system to system.
To view hardware inventory
Software inventory of the managed system is available from the Information tab.
To view hardware inventory
Note: These user accounts cannot be used for authenticating with ASF Secure RMCP/RSP or IPMI over LAN/RMCP+.
User account management allows the system to efficiently and securely manage distinct platform management tasks assigned to various IT personnel. TruManage technology enables assigned IT managers to be associated with different roles, and each role can be configured to perform different OOB management functions. Supported roles can be dynamically configured. TruManage supports the following aspects of account management:
To manage user accounts
Each role can be configured to perform different management functions.
To manage roles
You can powered on, shut down, reset, or put in a sleep mode a managed system securely from the remote console. You can perform a system shut down or reset operation gracefully or ungracefully. The power control feature is essential during the remote diagnosis and repair of a system that fails to boot or run the OS.
To manage the power state
The ability to remotely monitor and administer a system without a local keyboard, mouse, and video monitor is important for handling the scenario when the system fails to boot or the OS fails to load. Text console redirection is a feature that allows for the text console I/O to be redirected to the remote management console. If you need to check or change the BIOS setting on a remote system, the text console redirection feature allows the BIOS menu screen (or any text console) to be redirected to the IT administrator's console. With the local keyboard being locked, the administrator can remotely reconfigure and reboot the system.
Note: Console Redirection may not be available for your managed system.
To monitor and manage a system
USB Media Redirection is a tool that provides you with the ability to remotely boot a system when the local disk is corrupted or the system fails to boot. USB redirection allows you to boot from a remote ISO image using an HTTP-based protocol. The USB-redirected device appears as a virtual read-only mass-storage class USB device to the system firmware (BIOS) and OS. The redirection of the control/data to/from the virtual USB device is handled transparently using an HTTP-based redirection protocol. This feature enables remote booting, provisioning, re-imaging, and diagnostics while leveraging the existing USB plug-n-play capabilities. This eliminates desk-side visits and extends your accessibility to remote platforms.
Note: Console Redirection may not be available for your managed system.
To boot from an ISO image
Both persistent and one-time boot configurations are supported. You can use different boot-source settings for different boot configurations. The remote boot control feature is useful for reimaging and/or repairing the system. For example, when an OS becomes unresponsive on a system, you can remotely reboot to a diagnostics environment to detect and analyze OS problems, successfully reimage the system with a new OS image, and reboot the system with the new OS.
To manage the boot
The ability to update OOB management firmware using either in-band or an OOB environment allows the management console or an administrator to push fixes to the management firmware as well as update the firmware with new features.
To manage firmware updates
This feature provides a log of alert-indication related information. This log can be read and cleared. It allows you to have visibility into the events that happened inside the system. The event logging feature enhances the ability to monitor and diagnose a system.
To view event logs
The information provided on the Statistics tab allows you to view traffic statistics for both Broadcom network adapters and network adapters made by others. Statistical information and coverage are more comprehensive for Broadcom adapters.
To view Statistics information for any installed network adapter, click the name of the adapter listed in the Explorer View pane, then click the Statistics tab.
Click Refresh to get the most recent values for each statistic. Click Reset to change all values to zero.
NOTES:
General Statistics show the transmitted and received statistics to and from the adapter.
A count of the frames that were successfully transmitted. This counter is incremented when the transmit status is reported as Transmit OK.
A count of the frames that were successfully received. This does not include frames received with frame-too-long, frame check sequence (FCS), length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost due to internal MAC sublayer errors. This counter is incremented when the receive status is reported as Receive OK.
A count of directed data frames that were successfully transmitted.
A count of frames that were successfully transmitted (as indicated by the status value Transmit OK) to a group destination address other than a broadcast address.
A count of frames that were successfully transmitted (as indicated by the transmit status Transmit OK) to the broadcast address. Frames transmitted to multicast addresses are not broadcast frames and are excluded.
A count of directed data frames that were successfully received.
A count of frames that were successfully received and are directed to an active nonbroadcast group address. This does not include frames received with frame-too-long, FCS, length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost because of internal MAC sublayer errors. This counter is incremented as indicated by the Receive OK status.
A count of frames that were successfully received and are directed to a broadcast group address. This count does not include frames received with frame-too-long, FCS, length, or alignment errors, nor frames lost because of internal MAC sublayer errors. This counter is incremented as indicated by the Receive OK status.
The number of frames received with CRC errors.
NOTE: BACS does not support teaming on Linux systems.
The teaming function allows you to group any available network adapters together to function as a team. Teaming is a method of creating a virtual NIC (a group of multiple adapters that functions as a single adapter). The benefit of this approach is that it enables load balancing and failover. Teaming is done through the Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP) software. For a comprehensive description of the technology and implementation considerations of the teaming software, refer to the "Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet Teaming Services" section of your Broadcom network adapter user guide.
Teaming can be accomplished by either of the following methods:
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You can create four types of load balance teams:
Smart Load Balance and Failover
In this type of team, a standby member handles the traffic if all of the load balance members fail (a failover event). All load balance members have to fail before the standby member takes over. When one or more of the load balance members is restored (fallback), the restored team member(s) resumes the handling of the traffic. The LiveLink feature is supported for this type of team.
Link Aggregation (802.3ad)
In this type of team, you can dynamically configure the network adapters that have been selected to participate in a given team. If the link partner is not correctly configured for IEEE 802.3ad link configuration, errors are detected and noted. All adapters in the team are configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. The outbound load balancing scheme is determined by the BASP driver. The link partner of the team determines the load balancing scheme for inbound packets. In this mode, at least one of the link partners must be in active mode.
Generic Trunking (FEC/GEC)/802.3ad-Draft Static
This type of team is very similar to the link aggregation type, in that all adapters in the team must be configured to receive packets for the same MAC address. This mode does not provide link aggregation control protocol (LACP) or marker protocol support. This mode supports a variety of environments where the link partners are statically configured to support a proprietary trunking mechanism. Trunking supports load balancing and failover for both outbound and inbound traffic.
SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable)
This team is identical to Smart Load Balance and Failover, with the following exception: when the standby member is active, if a primary member comes back online, the team continues using the standby member rather than switching back to the primary member. This type of team is supported only for situations in which the network cable is disconnected and reconnected to the network adapter. It is not supported for situations in which the adapter is removed/installed through Device Manager or Hot-Plug PCI. If any primary adapter assigned to a team is disabled, the team functions as a Smart Load Balancing and Failover type of team in which auto-fallback occurs. The LiveLink feature is supported for this type of team.
You can designate one team member in an SLB type of team to be the standby member. The standby member does not actively send and receive normal network traffic while other adapters on the team are active. If all of the active adapters on the team fail or are disconnected, the standby member takes over the handling of the network activities.
In Auto-Fallback Disable mode, if a load balance member returns on line, the team continues using the standby member rather than switching back to using the load balance member. Consequently, the adapter that was initially designated a load balance member remains in an inactive state and becomes the new standby member.
LiveLink is a feature of BASP that is available for the Smart Load Balancing (SLB) and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type of teaming. The purpose of LiveLink is to detect link loss beyond the switch and to route traffic only through team members that have a live link.
You can use the Broadcom Teaming Wizard to create a team, configure an existing team if a team has already been created, or create a VLAN.
To create a new team, select Create a Team from the Team menu, or right-click one of the devices in the "Unassigned Adapters" section and select Create a Team. This option is not available if there are no devices listed in the "Unassigned Adapters" sections, which means all adapters are already assigned to teams.
To configure an existing team, right-click one of the teams in the list and select Edit Team. This option is only available if a team has already been created and is listed in the Team Management pane.
Note: If you prefer to work without the wizard for now, click Expert Mode. If you want to always use Expert Mode to create a team, select Default to Expert Mode on next start. See Using Expert Mode.
Note: The team name cannot exceed 39 characters, cannot begin with spaces, and cannot contain any of the following characters: & \ / : * ? < > |
Note: There must be at least one Broadcom network adapter assigned to the team.
The TCP Offload Engine (TOE), Large Send Offload (LSO) and Checksum Offload (CO) columns indicate if the TOE, LSO, and/or the CO properties are supported for the adapter. The TOE, LSO, and CO properties are enabled for a team only when all of the members support and are configured for the feature. If this is the case, then the team offload capabilities appear on the bottom of the screen.
NOTES:
Note: Each LiveLink enabled team can only communicate with Probe Targets on a single VLAN. Also, VLAN ID 0 is equivalent to an untagged network. If the Probe VLAN ID is set to a value other than 0, then a VLAN must be created with an identical VLAN tag value (see Step 16.).
Note: Only the first probe target is required. You can specify up to three additional probe targets to serve as backups by assigning IP addresses to the other probe targets.
Note: All of the member IP addresses must be in the same subnet as the subnet of the probe targets.
VLANs enable you to add multiple virtual adapters that are on different subnets. The benefit of this is that your system can have one network adapter that can belong to multiple subnets.
Note: VLANs can only be created when all team members are Broadcom adapters.
Note: The team name cannot exceed 39 characters, cannot begin with spaces, and cannot contain any of the following characters: & \ / : * ? < > |
Note: You can define up to 64 VLANs per team (63 VLANs that are tagged and 1 VLAN that is not tagged). Adding several VLANS may slow down the reaction time of the Windows interface due to memory and processor time usage for each VLAN. The degree to which Windows performance may suffer depends on system configuration.
Note: At any point in the Broadcom Teaming Wizard procedure, click Preview to get a visual representation of what the team will look like before committing any changes.
Use Expert Mode to create a team, modify a team, add a VLAN, and configure LiveLink for a Smart Load Balance and Failover and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) team. To create a team using the wizard, see Using the Broadcom Teaming Wizard.
To set the default Teaming Mode, select Options from the Tools menu, then select Expert Mode or Wizard Mode (the default is Wizard Mode).
Note: Enabling Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is not recommended for members of an SLB type of team.
Note: If you want to always use Expert Mode to create a team, click Default to Expert Mode on next start.
Note: The Create Team tab appears only if there are team-able adapters available.
Note: There must be at least one Broadcom network adapter assigned to the team.
The Large Send Offload (LSO), Checksum Offload (CO), and RSS indicate if the LSO, CO, and/or RSS properties are supported for the team. The LSO, CO, and RSS properties are enabled for a team only when all of the members support and are configured for the feature.
NOTES:
NOTES:
After you have created a team, you can modify the team in the following ways:
To modify a team
Note: The Edit Team tab in Expert Mode appears only if there are teams configured on the system.
You can add virtual LANs (VLANs) to a team. This enables you to add multiple virtual adapters that are on different subnets. The benefit of this is that your system can have one network adapter that can belong to multiple subnets. With a VLAN, you can couple the functionality of load balancing for the load balance members, and you can employ a failover adapter.
You can define up to 64 VLANs per team (63 VLANs that are tagged and 1 VLAN that is not tagged). VLANs can only be created when all teams members are Broadcom adapters. If you try to create a VLAN with a non-Broadcom adapter, an error message is displayed.
To configure a team with a VLAN
Note: To maintain optimum adapter performance, your system should have 64 MB of system memory for each of the eight VLANs created per adapter.
To view VLAN properties and statistics and to run VLAN tests
The procedure below applies when you are in Expert Mode.
To delete a VLAN
LiveLink is a feature of BASP that is available for the Smart Load Balancing (SLB) and SLB (Auto-Fallback Disable) type of teaming. The purpose of LiveLink is to detect link loss beyond the switch and to route traffic only through team members that have a live link.
Read the following notes before you attempt to configure LiveLink.
NOTES:
To configure LiveLink
Note: Each LiveLink enabled team can only communicate with Probe Targets on a single VLAN. Also, VLAN ID 0 is equivalent to an untagged network.
Note: Only the first probe target is required. You can specify up to 3 additional probe targets to serve as backups by assigning IP addresses to the other probe targets.
Note: All of the member IP addresses must be in the same subnet as the probe targets.
To save a configuration
The configuration file is a text file that can be viewed by any text editor. The file contains information about both the adapter and the team configuration.
To restore a configuration
Note: If necessary, go to the folder where the file is located.
Note: The team may take a very long time to restore if the team is configured with many VLANs and a static IP address.
The Statistics section shows performance information about the network adapters that are on a team.
To view BASP Statistics information for any team member adapter or the team as a whole, click the name of the adapter or team listed in the Team Management pane, then click the Statistics tab.
Click Refresh to get the most recent values for each statistic. Click Reset to change all values to zero.
An alternate method to BACS for configuring Broadcom network adapters is with BACSCLI, which is a Broadcom utility that allows you to view information and configure network adapters using a console in either a non-interactive command line interface (CLI) mode or an interactive mode. As with BACS, BACSCLI provides information about each network adapter, and enables you to perform detailed tests, run diagnostics, view statistics, and modify property values. BACSCLI also allows you the ability to team network adapters together for load balancing and failover.
For a complete list of available commands and examples, see the BACSCLI ReadMe text file on the installation CD.
On a system with Broadcom NetXtreme I and NetXtreme II network adapters, BACSCLI is installed when BACS is installed with the installer.
Problem: When attempting to open BACS on a Linux System, the following error message displays:
"Another instance of the BACS client appears to be running on this system. Only one instance of the BACS client can be running at a time. If you are sure that no other BACS client is running, then a previous instance may have quit unexpectedly."
Solution: This message displays if you try to run a second instance of BACS. If you receive this message but are certain that no instance of BACS is currently running, a previous instance of BACS may have quit unexpectedly. To clear that instance, remove the file "/dev/shm/sem.Global-BACS-{C50398EE-84A7-4bc3-9F6E-25A69603B9C0}."
