Features

Benefits

I/O Features for Multi-core Processor Servers

Intel® Direct Cache Access (DCA):

• Enables the adapter to pre-fetch the data from memory, avoiding cache misses and improving

application response time

MSI-X support

• Minimizes the overhead of interrupts

• load-balancing of interrupt handling between multiple cores/CPUs

Low Latency Interrupts

• Based on the sensitivity of the incoming data, the adapter can bypass the automatic moderation of

time intervals between the interrupts

Header Splits and Replication in Receive

• Helps the driver focus on the relevant part of the packet without the need to parse it

Multiple Queues: 128 Tx and Rx queues per port

• Network packet handling without waiting or buffer overflow providing efficient packet prioritization

Tx/Rx IP, SCTP, TCP, and UDP checksum offloading

(IPv4, IPv6) capabilities

• Lower processor usage

• Checksum and segmentation capability extended to new standard packet type

Tx TCP segmentation offload (IPv4, IPv6)

• Increased throughput and lower processor usage

• Compatible with large-send offload feature (in Microsoft Windows* Server operating systems)

Receive and Transmit Side Scaling for Windows en-

vironment and Scalable I/O for Linux* environments

(IPv4, IPv6, TCP/UDP)

• This technology enables the direction of the interrupts to the processor cores in order to improve the

CPU usage rate

IPsec Offload

• Offloads IPsec capability onto the adapter instead of the software to significantly improve I/O

throughput and CPU usage (for Windows* 2008 Server, Vista*, Windows* 2008 Server R2, and

Windows* 7)

MacSec

• IEEE spec: 802.1ae

• Layer 2 data protection that provides encryption and authentication ability between two individual de-

vices (routers, switches, etc.)

• MacSec is designed into the network adapter hardware. These adapters are prepared to provide

MacSec functionality when the ecosystem is ready to support this new technology

Virtualization Features

VMDq

• Offloads the data-sorting functionality from the Hypervisor to the network silicon, improving data

throughput and CPU usage

• Provides QoS feature on the Tx data by providing round-robin servicing and preventing head-of-line

blocking

• Sorting based on MAC addresses and VLAN tags

• Enhanced QoS feature by providing weighted round-robin servicing for the Tx data

• Provides loopback functionality, where data transfer between the virtual machines within the same

physical server need not go out to the wire and come back in, improving throughput and CPU usage

• Supports replication of multicast and broadcast data

PC-SIG SR-IOV Implementation (64 virtual functions

per port)

• Provides an implementation of the PCI-SIG standard for I/O Virtualization. The physical configuration of

each port is divided into multiple virtual ports. Each virtual port is assigned to an individual virtual ma-

chine directly by bypassing the virtual switch in the Hypervisor, resulting in near-native performance.

• Integrated with Intel® VTI for Directed I/O (VT-d) to provide data protection between virtual machines

by assigning separate physical addresses in the memory to each virtual machine

Virtual Machine Load Balancing (VLMB)

• Virtual Machines Load Balancing (VMLB) provides traffic load balancing (Tx and Rx) across Virtual

Machines bound to the team interface, as well as fault tolerance in the event of switch, port, cable, or

adapter failure.

Advanced Packet Filtering

• 24 exact-matched packets (unicast or multicast)

• 4096-bit hash filter for unicast and multicast frames

• Lower processor usage

• Promiscuous (unicast and multicast) transfer mode support

• Optional filtering of invalid frames

VLAN support with VLAN tag insertion, stripping

and packet filtering for up to 4096 VLAN tags

• Ability to create multiple VLAN segments

Manageability Features

Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) Support

• Enables system boot up via the LAN (32-bit and 64-bit)

• Flash interface for PXE image

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and

Remote Network Monitoring (RMON) Statistic Counters

• Easy system monitoring with industry-standard consoles

iSCSI Boot

• Enables system boot up via iSCSI

• Provides additional network management capability

Watchdog Timer

• Gives an indication to the manageability firmware or external devices that the chip or the driver is not

functioning

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