NPARDell - QLogic

October 2011

*Based on QLogic VMflexTM Technology

Dell and QLogic Drive Next-generation Blade Server I/O Virtualization with NPAR*

October, 20112

3

Agenda

• Why NPAR (NIC Partitioning)?• Highlights• Operations• Configurations

October, 2011

PowerEdge M1000e Modular Blade Enclosure

PowerConnect M8424-k Converged Network Switch

PowerEdge M-Series Blade Server

QME8242-k

4

Why NPAR?

• Lowers TCO • Consolidates cables, infrastructure, and I/O• Saves server resources• Reduces operational complexity • Flexible SAN and LAN personality• VM to VM NIC traffic without external switch

• Efficient I/O Utilization• Allows dynamic bandwidth provisioning• Minimizes bandwidth waste• Scales I/O workloads and connections• Scale-Out performance for virtualized servers• Provides finer control for SLA / on demand services

• Simpler Deployment • Solution not dependent on OS or switch• Configuration at pre-boot or OS level

October, 2011

Maximize Data Center Efficiency

5

Key Attributes

• No OS or BIOS changes required

• NIC controls transmit flow rate

• User configurable

• Dynamic bandwidth allocation

• Storage and NIC personalities (function type)

• Full offload for iSCSI and FCoE with NPAR

• Concurrent FCoE, iSCSI and NIC support

• Minimum bandwidth allows fine grain QoS

October, 2011

OS & Switch Agnostic Solution Delivers Highest Levels of Interoperability

6

Up to 4 Physical Functions on each physical port

PF0NIC*

NPAR Theory of Operation

October, 2011

PF2NIC

PF3NIC

PF4iSCSI / NIC

PF5iSCSI / NIC

PF6FCoE / NIC

PF7FCoE / NIC

PF1NIC*

Physical Port 0

Physical Port 1

PF4 & PF5 iSCSI

PF2 & PF3

DisabledPF6 & PF7

FCoEPF0 & PF1

NIC*Default Function StateNIC* Function Always

Enabled

NPAR Theory of Operation

Function Number

Function Type

Physical Port Number

0 NIC* 0

1 NIC* 1

2 NIC 0

3 NIC 1

4 iSCSI/ NIC 0

5 iSCSI/ NIC 1

6 FCoE/ NIC 0

7 FCoE/ NIC 1

* Functions 0 & 1 (Port 0 and Port 1)• Always present • Always NIC

• 2 & 3 - NIC or disabled

• 4 & 5 - iSCSI, NIC or disabled

• 6 & 7 - FCoE, NIC or disabled

• One iSCSI and/or FCoE per Physical Port• NIC, iSCSI, & FCoE have fixed function numbers• Functions 2 -7 can be independently disabled

October, 20117

NPAR Configuration Options

Configuration Utilities Pre Boot UtilityWindows Property Sheet QCC GUI QCC CLI QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell USCLinux - QCC GUI QCC CLI QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell USCESX vCenter Plugin - QCC CLI QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell USCESXi vCenter Plugin - - QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell USC

October, 20118

• Enable / Disable NPAR Functions• Change Function Type (Personality) • Allocate Min and Max Bandwidth

NPAR Configuration QLogic Utility

October, 20119

Invoke QLogic Fast!UTIL during POSTType <Ctrl>Q

NPAR Configuration QLogic Utility

October, 201110

Configuration Utility

• Change Function Type• Allocate Min Bandwidth• Save Changes and Reboot

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

October, 201111

UEFI F10 USC Advanced Configuration Select Port for NPAR

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

October, 201112

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

October, 201113

NPAR Configuration Windows Properties Page

October, 201114

NPARConfigured for three NICs and

FCoE

NPARConfigured for three NICs and

iSCSI

NPAR Configuration QCC GUI

Web based tool provides same interface for Windows and Linux

October, 201115

NPAR Configuration QCC CLI

CLI tool provides same interface for Windows and Linux

October, 201116

Server

Port 0

NPAR Configuration ESX

October, 201117

VM p-q

vDisk

Switch

Switch Port

Uplink

Hypervisor

eSwitch

PF 0

PHYTX/RX Port 1

eSwitch

PHYTX/RX

PF 2 PF 4 PF 6 PF 1 PF 3 PF 5 PF 7

VM n-o

vDisk

VM l-m

vNIC l-m

vSw

itch

VM i-j

vNIC i-j

vSw

itch

VM g-h

vNIC g-h

vSw

itch

VM e-f

vNIC e-f

vSw

itch

VM c-d

vNIC c-d

vSw

itch

VM a-b

vNIC a-b

vSw

itch• Independently

configured for each port • eSwitch used for VM to

VM NIC communication

iSCSI FCoE

SCSI Layer

Server

NPAR Configuration ESX

October, 201118

VMvNIC

VMvNIC

VMvNIC

VMvNIC

VMvNIC

Switch

Hyp

ervi

sor

vSwitch

NIC Port 0

eSwitch

PHYTX/RX

VMvNIC

vSwitch

PF 4 PF 6

VM1vNIC

vSwitchvSwitch

VM2vNIC

PF 2PF 0

NIC Port 1

NPAR Configuration – vCenter Plugin (1 of 2)

October, 201119

Enable NIC Function Type for Function_2using pull down menu

Save NPAR configurationReboot to initiate change

NPAR Configuration - vCenter Plugin (2 of 2)

October, 201120

Enabled with NIC Function_2

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation

• Minimum Bandwidth• Minimum guaranteed bandwidth• Specified as % of link speed• Total of all partitions is up to Max bandwidth link• May exceed specified Min value up to Max value

• If excess bandwidth available on the physical port

• Maximum Bandwidth• Up to the Max allowed bandwidth• Specified as % of link speed• Not allowed to exceed Max value

• Even if excess bandwidth available on physical port

October, 201121

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation using Dell USC

October, 201122

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with Dell USC

October, 201123

From Global Bandwidth AllocationSelect the Partition• Default Allocation Shown• Set Relative Bandwidth Weighting• Set Maximum Bandwidth

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with Dell USC

October, 201124

Configure Minimum Bandwidth Configure Maximum Bandwidth

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation

October, 201125

RT Click Function 0, to EnableBandwidth Configuration Window

• Configure Min and Max Value Dynamically

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with vCenter Plugin

October, 201126

NPAR Configuration Oversubscription

Without Oversubscription

Bandwidth • Fixed• Unused bandwidth is wasted

With Oversubscription

Bandwidth • Unused bandwidth available• Can be used automatically• Partitions use it when needed

October, 201127

An NPAR enabled 10Gb port can be configured to allow each NIC partition to claim up to 100% of bandwidth that is going unused by the other NIC partitions on the same port

October, 201128