NPAR

Dell - QLogic

October 2011

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

*Based on QLogic VMflexTM Technology

October, 2011

Agenda

Why NPAR (NIC Partitioning)?

Highlights
Operations
Configurations
QME8242-k
PowerEdge M-Series Blade Server
PowerConnect M8424-k Converged Network Switch
PowerEdge M1000e Modular Blade Enclosure

October, 2011

Why NPAR?

Lowers TCO

Efficient I/O Utilization

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
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

Maximize Data Center

Efficiency

Simpler Deployment
Solution not dependent on OS or switch
Configuration at pre-boot or OS level
October, 2011

Key Attributes

No OS or BIOS changes required

NIC controls transmit flow rate
User configurable

Dynamic bandwidth allocation

Storage and NIC personalities (function type)

OS & Switch Agnostic Solution

Delivers Highest Levels of
Interoperability

Full offload for iSCSI and FCoE with NPAR

Concurrent FCoE, iSCSI and NIC support
Minimum bandwidth allows fine grain QoS

October, 2011

NPAR Theory of Operation

Up to 4 Physical Functions on each physical port
PF0
NIC*

PF2
NIC

PF4
iSCSI /
NIC

PF6
FCoE /
NIC

Physic
al Port
0
Default Function State
NIC* Function Always
Enabled

PF0 &
PF1 NIC*

PF1
NIC*

PF3
NIC

PF5
iSCSI /
NIC

PF7
FCoE /
NIC

Physic
al Port
1
PF2 & PF3
Disabled

PF4 &
PF6 &
PF5 iSCSI PF7 FCoE

October, 2011

NPAR Theory of Operation

Function
Number

Function
Type

Physical Port
Number

NIC*

NIC*

NIC

NIC

iSCSI/ NIC

iSCSI/ NIC

FCoE/ NIC

FCoE/ NIC

* 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
October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Options

Enable / Disable NPAR Functions

Change Function Type (Personality)
Allocate Min and Max Bandwidth
Configuration Utilities
Windows Property Sheet QCC
QCC
GUI
CLI
Linux
QCC
QCC
GUI
CLI
ESX
vCenter Plugin
QCC
CLI
ESXi
vCenter Plugin
-

Pre Boot Utility

QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell
USC
QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell
USC
QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell
USC
QLogic Fast!UTIL / Dell
USC
October, 2011

NPAR Configuration QLogic Utility

Invoke QLogic Fast!UTIL

during POST
Type <Ctrl>Q

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration QLogic Utility

Configuration Utility
Change Function Type
Allocate Min Bandwidth
Save Changes and
Reboot

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

UEFI F10 USC Advanced Configuration Select

Port for NPAR
October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Dell USC

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Windows Properties Page

NPAR
Configured for
three NICs and
FCoE
NPAR
Configured for
three NICs and
iSCSI

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration QCC GUI

Web based tool provides same interface for Windows and Linux

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration QCC CLI

CLI tool provides same interface for Windows and Linux

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration ESX

VM ef

vNIC
a-b

vNIC cd

vNIC
e-f

h
vNIC
g-h

PF
0

PF
2

PF
4

eSwitch

Port 0

TX/R
X
PHY

PF
6

vNIC ij

VM lm

VM no

VM pq

vNIC lm

vDisk

vDisk

vSwit
ch
vSwit
ch

Independently
configured for each port
eSwitch used for VM to
VM NIC communication

VM cd

vSwit
ch
vSwit
ch
vSwit
ch
vSwit
ch

VM ab

Server
Hypervi
sor
VM gVM i-j

SCSI
Layer

PF PF PF
1
3 iSCS
5
I
eSwit
ch
Port 1 TX/R
X
PHY

PF
7

FCoE

Uplin
k
Switch
Port

Switch
October, 2011

NPAR Configuration ESX

Server

Hypervis
or

VM1
vNI
C

VM2
vNI
C
vSwitch

VM
vNI
C

vSwitch
PF
2

PF
0

NIC Port 0

VM
vNI
C

VM
vNI
C

vSwitch

eSwitch

PF
4

VM
vNI
C

VM
vNI
C

VM
vNI
C

vSwitch
PF
6

TX/R
X
PHY

Switch

NIC Port 1
October, 2011

NPAR Configuration vCenter Plugin (1 of 2)

Save NPAR
configuration
Reboot to initiate
change
Enable NIC Function Type for
Function_2
using pull down menu

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration - vCenter Plugin (2 of 2)

Enabled with
NIC Function_2

October, 2011

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, 2011

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation using Dell USC

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with Dell USC

From Global Bandwidth Allocation

Select the Partition
Default Allocation Shown
Set Relative Bandwidth Weighting
Set Maximum Bandwidth

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with Dell USC

Configure Minimum Bandwidth

Configure Maximum Bandwidth

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation

RT Click Function 0, to Enable

Bandwidth Configuration
Window
Configure Min and Max
Value Dynamically

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Bandwidth Allocation with vCenter Plugin

October, 2011

NPAR Configuration Oversubscription

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
Without Oversubscription
Bandwidth

Fixed
Unused bandwidth is wasted

With Oversubscription
Bandwidth

Unused bandwidth available

Can be used automatically
Partitions use it when needed
October, 2011

October, 2011