Brocade 1020 CNA 10GbE PCIe Cards

[s0lid]

What kernel version you're running? This can be checked with uname -a, also check is the kernel compiled with the bna module.
If you're using 3.10 or newer kernel you can use the 3.2.3 firmware, if older use the 3.2.11's.

 

[BigXor]

What kernel version you're running? This can be checked with uname -a, also check is the kernel compiled with the bna module.
If you're using 3.10 or newer kernel you can use the 3.2.3 firmware, if older use the 3.2.11's.

I returned the cards and purchased 2 Mellanox ConnectX-2 MNPA19-XTR and a Mellanox MC3309130-002 Passive Copper Cable ETH 10GbE 10Gb/s SFP+ 2m

I like the setup better. They boot almost instantly, are easily updated and are easy to configure in Win7.

Typical transfer speed is 600-775 MB/s

 

[Burksdb]

What kernel version you're running? This can be checked with uname -a, also check is the kernel compiled with the bna module.
If you're using 3.10 or newer kernel you can use the 3.2.3 firmware, if older use the 3.2.11's.

Uname comes up: 3.16.3-unRAID

Tried modinfo bna & bfa and i get message that says modules not found.

 

[s0lid]

Then you need to build a custom kernel with the brocade drivers as a module.
Building a custom kernel - unRAID

 

[user1453]

Hi guys,

I've not got any experience with SFP kit yet, so hopefully this isn't a stupid question.

The brocade 1020 describes itself as a converged network adaptor, does that mean I need a special switch to interface with it?

I'm mostly interested in using it as a network adaptor only, on BSD/Luinux/windows.

Would the 1020 and a brocade DAC cable be compatable with a dlink DGS1510-20?
Gigabit Smart Managed Switches | D-Link UK

 

[s0lid]

Hi guys,

I've not got any experience with SFP kit yet, so hopefully this isn't a stupid question.

The brocade 1020 describes itself as a converged network adaptor, does that mean I need a special switch to interface with it?

I'm mostly interested in using it as a network adaptor only, on BSD/Luinux/windows.

Would the 1020 and a brocade DAC cable be compatable with a dlink DGS1510-20?
Gigabit Smart Managed Switches | D-Link UK

Refer to post #3.

 

[Kristian]

And if you are new to this: SFP =/= SFP +
As far as I know they physically fit, but they dont work together.

 

[spyrule]

Only because I have no clue... If I buy two of these, install one in my nas and the other in my Esxi box, can I direct connect one port each directly, and then use the other available port from each server to connect to a Cisco srw2048 switch (which has 4x 1Gb sfp's) ?

I realize I'll be losing lots of potential performance via the switch, but everything else is 1gig anyway...

That and I got the 48 +4 sfp port gig switch for $50....

 

[PGlover]

On the server iperf -s, on the client iperf -c (ip) -i 1

I am not having great success with the 1020 cards either. I have 2 WINDOWS computers each with a 1020 card that is directly connected to each other using Brocade twinax cable. I am doing a simple file transfer between the 2 computers and only getting 70 MB/second.

I need help ....

 

[PGlover]

Just thought I would add my 1020 iperf performance. This was between my PC (1020) -> Quanta LB4M -> SAN (1020).

MTU1500

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 3] 0.0-10.0 sec 4.39 GBytes 3.77 Gbits/sec

MTU9000

[ ID] Interval Transfer Bandwidth
[ 3] 0.0-10.0 sec 6.72 GBytes 5.77 Gbits/sec

So its not 10Gbit but almost 6Gbit/s. The cables i used are Brocade 10G 1M FCoE Active Cable 58-1000026-01 30AWG SFP TO SFP from ebay.

Please explain how you are setting the MTU value.. I am getting performance from the 1020 cards. I will post my iperf performance shortly.

 

[TuxDude]

And if you are new to this: SFP =/= SFP +
As far as I know they physically fit, but they dont work together.

SFP+ should be backwards compatible with SFP - though SFPs in general always seem to be very picky about what devices support which modules. I know at work with all my fiberchannel gear that theres no problems using a 4G SFP in an 8G SFP+ switch - as long as everything is all HP brand. Trying to use a non-HP brand SFP in an HP-branded FC switch never seems to work regardless of SFP/SFP+

For reference, on the ethernet side SFP is for 1G, SFP+ for 10G. On the FC side you can do 1/2/4G FC on SFP, or 8/16G on SFP+

Only because I have no clue... If I buy two of these, install one in my nas and the other in my Esxi box, can I direct connect one port each directly, and then use the other available port from each server to connect to a Cisco srw2048 switch (which has 4x 1Gb sfp's) ?

I realize I'll be losing lots of potential performance via the switch, but everything else is 1gig anyway...

That and I got the 48 +4 sfp port gig switch for $50....

Should work, but keep in mind Cisco devices have a reputation for being even more picky about what SFPs they will accept. If you are ok with being limited to 1G speed you can also get SFP modules that have a standard RJ45 jack on the end of them, and then use a regular Cat5+ cable to connect to anything.

 

[PGlover]

What type of performance are folks getting with 2 WINDOWS computers connected together using the 1020 card with Brocade twinax cable? I am not getting good performance at all. Once my other twinax cable comes in, I will try connecting both computers to the 2 SFP+ ports on my Quanta LB4M.

 

[spyrule]

SFP+ should be backwards compatible with SFP - though SFPs in general always seem to be very picky about what devices support which modules. I know at work with all my fiberchannel gear that theres no problems using a 4G SFP in an 8G SFP+ switch - as long as everything is all HP brand. Trying to use a non-HP brand SFP in an HP-branded FC switch never seems to work regardless of SFP/SFP+

For reference, on the ethernet side SFP is for 1G, SFP+ for 10G. On the FC side you can do 1/2/4G FC on SFP, or 8/16G on SFP+



Should work, but keep in mind Cisco devices have a reputation for being even more picky about what SFPs they will accept. If you are ok with being limited to 1G speed you can also get SFP modules that have a standard RJ45 jack on the end of them, and then use a regular Cat5+ cable to connect to anything.

I actually want fiber, only because I've got a long run between two switches, that goes RIGHT by my A/C/Furnace and it gives off a lot of EMI. So fiber would solve a periodic intermittent connection problem that's been bothering me.

 

[PGlover]

I am not having great success with the 1020 cards either. I have 2 WINDOWS computers each with a 1020 card that is directly connected to each other using Brocade twinax cable. I am doing a simple file transfer between the 2 computers and only getting 70 MB/second.

I need help ....

Here are my results using LAN SPEED TEST (Lite). I will post my iperf results later.

 

[ServeMe]

I returned the cards and purchased 2 Mellanox ConnectX-2 MNPA19-XTR and a Mellanox MC3309130-002 Passive Copper Cable ETH 10GbE 10Gb/s SFP+ 2m

I like the setup better. They boot almost instantly, are easily updated and are easy to configure in Win7.

Typical transfer speed is 600-775 MB/s

It seems thats an alternative to me as well.
But I'm not into the cable stuff.

I would like to establish a direct connection between 2 Server 2012 R2 Systems.
Is it possible to use this cables? I'm not sure. It reads like a Card to Switch solution.

QSFP to SFP+?

Can someone guide me and receommend a cable with a total length of 5 or 7 meters for these cards?

I found QSFP cables as active and passive but couldn't find specific informations what kind of cables I need.
Passive or active?

I would say passive are shorter (up to 7m) and the active ones above?!

Would it be suitable to take these cables?:

Mellanox MC2206125-007 Passive Copper Cable IB QDR 40Gb/s QSFP 7m

Mellanox MC2206125-007 Passive Copper Cable IB QDR 40Gb/s QSFP 7m - Mellanox Store


Mellanox MC2206128-005 Passive Copper Cable IB QDR/FDR10 40Gb/s QSFP 5m

Mellanox MC2206128-005 Passive Copper Cable IB QDR/FDR10 40Gb/s QSFP 5m - Mellanox Store

 

[Dk3]

What type of performance are folks getting with 2 WINDOWS computers connected together using the 1020 card with Brocade twinax cable? I am not getting good performance at all. Once my other twinax cable comes in, I will try connecting both computers to the 2 SFP+ ports on my Quanta LB4M.

Tested few mths ago using Windows 2012R2 with Ramdisk and maximum achieved is about 3.5Gbps.

One more things i notice is not to mix with 1Gbps nic, with multipath there were more restriction in speed.

 

[BigXor]

Can someone guide me and receommend a cable with a total length of 5 or 7 meters for these cards?

I had a Brocade Twinax Cable 10Gig 3M Active FCoE 58-1000027-01 that worked just fine on the Mellanox cards. So a longer Brocade cable may be a viable option.

The reason I bought the Mellanox cable was just in case the Brocade cable didn't work when the Mellanox cards came in.

 

[PGlover]

View attachment 92

Here are my results using LAN SPEED TEST (Lite). I will post my iperf results later.

Ok .. Here is my iperf performance. I played around with the TCP window size and the results are getting much better. Now the question is how to permanently set the TCP Window size for WIN Server 2008 and Windows 7. Please advise.

 

[PGlover]

Tested few mths ago using Windows 2012R2 with Ramdisk and maximum achieved is about 3.5Gbps.

One more things i notice is not to mix with 1Gbps nic, with multipath there were more restriction in speed.

Can you please explain your comment about "not to mix with 1Gbps nic, with multipath there were more restriction in speed". I am using the 1Gbps onboard nic in my server as well as the 10Gbps 1020 card as well. What can be done so that the 2 NICs (1 and 10Gbps) can coexist?

 

[Dk3]

Can you please explain your comment about "not to mix with 1Gbps nic, with multipath there were more restriction in speed". I am using the 1Gbps onboard nic in my server as well as the 10Gbps 1020 card as well. What can be done so that the 2 NICs (1 and 10Gbps) can coexist?

Since you are using Windows 2008 and Windows 7. This shouldn't be the issue anymore. Multichannel is in 2012 and Windows 8. For me during the test i simply just disable it.