Manageability: Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter User's Guide

Broadcom NetXtreme

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Manageability: Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter User's Guide

This chapter provides the following information:

CIM

DMI

SNMP


CIM

The Common Information Model (CIM) is an industry standard defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF). Microsoft implements CIM on Windows platforms such as Windows 2000. Broadcom will support CIM on the Windows 2000 platform.

Broadcom's implementation of CIM will provide various classes to provide information to users through CIM client applications. Please note that Broadcom CIM data provider will provide data only, and users can choose their preferred CIM client software to browse the information exposed by Broadcom CIM provider.

Broadcom CIM provider provides information through BRCM_NetworkAdapter and BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup classes. BRCM_NetworkAdapter class provides network adapter information pertaining to a group of adapters including Broadcom and other vendors' controllers. BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup class provides team configuration for the Broadcom Advanced Server Program. Current implementation will provide team information and information of physical network adapters in the team.

Broadcom Advanced Server Program provides events through event logs. Users can use the "Event Viewer" provided by Windows 2000, or use CIM to inspect or monitor these events. Broadcom CIM provider will also provide event information through CIM's generic event model. These events are __InstanceCreationEvent, __InstanceDeletionEvent and __InstanceModificationEvent, and are defined by CIM. CIM requires the client application to register the events from the client application, using queries as examples shown below in order to receive events properly.

SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceModificationEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ExtraCapacityGroup"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceCreationEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceDeletionEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_NetworkAdapter"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceCreationEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ActsAsSpare"
SELECT * FROM __InstanceDeletionEvent where TargetInstance ISA "BRCM_ActsAsSpare"

For detailed information about these events, please refer to CIM documentation.


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DMI

The Broadcom DMI PCI Hot Plug Service operates in conjunction with the DMI Service Provider software component. It provides hot-swap functionality for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Adapter in a Windows NT 4.0 hot plug system. Users should consult the system documentation to determine the supported Hot Plug capabilities.

The hot-swap feature allows the user to replace a Broadcom adapter without bringing down the system. These capabilities reduce down time, which is critical to many servers operating in the Windows NT 4.0 environment.

To enable this feature, the PC system hardware has to be hot plug capable and operate on a Windows NT 4.0 operating system. A third party provided DMI 2.0 Service Provider software has to be installed prior to the installation of the Broadcom DMI PCI Hot Plug service software. This Service Provider software is available from either Intel Corporation, or Smart Technology Enabler Corporation. The system also requires the Hot Plug or Hot Swap application software from the system vendor to enable this feature. Users should consult the system documentation to determine the recommended installation instructions for the DMI software.

The hot-swap feature is available to the Broadcom adapter depending on the system vendor application software.

The user is limited to replace a Broadcom adapter with another Broadcom adapter of IDENTICAL hardware configuration.


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SNMP

BASP Sub-agent

The BASP sub-agent, baspmgnt.dll, is designed for the Windows 2000 and Windows NT SNMP Service. It is required to install the SNMP service before installing BASP subagent

The BASP subagent allows an SNMP manager software to actively monitor the configurations and performance of the Broadcom Advanced Server features. The subagent also provides an alarm trap to an SNMP manager to inform the manager of any changes to the conditions of the BASP component.

The BASP subagent allows monitoring of the configurations and statistics for the BASP teams, the physical NIC adapters participating in a team, and the virtual NIC adapters created as the result of teaming. Non-teamed NIC adapters are not monitored at this time. The BASP configuration data includes information such as team IDs, physical/virtual/VLAN/team adapter IDs, physical/virtual/VLAN/team/ adapter descriptions, and MAC addresses of the adapters.

The statistics include detailed information such as data packets transmitted and received for the physical/virtual/VLAN/team adapters.

The alarm trap forwards information about the changes in configuration of the physical adapters participating in a team, such as physical adapter link up/down, and adapter installed/removed events.

To monitor this information, an SNMP manager needs to load the Broadcom BASP MIB database files to allow monitoring of the information described above. These files shown below, are included with the Broadcom installation CD:

baspconfig.mib
baspstat.mib
basptrap.mib

BASP Extensible-agent

The Broadcom NetXtreme Adapter Extended Information SNMP extensible-agent, bcmif.dll is designed for Windows 2000 and Windows NT SNMP service. It is required Windows NT/Windows 2000 SNMP service is installed before installing the extensible-agent.

The extensible-agent allows the SNMP manager software to actively monitor the configurations of the Broadcom NetXtreme Network Interface Card. It is intended to supplement the information already provided by the standard SNMP Management
Network Interface information.

The extensible-agent provides in-depth information about a Broadcom NetXtreme adapter such as:

its MAC address,
its bound IP address,
IP subnet mask,
physical link status,
adapter state,
line speed,
duplex mode,
memory range,
interrupt setting,
bus number,
device number,
function number

To monitor these information, a SNMP manager needs to load the Broadcom Extended information MIB file to allow monitoring of the information described above. This file, bcmif.mib, is included with the Broadcom NetXtreme adapter installation CD.

The monitored workstation requires the installation of the Broadcom Extended Information SNMP extensible-agent, bcmif.dll, and requires the Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 SNMP service to be installed and loaded. Installation of this component will be described in following sections.


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