IBM xSeries 230 6RY Hardware Maintenance Manual page 89

NIC adapter and connect it to the same logical segment as the primary Ethernet
controller, you can configure the server to support a failover function. You can
configure either the integrated Ethernet controller or the NIC adapter as the
primary Ethernet controller. In failover mode, if the primary Ethernet controller
detects a link failure, all Ethernet traffic associated with it is switched to the
redundant (secondary) controller. This switching occurs without any user
intervention. When the primary link is restored to an operational state, the
Ethernet traffic switches back to the primary Ethernet controller. The switch back
to the primary Ethernet controller can be automatic or manually controlled,
depending on the setup and operating system.
Note that only one controller in the redundant pair is active at any given time. For
example, if the primary Ethernet controller is active, then the secondary Ethernet
controller cannot be used for any other network operation.
Note: Your operating system determines the maximum number of IBM Netfinity
10/100 Fault Tolerant Adapters that you can install in your server. See the
documentation that comes with the adapter for more information.
Considerations when combining failover and hot-plug functions: If your
operating system supports hot-plug PCI adapters and the optional redundant NIC
adapter is installed in a hot-plug PCI slot, you can replace the NIC adapter
without powering off the server — even if it is the primary Ethernet controller.
Disconnecting the Ethernet cable from the primary Ethernet controller will cause
the Ethernet traffic to switch automatically to the secondary Ethernet controller.
This can be very useful if a faulty adapter causes a network problem, or if you
want to upgrade the primary adapter hardware.
Note: If you hot replace the primary adapter while the Ethernet traffic is being
handled by the secondary Ethernet controller, the traffic does not
automatically switch back to the primary adapter when the primary adapter
comes back online. See below "Configuring for failover.".
Configuring for failover: The failover feature currently is supported by OS/2
Windows NT Server, and IntraNetWare. The setup required for each operating
system follows.
IBM Operating System/2 (OS/2):
1. Add the redundant NIC adapter according to the instructions that are provided
with the adapter.
Note: The OS/2 operating system does not support hot-plug operations.
2. Use the ServerGuide CDs to install the AMD PCNet Ethernet Family adapter
device driver.
3. Using the MPTS Utility program, select the driver from the list and select the
Edit button.
Note: Only one driver instance needs to be loaded for each redundant pair of
Ethernet controllers.
4. Change the PermaNet Server Feature keyword to TRUE and specify the
Primary and Standby slots that contain the redundant pair.The integrated
controller is located in slot 2 (PCI bus A slot 2).
5. To enable the writing of messages to the IBMCOM\LANTRAN.LOG file when
a failover occurs:
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Installing options