Intel Ethernet X520 10GbE Dual Port KX4 Mezz User Manual page 103

SR-IOV architecture includes two functions:
Physical Function (PF) is a full featured PCI Express function that can be discovered, managed and configured
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like any other PCI Express device.
Virtual Function (VF) is similar to PF but cannot be configured and only has the ability to transfer data in and out.
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The VF is assigned to a Virtual Machine.
SR-IOV Benefits
SR-IOV has the ability to increase the number of virtual machines supported per physical host, improving I/O device
sharing among virtual machines for higher overall performance:
Provides near native performance due to direct connectivity to each VM through a virtual function
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Preserves VM migration
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Increases VM scalability on a virtualized server
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Provides data protection
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SR-IOV Software Requirements
ixgbe driver - Intel® Linux Base Driver for 82599 and X540-based 10 Gigabit Family of Adapters
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ixgbevf driver - Intel® Linux Driver for 82599 and X540-based 10 Gigabit Family of Adapters
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kvm driver
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NOTE: SR-IOV must be enabled in the BIOS.
ixgbevf Driver
SR-IOV is supported by the ixgbevf driver, which should be loaded on both the host and VMs. This driver supports
upstream kernel versions 2.6.30 (or higher) x86_64.
The ixgbevf driver supports 82599-based and X540-based virtual function devices that can only be activated on ker-
nels supporting SR-IOV. SR-IOV requires the correct platform and OS support.