Chapter 6 - Configuring Ports; Configuring Port Communication Settings; Avoiding Duplex Mismatching - Network Critical SmartNA-X User Manual

C
ONFIGURING PORTS
6 –
This chapter describes how to configure SmartNA-X settings for port communications, port usage, and port
locking. It covers the following major topics:
• Configuring port communication settings, page 38
• Configuring port failsafe and LFP (TAP mode), page 40
• Configuring ports roles, page 42
• Configuring port traffic thresholds, page 43
• Configuring port locking, page 44
• Saving port settings, page 45

Configuring port communication settings

NOTE: You can only configure port communication settings on copper port (RJ45 connectors). Fiber and SFP/
SFP+ ports do not provide options for setting speed, duplex, etc.
For two devices connected to communicate reliably over copper cabling both ends of the link partnership must
have compatible port communication settings for speed, duplex, MDI/MDI-X, and master/slave roles. By default,
SmartNA-X copper ports are set up to find optimum settings through auto-negotiation. In the majority of TAP
deployments Auto produces the best results. However, you may want to specify static port settings where auto
negotiated settings are proving to be unreliable, or in a network critical deployment where any delay caused by
renegotiation of the link following a port failure (and failover to relay mode) cannot be tolerated.

Avoiding duplex mismatching

SmartNA-X ports always use auto-negotiation of duplexing, even when set to full- or half-duplex, and will default
to half-duplexing if the link partner isn't set to auto-duplex. This behavior is specified by IEEE802.3-2008 Section
3: 37.1.4.4 and allows for connection to legacy devices supporting half-duplex only. Thus, if the link partner is set
as full-duplex (not auto) and the SmartNA-X port is set as full-duplex, the SmartNA-X port will revert to half-
duplex, resulting in a duplex mismatch. A duplex mismatch will significantly slow down data throughput between
the link partners. To prevent a duplex mismatch, set all communicating ports to either auto- or half-duplex mode.
Using the web UI to configure port communications
Log in to the web UI.
1.
DRAFT
6
C
HAPTER
38