Problem with Network Teaming and Receive Load Balancing

[Thomas VIE]

I've an ML370G4 with high incomming traffic. There are 2 Network-Adapters (GBit) inside and creating the Team was no problem (Switch assisted load balancing) - the Server is connected to a Gbit Cisco Switch (3560) and the ports are in trunk-mode. I can see in the HP Network Software both adapters with 1 GBit RX and TX and in the utilization i can see that he supports up to 2 GBit RX and TX.

The problem is now, that i don't get more then 1 Gbit incomming traffic - it's just 1 adapter then used at nearly 100% and the other one is not realy used. Sometimes Adapter 1 is used and sometimes Adapter 2, but never a load-balancing on both adapters or more then 1 GBit incomming.

I already updated the HP Networking Software but this didn't help.

[KarloChacon]

hi

do you have the PEINP license (required Switch assisted load balancing)?

check the document attached, page 4, also you can check the configuration

more info here
Switch-assisted Dual Channel Load Balancing ((Advanced Pack).
Switch-assisted Dual Channel Load Balancing requires activation with a license key and is part of the INP upgrade for HP ProLiant Network Adapter Teaming.
There must be a minimum of two adapters in a dual channel team and a minimum of one adapter per group. One group of team members is treated as a Switch-assisted Load Balancing (SLB) group to one switch, and a second group of team members is treated as an SLB group to a second switch.
All transmit packets are load balanced among all team members based on a Load Balancing
algorithm in the teaming device driver. The receive packets are load balanced among all team members by the switch. If a failure of any team member occurs, the packets are load balanced among the remaining adapters. Only Gigabit adapters can be used for Switch-assisted Dual Channel Load Balancing. When you select Switch-assisted Dual Channel Load Balancing, the Team Members window becomes Team Members Grouping and displays two windows labeled Group 0 and Group 1. The up and down arrows are used to assign the members to be in Group 0 and Group 1. If a team contains an iSCSI-enabled adapter, you cannot use the Switch-assisted Dual Channel Load Balancing (INP) setting.

regards

[KarloChacon]

hi

you say you have the latest NCU, but what about latest drivers and firmware for the NIC Cards?

regard

[Thomas VIE]

Whats the PEINP license?

I used the PDF for Network Teaming and there is just something written about the Network Intelligent Advanced Pack if you like to use SLB across 2 switches - if you stay on one Switch, just the Teaming of the 2 Network Cards and setting the 2 ports on 1 Switch on Trunk Mode should be enough.

I don't need redundancy, thats why connection to two Switches is not requred - i just need more bandwith for incomming traffic.

[KarloChacon]

hi

check here about the license to use advance network capabilities

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00287087/c00287087.pdf

as you read on the whitepaper
"Switch redundancy is required" and the switch must support that feature

regards

[Thomas VIE]

But thats about Dual Channel SLB where you need 2 Switches, 4 Networkcards, ... - I just have 2 Networkcards and connect them both to the same switch.

Here you can see what i mean - it's the simple SLB and not the Dual Channel - ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/networking/capability.pdf

[Thomas VIE]

Here is the grafic for what i mean - page 18, the option on the bottom left:
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/networking/TeamingWP.pdf

[KarloChacon · Accepted solution]

sorry

I did not read very well, so this is the one:
Switch-assisted Load Balancing with Fault Tolerance (SLB)

OK so you get the 2 GB of Tx? but just (almost 1 GB on Rx - incoming)

just to be sure that switch support SLB? has the latest ISO?

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps5023/prod_release_note09186a008089a797.html

check TeamingWP.pdf, page 78 question 2
Why is traffic not being load balanced into my server?
A team type of SLB, 802.3ad Dynamic or Dual Channel and a supporting switch are needed to achieve receive load balancing. Receive load balancing is determined by the switch connected to the HP team in SLB mode. If the HP NIC team is configured for SLB, then receive load balancing should occur if the switch is configured properly. Consult the technical resources provided by the switch manufacturer.

[Thomas VIE]

I don't know if i get 2 GBit TX because there is not realy TX on this box, just heavy RX but that with the switch sounds comprehensibly - i'll check the switch if it's realy completly correct configured (possibly just to set trunk is not enough?).

[KarloChacon]

hi

also check TeamingWP.pdf
page 58 to get more feedback about SLB (switch-assisted load balance not server load balance)technologies

regards