The Supermicro AOC-MTG-i4S is an advanced Super I/O Module (SIOM) add-on card designed to provide flexible and high-performance networking options for server systems. Its primary function is to expand network virtualization capabilities beyond the server level, offering robust support for up to 10GbE LAN connections in an SFP+ form factor. This card is specifically engineered to integrate seamlessly with Supermicro server systems, being sold exclusively as part of an integrated solution.
Function Description
The AOC-MTG-i4S serves as a crucial component for enhancing network connectivity and performance in server environments. It features four SFP+ connectors, each capable of supporting speeds up to 10Gbps, allowing for high-bandwidth data transfer. The card leverages an Intel XL710-BM1 controller, which is central to its efficient operation and advanced networking features.
One of its core functions is to facilitate network virtualization offloads, including support for VXLAN and NVGRE. This capability is vital for modern data centers and cloud environments, enabling more efficient use of network resources and improved scalability for virtualized applications. The card also excels in small packet performance, ensuring that even demanding workloads with high packet rates are handled efficiently.
For developers, the AOC-MTG-i4S supports the Data Plane Developer Kit (DPDK), which allows for efficient packet processing and can significantly boost network application performance. This is particularly beneficial for applications requiring high throughput and low latency.
The card also incorporates Intel Flow Director technology, which intelligently directs packets to the appropriate CPU cores, optimizing load balancing and reducing processing overhead. This contributes to the card's ability to provide reliable performance even under heavy network traffic.
Furthermore, the AOC-MTG-i4S supports unified networking, offering single-wire support for both LAN and storage traffic. This simplifies network infrastructure and reduces cabling complexity, making it easier to deploy and manage server systems.
Usage Features
The AOC-MTG-i4S is designed for straightforward integration and operation within compatible Supermicro server systems. Its SIOM form factor ensures a standardized and easy installation process.
Key usage features include:
- Quad SFP+ Connectors: Provides four SFP+ ports for flexible 10GbE LAN connections, supporting both direct-attach copper and fiber optic cables (with optional transceivers). This versatility allows users to choose the most suitable cabling solution for their specific network environment.
- Load Balancing on Multiple CPUs: The card's design and Intel Flow Director technology ensure efficient distribution of network traffic across multiple CPU cores, preventing bottlenecks and maximizing system performance.
- Intel PROSet Utility for Windows Device Manager: For Windows users, the Intel PROSet Utility simplifies driver installation, configuration, and management of the network adapter directly through the Device Manager.
- Time Sync (IEEE 1588): Supports the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol, enabling precise time synchronization across network devices, which is critical for applications requiring high accuracy.
- Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE): Incorporates EEE technology to reduce power consumption during periods of low network activity, contributing to lower operating costs and environmental impact.
- MSI-X Support: Utilizes Message Signaled Interrupts eXtended (MSI-X) for improved interrupt handling, leading to better performance and reduced CPU overhead compared to traditional interrupt mechanisms.
- Multiple Queues: Supports a large number of transmit (TX) and receive (RX) queues per port (up to 1,536), which is essential for high-performance networking and virtualization scenarios.
- Checksum Offloading: Offloads Tx/Rx IP, SCTP, TCP, and UDP checksum calculations for both IPv4 and IPv6, freeing up CPU cycles for other tasks and improving overall system efficiency.
- Jumbo Frame Support: Supports Jumbo Frames up to 9.5KB, which can increase network throughput and reduce CPU utilization for large data transfers.
- Advanced Virtualization Features:
- Next-Generation VMDq: Enhanced Virtual Machine Device Queues (VMDq) with support for up to 256 VMDq VMs, improving performance and efficiency for virtualized environments.
- PCI-SIG SR-IOV: Supports Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) with up to 128 virtual ports, allowing multiple virtual machines to share a single physical network adapter directly, reducing latency and increasing throughput.
- Virtual Machine Load Balancing (VMLB): Provides load balancing across virtual machines, ensuring optimal resource utilization and performance for virtualized workloads.
- Advanced Packet Filtering: Offers sophisticated packet filtering capabilities to enhance network security and efficiency.
- VLAN Support: Comprehensive support for up to 4096 VLAN tags, enabling network segmentation and isolation for improved security and management.
- VXLAN and NVGRE Support: Hardware offloads for VXLAN and NVGRE tunnels, crucial for overlay networks in cloud and virtualized data centers.
- Storage Interface Features:
- Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) Support: Allows systems to boot from the network, simplifying operating system deployment and management.
- iSCSI Remote Boot: Enables booting from an iSCSI target over the network, providing flexible storage options.
- SNMP and RMON Static Counters: Provides Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and Remote Network Monitoring (RMON) static counters for network monitoring and management.
- Advanced Software Features:
- Teaming Support: Allows multiple network adapters to be grouped together for increased bandwidth and redundancy.
- IEEE 802.3ad (Link Aggregation Control Protocol): Supports link aggregation for combining multiple network links into a single logical link.
- IEEE 802.1Q VLANs: Full support for VLANs as defined by IEEE 802.1Q.
- IEEE 802.3 2005 Flow Control Support: Implements flow control mechanisms to prevent packet loss during network congestion.
- TCP Segmentation/Large Send Offload: Offloads TCP segmentation and large send operations to the adapter, reducing CPU overhead.
- Interrupt Moderation: Adjusts the rate of interrupts generated by the network adapter to optimize CPU utilization and network throughput.
Maintenance Features
The AOC-MTG-i4S is designed with features that aid in monitoring and managing the card, contributing to easier maintenance and troubleshooting.
- Asset Management Support: The card supports asset management features on Supermicro platforms, allowing for easy identification and tracking of the card within a server system.
- Controller Asset Tags: Includes controller asset tags such as part number, revision, serial number, and MAC addresses, which are crucial for inventory management and support.
- Controller Thermal Sensor: Equipped with a thermal sensor to monitor the controller's temperature, helping to prevent overheating and ensure stable operation.
- NC-SI for Remote Management: Supports Network Controller Sideband Interface (NC-SI) for remote management, enabling out-of-band management capabilities and simplifying maintenance tasks, especially in large-scale deployments.
- LAN Port LED Indicators: Each LAN port has two LEDs (Link and Activity) that provide visual feedback on connection speed (10 Gb Link Speed, 1 Gb Link Speed) and data activity, aiding in quick status checks and troubleshooting.
- DIP Switch for SMBUS Address Selection: A DIP switch (S1) allows for static SMBUS address selection, providing flexibility in configuring the card's address within the system. This can be useful in environments with specific SMBUS addressing requirements.
- Standby Power Header: A dedicated standby power header (JSTBY1) provides connections for +5V Standby, Ground, and Wake-up signals, which can be used for specific power management and remote wake-up functionalities.
- Driver Support: Comprehensive driver support for various operating systems, including Windows Server, Linux (RedHat EL, SuSE SLES), and FreeBSD, ensures compatibility and ease of installation and updates. The availability of drivers and the ability to build binary RPM packages for Linux facilitate driver management and maintenance.
- RoHS Compliance: The card is RoHS compliant (6/6, Pb Free), indicating adherence to environmental standards for hazardous substances, which is important for regulatory compliance and responsible product lifecycle management.
Overall, the Supermicro AOC-MTG-i4S is a high-performance, feature-rich SIOM add-on card that enhances network capabilities in server systems, particularly in virtualized and cloud environments, while also offering robust management and maintenance features.
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