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The following diagram shows the physical configuration between the BlueField SmartNIC and the ConnectX-5 NIC.
Pre-Installation Requirements
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Qty. | Item | Comments |
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| 2 | x86 servers running CentOS 7.5 | - |
| 1 | ConnectX-5 NIC (FW: 16.24.0328 and up) | - |
| 1 | BlueField 25GbE SmartNIC with Arm processor (FW: 18.24.1000 and up) | - |
| 1 | 25GB/s SFP28 networking cable | - |
| 1 | QSA28 Adapter (100GB-to-25GB Adapter) | - |
| 1 | UART-to-USB cable | For SmartNIC USB console access |
| 1 | Mini USB Type B cable | For SmartNIC USB Console Access |
| 1 | bfb image to be loaded on the BlueField SmartNIC Arm. | Image contains:
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- Insert ConnectX-5 6 NIC into Server A
- Insert BlueField SmartNIC into Server B
- Connect the SmartNIC UART cable from SmartNIC to its hosting Server B USB port #1
- Connect Mini USB cable from SmartNIC to its hosting Server B USB port #2
- Insert QSA28 Adapter into Server B 100GB port
- Connect one of the SmartNIC ports to the ConnectX-5 6 using 25GB cable
- Connect both servers to a management LAN
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- Use automatic FM update during MLNX_OFED installation ONLY if the current BlueField FW version is 18.24.1000 (GA) or or above. In case its older, manually burn the FW after MLNX_OFED installation.
- In case you plan to run DPDK on the host itself, install MLNX_OFED with "--dpdk --upstream-libs" flags
- The "BlueField" flag is not required in some of the MLNX_OFED versions and OS releases
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- Use an automatic FM update during MLNX_OFED installation ONLY if the current BlueField FW version is 18.24.1000 (GA) or above. In case its older, manually burn the FW after MLNX_OFED installation.
- In case you plan to run DPDK on the host itself, install MLNX_OFED with "--dpdk --upstream-libs" flags
- The "BlueField" flag is not required in some of the MLNX_OFED versions and OS releases
yihui wang change the FW
- Enable SR-IOV on FW (Optional):
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- Download the BlueField Quick Start bfb image: https://mellanox.box.com/s/q44f501xq1e29yb1bjpsb9vzgqs89a76
- Place the bfb image on the host and load it on the BlueField SmartNIC using the following command:
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Use one of the console access methods described in the "SmartNIC Management Methods" section below to follow the image installation process.
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To manage the SmartNIC from the hosting server, use one of the following methodsthe following methods yihui wang change the 8.2
Access Credentials: root\centos
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In this mode, the x86 hosting server communicates with the outer world only through the SmartNIC Arm. yihui wang change CX5 TO CX6 DX
Note
In order to identify the SmartNIC current mode, issue the following commands on the x86 hosting server:
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Note
The rep0-0 / rep1-0 The pf0hpf / pf1hpf are the representors facing the x86 host and the rep0-ffff / rep1-ffff are the representors facing the network.
Switching to SEPERATED_HOST Mode from EMBEDDED Mode
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In Embedded mode, traffic from the x86 server hosting the SmartNIC to the remote x86 server hosting the ConnectX-5 6 Dx is going via the SmartNIC Arm.
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Verify hugepages were allocated (look for HugePages_Total and Free):
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Set IPs on both x86 host and ConnectX-5 6 Dx host and test connectivity with ping (it will be forwarded by the Arm DPDK)
On the ConnectX-5 6 Dx external host start iperf server:
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- Check that the latest driver is loaded
- Check that both the SmartNIC and its link are set to the same speed and duplex settings
Maintenance
Blue Print BluePrint Package Maintenance
Software maintenance
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