Frequently Asked Questions about Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE
Frequently asked questions about Data Center Bridging (DCB) and Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) support on Intel® Ethernet Adapters.
| Note | VMware VSphere* does not Support Simultaneous FCoE and SR-IOV VMware* VSphere 5.1 adds support for SR-IOV. Intel® Ethernet Converged Network adapters support both Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and SR-IOV. However, FCoE and SR-IOV cannot be configured simultaneously on the same physical port in VMware’s implementation of SR-IOV for Intel® Ethernet Adapters. |
Which Intel® Ethernet converged network adapters support Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE?
| Description | Product Code | MM# |
| Intel® Converged Network Adapter X540-T1 | X540T1 | 914246 |
| Intel® Converged Network Adapter X540-T2 | X540T2 | 914248 |
| Intel® Ethernet Server Adapter X520-DA2 | E10G42BTDA | 900139 |
| Intel® Ethernet Server Adapter X520-SR1 | E10G41BFSR | 900141 |
| Intel® Ethernet Server Adapter X520-SR2 | E10G42BFSR | 900137 |
What software do I need for Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE?
Intel® Network Connections software versions 15.4 and later contain DCB and FCoE support.
Which operating systems are supported?
- Windows Server 2012*
Note Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE is not compatible with Microsoft Server 2012 Native NIC Teaming
Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE is incompatible with Microsoft Server 2012 NIC Teaming, also known as Load Balancing/Failover (LBFO).- Do not create an LBFO team using Intel® Ethernet 10 gigabit ports when Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE is installed.
- Do not install Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE if Intel Ethernet 10 gigabit ports are part of an LBFO team.
Install failures and persistent link loss may occur if Intel® Ethernet DCB Service for FCoE and LBFO are used on the same port.
- Windows Server 2008* SP2
- Windows Server 2008 R2*
- Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise 11*, SP1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6*
| Note | See Windows* Server Hotfixes Required for MPIO & DSM for required hotfixes. Microsoft Hyper-V* Server and Hyper-V* roles are supported in Intel® Network Connections version 15.8.1 and later. Data Center Bridging (DCB) and Virtual Machine Queues (VMQ) are not compatible. If you enable both DCB and VMQ communications over the network port will fail. Intel plans to support VMQ with DCB in a future software release. |
What certifications and hardware compatibility are available?
Certified Intel® Ethernet DCB and FCoE Drivers lists compatible targets and switches.
How do I install the DCB and FCoE software in Windows*?
Select the checkbox for Data Center Bridging/Fibre Channel over Ethernet
| Note | DCB/FCoE feature selection is only available when an Intel® Ethernet Adapter supporting the feature is installed. |
Watch a walkthrough of installation of Intel fibre channel over Ethernet on Windows Server 2008 R2*:
How do I configure DCB and FCoE?
Watch a walkthrough configuring FCoE on SUSE Linux* Enterprise Server:
Must I configure my adapter for jumbo frames if I am using FCoE?
No. When you install DCB/FCoE, 2.5K mini-jumbo frames are supported for the FCoE traffic independent of the adapter configuration. Therefore, you can configure your adapter to enable or disable jumbo frames for LAN traffic without having any effect on the frame size used for FCoE.
How do I configure my server to boot over an FCoE connection?
Watch a walkthrough configuring FCoE boot on Windows Server 2008:
How do I configure my switch for FCoE?
Refer to your manufacturer's documentation for switch configuration and optimization.
User Guides for Intel® Ethernet Adapters includes configuration examples for the Cisco Nexus* 5000 and the Brocade 8000. Look in the Intel fibre channel over Ethernet (FCoE)/Data Center Bridging (DCB) Guide.
Here are some handy links for configuring the Cisco Nexus* 5000 series:
Setting Up FCoE on a Nexus 5000 by Scott Lowe
Configuring FCoE in the Cisco Nexus* 5000 Series NX-OS Configuration Guide
| Related topics |
| Intel® Ethernet DCB and FCoE Drivers and compatibility |
| Windows* server hotfixes required for MPIO and DSM |