Strange report of PVE team of drivers version

C

cesarpk

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2012
770
3
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Hi to all

In this link i read the version of broadcom driver version by PVE team:
http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Roadmap#Proxmox_VE_3.2
The important line say: "update Broadcom bnx2/bnx2x drivers to 7.6.62"

Note only as comment: The latest version driver is "7.8.56", according to this link:
http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii.php


But if I run by CLI "lshw", i see this (summary mode):
*-network:0
description: Ethernet interface
product: NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet PCIe
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:02:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 00
serial: f0:1f:af:d9:87:a1
size: 100Mbit/s
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm vpd msi msix pciexpress bus_master cap_list rom ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.132 duplex=full firmware=FFV7.8.53 bc 5720-v1.32 latency=0 link=yes multicast=yes port=twisted pair speed=100Mbit/s
resources: irq:16 memory:d50a0000-d50affff(prefetchable) memory:d50b0000-d50bffff(prefetchable) memory:d50c0000-d50cffff(prefetchable) memory:db000000-db03ffff(prefetchable)


The important notice is that the communication is "100Mbit/s" and not "1Gbit/s", the driver is "tg3" and not "bnx2" or "bnx2x".
After of restart my PVE node the speed come back to "1Gbit/s", but not for much time, that is is diminished to "100Mbit/s".

Note: My server is a DELL with the NICs in the mainboard.

Can somebody of the PVE team explain me about of this?, and if is there a quick solution? (i believe that i need to do a blacklist, but i am unsure about of how do it)

A requests to the PVE team:
1- Can add the latest version of this driver in the next kernel release and correct whatever it takes for that the changes take effect?
2- Check a little more when it comes to add drivers (i believe that the drivers is the heart of any system)

I hope I have not caused discomfort, i always think that PVE is a excelent product !!! :p

Best regards
Cesar
 
tom said:
your card needs the tg3 driver, not bnx2.
(see also http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtreme_server.php)

a drop in the speed can have several causes, e.g. faulty cables or other hardware defects.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for your answer Tom, but i don't believe that the problem is faulty cables or other hardware defects, due to:
1- The servers are new (NICs are onboard)
2- The same problem is showed in the two Servers (same configuration), not only in one, this is too coincidental :(

And PVE has published in his kernel the release of bnx2 driver version: 7.6.62 (please see this link: http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Roadmap#Proxmox_VE_3.2 )
But i see this in my PVE Nodes:

filename: /lib/modules/2.6.32-28-pve/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2.ko
version: 2.2.4d
license: GPL
description: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5706/5708/5709/5716 Driver
author: Michael Chan <mchan@broadcom.com>
srcversion: 44CF8F8BC5F0C1E652BCAD6
... etc.

filename: /lib/modules/2.6.32-28-pve/kernel/drivers/net/tg3.ko
firmware: tigon/tg3_tso5.bin
firmware: tigon/tg3_tso.bin
firmware: tigon/tg3.bin
version: 3.132
license: GPL
description: Broadcom Tigon3 ethernet driver
author: David S. Miller (davem@redhat.com) and Jeff Garzik (jgarzik@pobox.com)
srcversion: 6D3F9E73C59388B4AA60C6A
... etc.

The latest version according to your link is 3.133d, then, i see that the tg3 driver version of PVE is old, but due to the little difference of version, i am believing that the problem comes by other side.... ¿? ¿? ¿?

My questions:
1- I don't know for what PVE had published his PVE kernel with the bnx2/bnx2x drivers in version 7.6.62? , can you tell me about of this?
2- I want to have the latest version driver, i guess that i can compile it, then please, can you tell me how do it?

Best regards
Cesar
 
cesarpk said:
...
My questions:
1- I don't know for what PVE had published his PVE kernel with the bnx2/bnx2x drivers in version 7.6.62? , can you tell me about of this?
Click to expand...

your card use tg3 driver and not bnx2.

cesarpk said:
2- I want to have the latest version driver, i guess that i can compile it, then please, can you tell me how do it?

Best regards
Cesar
Click to expand...

a good start is downloading the driver sources from the vendor and read the included docs (e.g README.TXT)
 
tom said:
a good start is downloading the driver sources from the vendor and read the included docs (e.g README.TXT)
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom for your prompt answers, but i have a questions:

1- In the readme file of the tg3 driver 3.133d version i see this message:
Driver Settings
===============
This version of the tg3 driver supports one module parameter that is not available in the in-kernel driver. The parameter is named tg3_disable_eee.
To disable Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support, set this module parameter to 1.

The rest of the sections below apply to both the in-kernel tg3 driver and the tg3 driver package from Broadcom.

The question: will have to disable the Energy Efficient Ethernet for that my PVE works well?

2- Can PVE add this driver version on the next release of PVE kernel?

3- What is the driver for the broadcom 10 Gb/s in PVE 3.2? (ie, tg3 or what?)

Best regards
Cesar
 
> 3- What is the driver for the broadcom 10 Gb/s in PVE 3.2? (ie, tg3 or what?)

This is the "bnx2x" (10 gbps Broadcom NIC), "bnx2" for new 1 gbps NIC, Tigon G3 (tg3) for old 1 gbps Broadcom NIC, typically presents in HP Proliant servers.
For example, ML 350G3 uses tg3 NIC, G4, G4p, G5... uses bnx2, 10 gpbs uses bnx2x.

Luca
 
dea said:
> 3- What is the driver for the broadcom 10 Gb/s in PVE 3.2? (ie, tg3 or what?)

This is the "bnx2x" (10 gbps Broadcom NIC), "bnx2" for new 1 gbps NIC, Tigon G3 (tg3) for old 1 gbps Broadcom NIC, typically presents in HP Proliant servers.
For example, ML 350G3 uses tg3 NIC, G4, G4p, G5... uses bnx2, 10 gpbs uses bnx2x.

Luca
Click to expand...

Excuse me please dea, but i don't think so.
The latest version driver of bnx2x is 7.8.56, according to this link: http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii10.php

And if i run by CLI "modinfo bnx2x", i get this:
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.32-28-pve/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2x/bnx2x.ko
version: 1.78.58
license: GPL
description: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM57710/57711/57711E/57712/57712_MF/57800/57800_MF/57810/57810_MF/57840/57840_MF Driver
author: Eliezer Tamir
srcversion: 0C91FC2096FE4C48185AA95
... etc

I found a big difference in version of drivers, so i believe that for bnx2x, the driver is other.

Best regards
Cesar
 
cesarpk said:
Excuse me please dea, but i don't think so.
The latest version driver of bnx2x is 7.8.56, according to this link: http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii10.php

And if i run by CLI "modinfo bnx2x", i get this:
filename: /lib/modules/2.6.32-28-pve/kernel/drivers/net/bnx2x/bnx2x.ko
version: 1.78.58
license: GPL
description: Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM57710/57711/57711E/57712/57712_MF/57800/57800_MF/57810/57810_MF/57840/57840_MF Driver
author: Eliezer Tamir
srcversion: 0C91FC2096FE4C48185AA95
... etc

I found a big difference in version of drivers, so i believe that for bnx2x, the driver is other.

Best regards
Cesar
Click to expand...

Looks like you are confused by the numbers. Please download the driver package from http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii10.php, and check the included files and readme files.

That means for bnx2x:

Download package netxtreme2-7.8.56.tar.gz from broadcom website and you will see that it contains driver version 1.78.58 (shown by modinfo bnx2x).

Hope this will explain it for you.
 
tom said:
Looks like you are confused by the numbers. Please download the driver package from http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii10.php, and check the included files and readme files.

That means for bnx2x:

Download package netxtreme2-7.8.56.tar.gz from broadcom website and you will see that it contains driver version 1.78.58 (shown by modinfo bnx2x).

Hope this will explain it for you.
Click to expand...

@dea
@Tom

Ohhhhhh, many thanks for your replies and for enlighten me, now i understand... :p

But as so far I have not compiled the latest version of NIC broadcom, please, see my question above
(that is the same of this link: http://forum.proxmox.com/threads/18...PVE-team-of-drivers-version?p=94301#post94301 )
And after, please, answer me.

Best regards
Cesar
 
Last edited:
@César

I'm having some problems and would like to contact with you to see if you can help me a little, im spanish too.


@tom

sry ;)
 
Last edited:
@alexmp230:
this is an English speaking forum only.
 
alexmp230 said:
@César
I'm having some problems and would like to contact with you to see if you can help me a little, im spanish too.
Click to expand...

@alexmp230
If you want to add me as friend in your user profile, i guess that i will can help you in spanish for this medium (Unless the moderator says it is also forbidden to speak Spanish by this means).

@Tom
Can you answer my question?
( http://forum.proxmox.com/threads/18...PVE-team-of-drivers-version?p=94301#post94301 )

Best regards
Cesar
 
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