We just purchased and a trying to configure Cisco C240 M3 servers with Cisco Broadcom 57712
UCSC-PCIE-BSFP network cards and Nexus 5548 switches. Our goal is to configure these cards with virtual interfaces as implied by the documentation, in to used these ports for VMWare iSCSI and data uplinks, however you can only bind a port to one or the other. So in order to have redundant cable links I can only have iSCSI or data, not both. Needless to say this process isn't going as smooth as it should, otherwise I wouldn't be asking here.
The Cisco documentation implies that configurations need to be made on the nexus to enable adapter-fex support, and then the option should be enabled in the network card. This is where the problem occurs. As far as I can tell the option doesn't exist on the card. Cisco documentation says refer to the Broadcom documentation, however this is a Cisco branded card which came with no documentation, and can only be found on the Cisco site as an option for the C series servers, not as a product on it's own, and Broadcom's website barely acknowledges this card. The majority of information about the 57712 chip is from Dell and Supermicro, neither of which apply as they both have customized firmwares as it appears does Cisco.
According to the links below it appears that generally the card does supports this function, however one comment claims it is not supported.
This all boils down to two questions....
1) What is required to enable VNTag support in the card? Firmware upgrade/downgrade? Screenshots in posts and documentation,
with the required options , all appear to be from old versions around 6.4.0, however my cards came with 6.4.23 and updated to 7.4.12 via the current Cisco Host Update Utility. As in the post below (Cisco 3642996) the options that appear to be needed are simply missing from the bios/CCM menus.
2) What terminology is accurate for this virtual interface configuration. VNTag, VIF, NIV, NPAR, Switch Independent Partitioning, Adapter-FEX,
802.1br, 802.1bh?
Slide 32 shows VIF config in Broadcom CCM
http://d2zmdbbm9feqrf.cloudfront.net/2012/usa/pdf/BRKDCT-2082.pdf
supermicro manual
ftp://ftp.supermicro.com/driver/Broadcom/B57BCMCD_T7.2.4.2/Manuals/English/index.htm
Adapter Fex supported on cards sold by Cisco
http://forum.broadcom.com/showthread.php?2293-BroadCom-57712-NIC-partitioning
enable NIV in card bios - but options missing
https://supportforums.cisco.com/message/3642996
does not support adapter fex - cisco employee?
https://supportforums.cisco.com/message/3659755
product brief states Adapter Fex ready
http://www.broadcom.com/products/Ethernet-Controllers-and-Adapters/Enterprise-Server-Controllers/UCSC-PCIE-BSFP
refer to broadcom documentation
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/adapter-fex/513_n1_1/b_Configuring_Cisco_Nexus_5000_Series_Adapter-FEX_rel_5_1_3_N1_chapter_010.html#task_141592A0D8DC47E6BA4A6B20634FAA2A
