How to Enable/Disable IPoIB in Latest ESXi 5.x Host Drivers

Asset ID:	1-71-1518408.1
Update Date:	2014-08-27
Keywords:

Solution Type Technical Instruction Sure

Solution 1518408.1 : How to Enable/Disable IPoIB in Latest ESXi 5.x Host Drivers

Applies to:

Oracle Fabric Interconnect F1-15 - Version All Versions and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Goal

How to Enable/Disable IPoIB in Latest ESXi 5.x Host Drivers

Fix

In recent versions of ESXi 5.x host drivers (both for ESXi 5.0 and ESXi 5.1) there is support for IPoIB (IP over IB). Some customers choose to use IPoIB for high speed backup networks, since it only requires the IB OFED stack with the HCA, no vnic needs to be created on the Fabric Directors to use IPoIB.

By default IPoIB is disabled in the 5.3.0 drivers for ESXi 5.0. However there is a bug in the Xsigo 5.3.0 driver for ESXi 5.1 that has the IPoIB driver enabled by default in this version.

To enable or disable IPoIB when using the 5.3.0 ESXi 5.x host driver, login to the ESXi 5.x host as user root after the v5.3.0 host drivers are installed and run this command:

# /sbin/xg_ctrl_ipoib enable

The host must be rebooted to complete the change:

# reboot

To disable the IPoIB driver perform the opposite:

# /sbin/xg_ctrl_ipoib disable

Again reboot the host to complete the change:

# reboot

Once the IPoIB driver is loaded and enabled, you will see a vmnic_ib* device when running the 'esxcfg-nics -l' command.

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