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User Guide NetXtreme II
January 2010
Broadcom Corporation
Document ENGSRVT52-CDUM100-R Teaming Mechanisms Page 31
The BASP intermediate driver continually monitors the physical ports in a team for link loss. In the event of link loss on any
port, traffic is automatically diverted to other ports in the team. The SLB teaming mode supports switch fault tolerance by
allowing teaming across different switches- provided the switches are on the same physical network or broadcast domain.
Network Communications
The following are the key attributes of SLB:
• Failover mechanism – Link loss detection.
• Load Balancing Algorithm – Inbound and outbound traffic are balanced through a Broadcom proprietary mechanism
based on L4 flows.
• Outbound Load Balancing using MAC Address - No.
• Outbound Load Balancing using IP Address - Yes
• Multivendor Teaming – Supported (must include at least one Broadcom Ethernet adapter as a team member).
Applications
The SLB algorithm is most appropriate in home and small business environments where cost is a concern or with commodity
switching equipment. SLB teaming works with unmanaged Layer 2 switches and is a cost-effective way of getting
redundancy and link aggregation at the server. Smart Load Balancing also supports teaming physical adapters with differing
link capabilities. In addition, SLB is recommended when switch fault tolerance with teaming is required.
Configuration Recommendations
SLB supports connecting the teamed ports to hubs and switches if they are on the same broadcast domain. It does not
support connecting to a router or Layer 3 switches because the ports must be on the same subnet.