Mellanox NIC for BLX with DPDK support

A NetScaler BLX appliance deployed in DPDK mode supports Mellanox NICs with MLX5 DPDK driver. Configuring Mellanox NICs for a BLX appliance with DPDK support consists of the following steps:

• Download and install Mellanox OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution on the Linux host
• Configure the BLX appliance for DPDK bound Mellanox NICs

Before you Begin

Before you start configuring the Mellanox NICs for a BLX appliance with DPDK support, make sure that:

• DPDK is configured on the Linux host as well on the BLX appliance. For more information, see:

  • Download, install, and compile DPDK libraries on the Linux host

  • Configure DPDK on the Linux host

  • Configure the BLX appliance for DPDK support

  • Setting the management IP address of the BLX appliance for the first time

  • Starting the BLX appliance with DPDK support

• You have read Limitations of Mellanox NICs in BLX appliance with DPDK support.

Download and install Mellanox OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution on the Linux host

Mellanox OFED (MLNX_OFED) is a Mellanox tested and packaged version of OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution (OFED). Mellanox OFED is used for running the Mellanox NICs on a Linux host. Download the Mellanox OFED package from the official Mellanox website to the Linux host. Then, install the Mellanox OFED DPDK libraries and kernel modules on the Linux host.

To download Mellanox OFED package on the Linux host:

1. Access the official Mellanox OFED page at Mellanox OpenFabrics Enterprise Distribution for Linux (MLNX OFED).

2. Download the appropriate Mellanox OFED package to the Linux host and then install the package. For more information on downloading and installing the Mellanox OFED package, see the official Mellanox OFED for Linux documenation.

To install the Mellanox OFED DPDK libraries on the Linux host:

Run the following command in the Linux host CLI:

./mlnxofedinstall --upstream-libs –dpdk
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Configure the BLX appliance for DPDK bound Mellanox NICs

For adding the DPDK bound Mellanox NICs to the BLX appliance, you must add the dpdk-non-uio-intf parameter in the BLX configuration file (blx.conf). Then, you set the dpdk-non-uio-intf parameter with the name of the DPDK bound Mellanox NICs.

To configure the BLX appliance for Mellanox NICs DPDK support:

1. Open the BLX configuration file (blx.conf) present in the Linux host at:

   /etc/blx/blx.conf
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2. In the blx-system-config section of the blx.conf file, add the dpdk-non-uio-intf parameter. Then, specify the names of the DPDK bound Mellanox NICs (as shown on the Linux CLI), which you want to add to the BLX appliance. Specify the names of the NICs separated by commas.

   dpdk-non-uio-intf: <Mellanox NIC name>, <Mellanox NIC name>, ...
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   Example:

   dpdk-non-uio-intf: ens1f1, ens1f2
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   Note: dpdk-non-uio-intf is not present by default in the blx.conf file.