Broadcom BCM5700C2KPB Gigabit Ethernet Controller: A Comprehensive Technical Overview
The Broadcom BCM5700C2KPB stands as a significant component in the landscape of enterprise-grade networking hardware. As a member of the widely deployed NetXtreme family, this Gigabit Ethernet controller is engineered to deliver high-performance, reliable connectivity for servers and high-end workstations. This overview delves into the architecture, key features, and technological advancements that define this robust controller.
At its core, the BCM5700C2KPB is built upon a sophisticated architecture designed to offload critical networking tasks from the host CPU. This is primarily achieved through its integrated TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE). By handling TCP/IP processing—including checksum calculations and segmentation—directly on the controller's silicon, the BCM5700C significantly reduces CPU utilization. This allows the host system to reallocate precious processing cycles to application workloads, thereby enhancing overall system performance and efficiency, especially in data-intensive environments.
Another cornerstone of its design is support for Jumbo Frames (up to 9KB). The ability to process larger data packets drastically reduces the per-packet processing overhead on both the controller and the CPU. This results in higher throughput, reduced latency, and improved network efficiency, which is crucial for backbone server connections and storage area networks (SANs).
The controller also features advanced interrupt coalescing and receive-side scaling (RSS). Interrupt coalescing intelligently groups multiple packets together before signaling an interrupt to the CPU, minimizing context switches and improving efficiency. RSS, a vital feature for multi-processor systems, distributes network processing across multiple CPU cores. This ensures balanced load handling, prevents any single core from becoming a bottleneck, and enables linear scaling of network performance in multi-core servers.
For enhanced security and network management, the BCM5700C2KPB incorporates ASF 2.0 (Alert Standard Format) support for out-of-band management. This allows system administrators to monitor and manage the host system remotely—even if the operating system is unresponsive or powered down—providing critical capabilities for remote troubleshooting and maintenance.
Furthermore, the controller is designed with robust virtualization support, making it well-suited for modern virtualized data centers. Its features facilitate efficient handling of network traffic for multiple virtual machines, ensuring reliable performance in complex virtualized environments.
From a physical interface perspective, the controller provides a standard PCI-X interface, offering high bandwidth necessary for sustained gigabit-speed data transfer. Its compatibility with major operating systems ensured widespread adoption across various server platforms.
The Broadcom BCM5700C2KPB Gigabit Ethernet Controller is a powerhouse of enterprise networking, defined by its TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) for unparalleled CPU efficiency, support for Jumbo Frames for maximized throughput, and advanced features like interrupt coalescing and RSS for optimized performance in multi-processor systems. Its robust management and virtualization capabilities solidify its role as a foundational component for reliable, high-speed server connectivity.
Keywords:
TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE), Jumbo Frames, Interrupt Coalescing, Receive-Side Scaling (RSS), ASF 2.0
