PCI network adapters overview

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The following table gives an overview of the available PCI network adapters features.

Table 1. PCI adapters overview
Features IBM Integrated Network Adapter 100G Network Express® RoCE Express
Location CPC drawer I/O drawer I/O drawer
Speed 100GbE 25/10 GbE 25/10 GbE
PCI function types NETD only NETH and NETD ROC2/ROC
VFs per port 0-127 NETH: 0-123, NETD: 0-127 0-63
Ports per adapter 2 (1 PCHID per port) 2 (1 PCHID per port) 2 (PCHID is shared)
Starting with IBM® z17 ™ and IBM LinuxONE 5, the PCI network adapters (Network Express and the IBM Integrated Network Adapter 100G) introduce new features:
PCHID per port
The PCI network adapters have two physical ports with one physical channel ID (PCHID) per port, and hence two PCHIDs per adapter.
Hybrid Mode (function type NETH)
Hybrid mode enables NETH logical network interface controllers (NICs) to use the same physical port as OSH logical network interface controllers. Similar to ROC and ROC2 functions, NETH provides access to the network adapter. In addition, NETH supports the configuration of promiscuous mode. You can define PCI functions of type NETH on the PCI adapter's PCHIDs using hardware management interfaces like HCD or DPM. Note that both PCHIDs of an adapter must operate either in hybrid mode or in direct mode. For more information about configuring NETH devices in DPM, see IBM Dynamic Partition Manager Guide, SB10-7188-00, available at https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/systems-hardware/zsystems/9175-ME1?topic=library-dynamic-partition-manager-dpm-guide.
Figure 1. NETH on IBM mainframe hardware

Image of a PCI NETH feature
For more information about hybrid mode, see the topic on Network Express in hybrid mode in the networking part of the Device Drivers, Features, and Commands, SC33-8411.
Promiscuous mode
Both NETH and NETD functions support promiscuous mode.
For NETH functions, the virtual function (VF) must be authorized to enter promiscuous mode. In HCD, authorize promiscuous mode by setting bit 0 in FIDPARM (FIDPARM=0x01). In DPM mode, use the Authorize promiscuous mode option when configuring the NIC.
For NETD functions, a physical function (PF) can operate in promiscuous mode by default. For a virtual function (VF), the PF must first authorize promiscuous mode before the VF can enter promiscuous mode.
For more information about promiscuous mode, see the topic on configuring FIDPARM in the networking part of the Device Drivers, Features, and Commands, SC33-8411.
Direct mode
You can configure the entire PCI adapter in direct mode (NETD) using hardware management interfaces like HCD and DPM. Direct mode applies to the entire adapter. Therefore, you cannot define NETH PCI functions or OSH devices on either PCHID of that adapter.
With an adapter in direct mode (NETD), you can define one physical function of type direct (NETD PF) and multiple virtual functions (NETD VFs) per PCHID. The partition that owns the physical function (PF) controls the child virtual functions (VFs) even if the child VFs are assigned to other partitions. NETD is a Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) capable device.
For more information about direct mode, see the topic on Network Express in direct mode in the networking part of the Device Drivers, Features, and Commands, SC33-8411.