    ©Copyright 1999-2004 Marvell®.
    All rights reserved

    sk98lin.htm created 19-Jun-2004

    Readme File for sk98lin v7.04
    Marvell Yukon/SysKonnect SK-98xx Gigabit Ethernet Adapter driver for LINUX

# This file contains

1 Overview
2 Required Files
3 Installation

3.1 Driver Installation
3.2 Inclusion of adapter at system start

4 Driver Parameters

4.1 Per-Port Parameters
4.2 Adapter Parameters

5 Large Frame Support
6 VLAN and Link Aggregation Support (IEEE 802.1, 802.1q, 802.3ad)
7 Troubleshooting

## 1 Overview

    The sk98lin driver supports the Marvell Yukon and SysKonnect
    SK-98xx/SK-95xx compliant Gigabit Ethernet Adapter on Linux. It has
    been tested with Linux on Intel/x86 machines.

## 2 Required Files

    The linux kernel source.
    No additional files required.

## 3 Installation

    It is recommended to download the latest version of the driver from the
    SysKonnect web site www.syskonnect.com. If you have downloaded the latest
    driver, the Linux kernel has to be patched before the driver can be
    installed. For details on how to patch a Linux kernel, refer to the
    patch.txt file.

3.1 Driver Installation

    The following steps describe the actions that are required to install
    the driver and to start it manually. These steps should be carried
    out for the initial driver setup. Once confirmed to be ok, they can
    be included in the system start.

    NOTE 1: To perform the following tasks you need 'root' access.

    NOTE 2: In case of problems, please read the section "Troubleshooting"
            below.

    The driver can either be integrated into the kernel or it can be compiled
    as a module. Select the appropriate option during the kernel
    configuration.

    Compile/use the driver as a module
    ----------------------------------
    To compile the driver, go to the directory /usr/src/linux and
    execute the command "make menuconfig" or "make xconfig" and proceed as
    follows:

    To integrate the driver permanently into the kernel, proceed as follows:

    1. Select the menu "Network device support" and then "Ethernet(1000Mbit)"
    2. Mark "Marvell Yukon Chipset / SysKonnect SK-98xx family support"
       with (*)
    3. Build a new kernel when the configuration of the above options is
       finished.
    4. Install the new kernel.
    5. Reboot your system.

    To use the driver as a module, proceed as follows:

    1. Enable 'loadable module support' in the kernel.
    2. For automatic driver start, enable the 'Kernel module loader'.
    3. Select the menu "Network device support" and then "Ethernet(1000Mbit)"
    4. Mark "Marvell Yukon Chipset / SysKonnect SK-98xx family support"
       with (M)
    5. Execute the command "make modules".
    6. Execute the command "make modules_install".
       The appropiate modules will be installed.
    7. Reboot your system.

    Load the module manually
    ------------------------
    To load the module manually, proceed as follows:

    1. Enter "modprobe sk98lin".
    2. If a Marvell Yukon or SysKonnect SK-98xx adapter is installed in
       your computer and you have a /proc file system, execute the command:
       "ls /proc/net/sk98lin/"
       This should produce an output containing a line with the following
       format:
       eth0   eth1  ...
       which indicates that your adapter has been found and initialized.

       NOTE 1: If you have more than one Marvell Yukon or SysKonnect SK-98xx
               adapter installed, the adapters will be listed as 'eth0',
               'eth1', 'eth2', etc.
               For each adapter, repeat steps 3 and 4 below.

       NOTE 2: If you have other Ethernet adapters installed, your Marvell
               Yukon or SysKonnect SK-98xx adapter will be mapped to the
               next available number, e.g. 'eth1'. The mapping is executed
               automatically.
               The module installation message (displayed either in a system
               log file or on the console) prints a line for each adapter
               found containing the corresponding 'ethX'.

    3. Select an IP address and assign it to the respective adapter by
       entering:
       ifconfig eth0 <ip-address>
       With this command, the adapter is connected to the Ethernet.

       SK-98xx Gigabit Ethernet Server Adapters: The yellow LED on the adapter
       is now active, the link status LED of the primary port is active and
       the link status LED of the secondary port (on dual port adapters) is
       blinking (if the ports are connected to a switch or hub).
       SK-98xx V2.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapters: The link status LED is active.
       In addition, you will receive a status message on the console stating
       "ethX: network connection up using port Y" and showing the selected
       connection parameters (x stands for the ethernet device number
       (0,1,2, etc), y stands for the port name (A or B)).

       NOTE: If you are in doubt about IP addresses, ask your network
             administrator for assistance.

    4. Your adapter should now be fully operational.
       Use 'ping <otherstation>' to verify the connection to other computers
       on your network.
    5. To check the adapter configuration view /proc/net/sk98lin/[devicename].
       For example by executing:
       "cat /proc/net/sk98lin/eth0"

    Unload the module
    -----------------
    To stop and unload the driver modules, proceed as follows:

    1. Execute the command "ifconfig eth0 down".
    2. Execute the command "rmmod sk98lin".

3.2 Inclusion of adapter at system start

    Since a large number of different Linux distributions are
    available, we are unable to describe a general installation procedure
    for the driver module.
    Because the driver is now integrated in the kernel, installation should
    be easy, using the standard mechanism of your distribution.
    Refer to the distribution's manual for installation of ethernet adapters.

## 4 Driver Parameters

    Parameters can be set at the command line after the module has been
    loaded with the command 'modprobe'.
    In some distributions, the configuration tools are able to pass parameters
    to the driver module.

    If you use the kernel module loader, you can set driver parameters
    in the file /etc/modules.conf (or old name: /etc/conf.modules).
    To set the driver parameters in this file, proceed as follows:

    1. Insert a line of the form :
       options sk98lin ...
       For "...", the same syntax is required as described for the command
       line paramaters of modprobe below.
    2. To activate the new parameters, either reboot your computer
       or
       unload and reload the driver.
       The syntax of the driver parameters is:

            modprobe sk98lin parameter=value1[,value2[,value3...]]

       where value1 refers to the first adapter, value2 to the second etc.

    NOTE: All parameters are case sensitive. Write them exactly as shown
          below.

    Example:
    Suppose you have two adapters. You want to set auto-negotiation
    on the first adapter to ON and on the second adapter to OFF.
    You also want to set DuplexCapabilities on the first adapter
    to FULL, and on the second adapter to HALF.
    Then, you must enter:

            modprobe sk98lin AutoNeg_A=On,Off DupCap_A=Full,Half

    NOTE: The number of adapters that can be configured this way is
          limited in the driver (file skge.c, constant SK_MAX_CARD_PARAM).
          The current limit is 16. If you happen to install
          more adapters, adjust this and recompile.

4.1 Per-Port Parameters

    These settings are available for each port on the adapter.
    In the following description, '?' stands for the port for
    which you set the parameter (A or B).

    Speed
    -----
    Parameter:    Speed_?
    Values:       10, 100, 1000, Auto
    Default:      Auto

    This parameter is used to set the speed capabilities. It is only valid
    for the SK-98xx V2.0 copper adapters.
    Usually, the speed is negotiated between the two ports during link
    establishment. If this fails, a port can be forced to a specific setting
    with this parameter.

    Auto-Negotiation
    ----------------
    Parameter:    AutoNeg_?
    Values:       On, Off, Sense
    Default:      On

    The "Sense"-mode automatically detects whether the link partner supports
    auto-negotiation or not.

    Duplex Capabilities
    -------------------
    Parameter:    DupCap_?
    Values:       Half, Full, Both
    Default:      Both

    This parameters is only relevant if auto-negotiation for this port is
    not set to "Sense". If auto-negotiation is set to "On", all three values
    are possible. If it is set to "Off", only "Full" and "Half" are allowed.
    This parameter is usefull if your link partner does not support all
    possible combinations.

    Flow Control
    ------------
    Parameter:    FlowCtrl_?
    Values:       Sym, SymOrRem, LocSend, None
    Default:      SymOrRem

    This parameter can be used to set the flow control capabilities the
    port reports during auto-negotiation. It can be set for each port
    individually.
    Possible modes:
       -- Sym      = Symmetric: both link partners are allowed to send
                      PAUSE frames
       -- SymOrRem = SymmetricOrRemote: both or only remote partner
                      are allowed to send PAUSE frames
       -- LocSend  = LocalSend: only local link partner is allowed
                      to send PAUSE frames
       -- None     = no link partner is allowed to send PAUSE frames

    NOTE: This parameter is ignored if auto-negotiation is set to "Off".

    Role in Master-Slave-Negotiation (1000Base-T only)
    --------------------------------------------------
    Parameter:    Role_?
    Values:       Auto, Master, Slave
    Default:      Auto

    This parameter is only valid for the SK-9821 and SK-9822 adapters.
    For two 1000Base-T ports to communicate, one must take the role of the
    master (providing timing information), while the other must be the
    slave. Usually, this is negotiated between the two ports during link
    establishment. If this fails, a port can be forced to a specific setting
    with this parameter.

4.2 Adapter Parameters

    Connection Type (SK-98xx V2.0 copper adapters only)
    ---------------
    Parameter:    ConType
    Values:       Auto, 100FD, 100HD, 10FD, 10HD
    Default:      Auto

    The parameter 'ConType' is a combination of all five per-port parameters
    within one single parameter. This simplifies the configuration of both ports
    of an adapter card! The different values of this variable reflect the most
    meaningful combinations of port parameters.

    The following table shows the values of 'ConType' and the corresponding
    combinations of the per-port parameters:

        ConType   |  DupCap   AutoNeg   FlowCtrl   Role             Speed
        ----------+------------------------------------------------------
        Auto      |  Both     On        SymOrRem   Auto             Auto
        100FD     |  Full     Off       None       Auto (ignored)   100
        100HD     |  Half     Off       None       Auto (ignored)   100
        10FD      |  Full     Off       None       Auto (ignored)   10
        10HD      |  Half     Off       None       Auto (ignored)   10

    Stating any other port parameter together with this 'ConType' variable
    will result in a merged configuration of those settings. This due to
    the fact, that the per-port parameters (e.g. Speed_? ) have a higher
    priority than the combined variable 'ConType'.

    NOTE: This parameter is always used on both ports of the adapter card.

    Interrupt Moderation
    --------------------
    Parameter:    Moderation
    Values:       None, Static, Dynamic
    Default:      None

    Interrupt moderation is employed to limit the maxmimum number of interrupts
    the driver has to serve. That is, one or more interrupts (which indicate any
    transmit or receive packet to be processed) are queued until the driver
    processes them. When queued interrupts are to be served, is determined by the
    'IntsPerSec' parameter, which is explained later below.

    Possible modes:

       -- None - No interrupt moderation is applied on the adapter card.
          Therefore, each transmit or receive interrupt is served immediately
          as soon as it appears on the interrupt line of the adapter card.

       -- Static - Interrupt moderation is applied on the adapter card.
          All transmit and receive interrupts are queued until a complete
          moderation interval ends. If such a moderation interval ends, all
          queued interrupts are processed in one big bunch without any delay.
          The term 'static' reflects the fact, that interrupt moderation is
          always enabled, regardless how much network load is currently
          passing via a particular interface. In addition, the duration of
          the moderation interval has a fixed length that never changes while
          the driver is operational.

       -- Dynamic - Interrupt moderation might be applied on the adapter card,
          depending on the load of the system. If the driver detects that the
          system load is too high, the driver tries to shield the system against
          too much network load by enabling interrupt moderation. If - at a later
          time - the CPU utilizaton decreases again (or if the network load is
          negligible) the interrupt moderation will automatically be disabled.

    Interrupt moderation should be used when the driver has to handle one or more
    interfaces with a high network load, which - as a consequence - leads also to a
    high CPU utilization. When moderation is applied in such high network load
    situations, CPU load might be reduced by 20-30%.

    NOTE: The drawback of using interrupt moderation is an increase of the round-
    trip-time (RTT), due to the queueing and serving of interrupts at dedicated
    moderation times.

    Interrupts per second
    ---------------------
    Parameter:    IntsPerSec
    Values:       30...40000 (interrupts per second)
    Default:      2000

    This parameter is only used, if either static or dynamic interrupt moderation
    is used on a network adapter card. Using this paramter if no moderation is
    applied, will lead to no action performed.

    This parameter determines the length of any interrupt moderation interval.
    Assuming that static interrupt moderation is to be used, an 'IntsPerSec'
    parameter value of 2000 will lead to an interrupt moderation interval of
    500 microseconds.

    NOTE: The duration of the moderation interval is to be chosen with care.
    At first glance, selecting a very long duration (e.g. only 100 interrupts per
    second) seems to be meaningful, but the increase of packet-processing delay
    is tremendous. On the other hand, selecting a very short moderation time might
    compensate the use of any moderation being applied.

    Preferred Port
    --------------
    Parameter:    PrefPort
    Values:       A, B
    Default:      A

    This is used to force the preferred port to A or B (on dual-port network
    adapters). The preferred port is the one that is used if both are detected
    as fully functional.

    RLMT Mode (Redundant Link Management Technology)
    ------------------------------------------------
    Parameter:    RlmtMode
    Values:       CheckLinkState,CheckLocalPort, CheckSeg, DualNet
    Default:      CheckLinkState

    RLMT monitors the status of the port. If the link of the active port
    fails, RLMT switches immediately to the standby link. The virtual link is
    maintained as long as at least one 'physical' link is up.

    Possible modes:

       -- CheckLinkState - Check link state only: RLMT uses the link state
          reported by the adapter hardware for each individual port to
          determine whether a port can be used for all network traffic or
          not.

       -- CheckLocalPort - In this mode, RLMT monitors the network path
          between the two ports of an adapter by regularly exchanging packets
          between them. This mode requires a network configuration in which
          the two ports are able to "see" each other (i.e. there must not be
          any router between the ports).

       -- CheckSeg - Check local port and segmentation: This mode supports the
          same functions as the CheckLocalPort mode and additionally checks
          network segmentation between the ports. Therefore, this mode is only
          to be used if Gigabit Ethernet switches are installed on the network
          that have been configured to use the Spanning Tree protocol.

       -- DualNet - In this mode, ports A and B are used as separate devices.
          If you have a dual port adapter, port A will be configured as eth0
          and port B as eth1. Both ports can be used independently with
          distinct IP addresses. The preferred port setting is not used.
          RLMT is turned off.

    NOTE: RLMT modes CLP and CLPSS are designed to operate in configurations
          where a network path between the ports on one adapter exists.
          Moreover, they are not designed to work where adapters are connected
          back-to-back.

## 5 Large Frame Support

    The driver supports large frames (also called jumbo frames). Using large
    frames can result in an improved throughput if transferring large amounts
    of data.
    To enable large frames, set the MTU (maximum transfer unit) of the
    interface to the desired value (up to 9000), execute the following
    command:
          ifconfig eth0 mtu 9000
    This will only work if you have two adapters connected back-to-back
    or if you use a switch that supports large frames. When using a switch,
    it should be configured to allow large frames and auto-negotiation should
    be set to OFF. The setting must be configured on all adapters that can be
    reached by the large frames. If one adapter is not set to receive large
    frames, it will simply drop them.

    You can switch back to the standard ethernet frame size by executing the
    following command:
          ifconfig eth0 mtu 1500

    To permanently configure this setting, add a script with the 'ifconfig'
    line to the system startup sequence (named something like "S99sk98lin"
    in /etc/rc.d/rc2.d).

## 6 VLAN and Link Aggregation Support (IEEE 802.1, 802.1q, 802.3ad)

    The Marvell Yukon/SysKonnect Linux drivers are able to support VLAN and
    Link Aggregation according to IEEE standards 802.1, 802.1q, and 802.3ad.
    These features are only available after installation of open source
    modules available on the Internet:
    For VLAN go to: http://www.candelatech.com/~greear/vlan.html
    For Link Aggregation go to: http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~yumo

    NOTE: SysKonnect GmbH does not offer any support for these open source
          modules and does not take the responsibility for any kind of
          failures or problems arising in connection with these modules.

    NOTE: Configuring Link Aggregation on a SysKonnect dual link adapter may
          cause problems when unloading the driver.

## 7 Troubleshooting

    If any problems occur during the installation process, check the
    following list:

    Problem:  The SK-98xx adapter can not be found by the driver.
    Solution: In /proc/pci search for the following entry:
                 'Ethernet controller: SysKonnect SK-98xx ...'
              If this entry exists, the SK-98xx or SK-98xx V2.0 adapter has
              been found by the system and should be operational.
              If this entry does not exist or if the file '/proc/pci' is not
              found, there may be a hardware problem or the PCI support may
              not be enabled in your kernel.
              The adapter can be checked using the diagnostics program which
              is available on the SysKonnect web site:
              www.syskonnect.com

              Some COMPAQ machines have problems dealing with PCI under Linux.
              Linux. This problem is described in the 'PCI howto' document
              (included in some distributions or available from the
              web, e.g. at 'www.linux.org').

    Problem:  Programs such as 'ifconfig' or 'route' can not be found or the
              error message 'Operation not permitted' is displayed.
    Reason:   You are not logged in as user 'root'.
    Solution: Logout and login as 'root' or change to 'root' via 'su'.

    Problem:  Upon use of the command 'ping <address>' the message
              "ping: sendto: Network is unreachable" is displayed.
    Reason:   Your route is not set correctly.
    Solution: If you are using RedHat, you probably forgot to set up the
              route in the 'network configuration'.
              Check the existing routes with the 'route' command and check
              if an entry for 'eth0' exists, and if so, if it is set correctly.

    Problem:  The driver can be started, the adapter is connected to the
              network, but you cannot receive or transmit any packets;
              e.g. 'ping' does not work.
    Reason:   There is an incorrect route in your routing table.
    Solution: Check the routing table with the command 'route' and read the
              manual help pages dealing with routes (enter 'man route').

    NOTE: Although the 2.2.x kernel versions generate the routing entry
          automatically, problems of this kind may occur here as well. We've
          come across a situation in which the driver started correctly at
          system start, but after the driver has been removed and reloaded,
          the route of the adapter's network pointed to the 'dummy0'device
          and had to be corrected manually.

    Problem:  Your computer should act as a router between multiple
              IP subnetworks (using multiple adapters), but computers in
              other subnetworks cannot be reached.
    Reason:   Either the router's kernel is not configured for IP forwarding
              or the routing table and gateway configuration of at least one
              computer is not working.

    Problem:  Upon driver start, the following error message is displayed:
              "eth0: -- ERROR --
              Class: internal Software error
              Nr:    0xcc
              Msg:   SkGeInitPort() cannot init running ports"
    Reason:   You are using a driver compiled for single processor machines
              on a multiprocessor machine with SMP (Symmetric MultiProcessor)
              kernel.
    Solution: Configure your kernel appropriately and recompile the kernel or
              the modules.

    If your problem is not listed here, please contact SysKonnect's technical
    support for help (linux@syskonnect.de).
    When contacting our technical support, please ensure that the following
    information is available:
    - System Manufacturer and HW Informations (CPU, Memory... )
    - PCI-Boards in your system
    - Distribution
    - Kernel version
    - Driver version
    ***End of Readme File***