How to create an installation diskette from the CD-ROM ========================================================= If you do not have a CD-ROM drive on the target workstation, you can still install and configure the Netfinity 10/100 Ethernet Adapter software. To create the installation diskette, you will need a blank, formatted, 3.5-inch, high-density diskette. 1. Insert the CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive of a system where you can run DOS. 2. From DOS, go to the root directory on your CD-ROM drive. Besides README.BAT, there are two .BAT files in this directory: MAKEMS.BAT -- Creates adapter installation diskettes for Microsoft Windows operating systems MAKENW.BAT -- Creates adapter installation diskettes for NetWare operating systems 3. Run the .BAT file that is appropriate for your operating system and follow the instructions on the screen. You will be prompted to label and insert the blank diskette. 4. Use your newly-created diskette to install and configure the software. Insert the diskette and run SETUP.EXE. Follow the instructions on the screen. User's Guide on the CD-ROM =========================== An online version of the Netfinity 10/100 Ethernet Adapter User's Guide is located in the root directory on the CD-ROM. The file name is guide.pdf. It can be viewed and printed with the Adobe Acrobat* Reader. If you do not already have the Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer, you can install it from the CD-ROM. The Acrobat Reader Version 3.01 installation file for Windows 95/NT is located in the \acrobat directory on the CD-ROM. You can download other versions for free from the Adobe web site at: http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/main.html. To install the reader from the CD-ROM, double-click the AR32E301.EXE file in the \acrobat directory. Follow the prompts for completing installation. Advanced Features Included on this CD-ROM ========================================= Adaptive Load Balancing ----------------------- Adaptive Load Balancing (ALB), developed by IBM, balances outgoing server traffic among as many as four network adapters. This enables server bandwidth to be increased in 100 Mbps increments, up to 400 Mbps. Of course, multiple adapters can be used in a server even if they do not support ALB, but the load must then be distributed between them by segmenting the network - a costly and time-consuming task. ALB provides a much simpler and more efficient solution. Fast EtherChannel* ----------------- Fast EtherChannel (FEC), developed by Cisco, is similar to Adaptive Load Balancing, but must be supported in the switch as well as the adapters. FEC balances the traffic load in both directions, boosting throughput for data received by the server as well as data transmitted from the server. It therefore delivers scalable bandwidth in 200 Mbps increments, up to 800 Mbps at full-duplex. Adapter Fault Tolerance ----------------------- Adapter Fault Tolerance works in conjunction with Adaptive Load Balancing and Fast EtherChannel to safeguard the vital network link to the server. If one or more links fail, for whatever reason, all server traffic is automatically transferred to the remaining network adapters. The shift is transparent to applications and users. So even in the event of a broken or loose cable, a hub or switch port failure, or adapter hardware breakdown the server stays up and running. Note about Adapter name identification -------------------------------------- The IBM Netfinity 10/100 Ethernet Adapter will be also be mentioned or described as IBM 10/100 Ethernet PCI Adapter. *Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.