NVIDIA Mellanox MBF2H332A-AECO SmartNIC Firmware 24.33.1048

Firmware which is added at the time of manufacturing, is used to run user programs on the device and can be thought of as the software that allows hardware to run. Embedded firmware is used to control the functions of various hardware devices and systems, much like a computer’s operating system (OS) controls the function of software applications. Firmware may be written into read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or flash memory.

NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU provides innovative acceleration, security, and efficiency in every host. BlueField-2 data center infrastructure combines the power of the NVIDIA ConnectX-6 Dx with programmable Arm cores and hardware offloads for software-defined storage, networking, security, and management workloads.

NVIDIA BlueField-2 also delivers superior performance, security, and reduced TCO for cloud computing platforms, enabling organizations to efficiently build and operate virtualized, containerized, and bare-metal infrastructures at massive scale.

Changes and New Features:

- NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU NIC Operation Mode: In this mode, the DPU behaves exactly like a ConnectX SmartNIC from the perspective of the external host. As part of this operation mode, this new capability allows the host Physical Function: to supply pages to the Host eSwitch functions and to execute the same flows as a Host PF on a regular ConnectX device
- 200Gb/s Throughput on Crypto Capable Devices: Enabled 200Gb/s out-of-the-box throughput on crypto capable devices. Note: If any crypto offloads is in use, 200Gb/s throughput can be achieved only after the next firmware reset
- VF Migration: Added support for VF migration. The hypervisor can now suspend its VF, meaning from that point the VF cannot perform action such as send/receive traffic or run any command. In this firmware version only the suspend resume mode is supported (on the same VM).
- MADs: Added a new MAD of class SMP that has the attributes hierarchy_Info as defined in the IB Specification and is used to query the hierarchy information stored on the node and the physical port.
- NV Configurations via the Relevant Reset Flow: Added pci_rescan_needed field to the MFRL access register to indicate whether a PCI rescan is needed based on the NV configurations issued by the software. Note: If the Keep Link Up NV configuration is changed, phyless reset will be blocked.
- Increasing Firmware's Queue Depth Limit: Changing the mlxconfig parameter allows the user to expose different value of max queue depth in NVMe CAP on static emulated functions which results in NVMe module creating longer NVMe queues.
- RSHIM PF Interrupts Implementation: Added support for interrupts on the RSHIM PFs to enable gracefully stop of the RSHIM host driver.
- ICM Pages: Added a new register (vhca_icm_ctrl access_reg) to enable querying and limiting the ICM pages in use.
- VF Migration: Added support for VF migration.
- NetworkPort Schema Replacement: Replaced the deprecated NetworkPort schema with Port schema in NIC RDE implementation.
- RShim PF: Added support for "mlxfwreset --sync 1" for the RShim PF.
- Steering Definer: Added support for creating a steering definer with a dword selector using create_match_definer_object and the "SELECT" format.
- XRQ QP Errors Enhancements: Enhanced the XRQ QP error information provided to the user in case QP goes into an error state. In such case, QUERY_QP will provide information on the syndrome type and which side caused the error.
- Holdover Mode: Added support for holdover mode to comply to SyncE specifications (EEC compliance) to limit the maximum phase transient response upon link loss.
- SyncE Enhancements: Added support for noise filtering to comply to the SyncE specifications requirements.
- ibstat: Updated the ibstat status reported when the phy link is down. Now QUERY_VPORT_STATE.max_tx_speed of UPLINK will not be reported as 0 anymore.
- ZTRCC: Added support for advanced ZTR_RTTCC algorithm based on the Programmable CC platform to achieve better congestion control without dependency on the switch ECN marking.
- SMPs: Disabled the option to send SMPs from unauthorized hosts.
- Dynamic Completion Event Moderation for vDPA: DIM is used to tune moderation parameter dynamically using an mlxreg command. To disable this capability, run: mlxreg -d /dev/mst/mt41686_pciconf0 --reg_id 0xc00d --reg_len 0x8 -s "0x4.1:1=0x0"
- UPT Performance Improvement: Improved UPT PPS performance.
- SW Steering Cache: Modified the TX or RX cache invalidation behavior. TX or RX cache invalidation now does not occur automatically but only when the software performs the sync operation using the using sync_steering command.
- Mega Allocations in Bulk Allocator Mechanism: Modified the maximum bulk size per single allocation from "log_table_size - log_num_unisizes", to allocate any range size, to remove limitations that HWS objects such as counters and modify arguments might encounter.
- Dynamic Flex Parser over a VF: Added support for creating a dynamic flex parser on untrusted function, and changed the flex parser cap for untrusted function to the following: maximum flex parser node = 2 and maximum dw sample = 4
- Changing all the Crypto Features to Wrapped or Cleartext: Crypto features can be in either wrapped or unwrapped mode. Meaning, the key can be wrapped or in plaintext when running the CREATE_DEK PRM command. To comply with the requirements specified in FIPS publication, all the created DEKs must be wrapped. This feature adds new NV_CONFIG per device to control this mode, and enables the user to change all the crypto features to wrapped or cleartext.
- ICM Direct Access by the Software to write/modify the DEK Objects: [Beta] This new capability enables the software to directly access ICM and write/modify the DEK objects. Such change improves the DEK object update rate by re-using DEK object instead of creating a new one. In addition, added the following: New for DEK object: bulk allocation, modify_dek cmd, and new mode - sw_wrapped and New general object INT_KEK

Added HW Steering support for the following:

- set, add and copy inline STC action
- set and copy actions for several fields using modify_pattern object and inline stc modify action
- FDB mode in HW steering using FDB_RX and FDB_TX flow table types
- ASO flow meter action via STC
- flow counter query using ASO WQE
- allocation of large bulks for the objects: STE, ASO flow meter and modify argument
- jumbo match RTC
- count action in STC

Changed the policy of VDPA queue number capability:

- When the devices count <= 8, the VDPA queue number in cap is 256
- When the device count >=32, the VDPA queue number in cap is 64
- When the devices count is in 9~31, the VDPA queue number in cap is 128. Here the devices counts all port functions configured in mlxconfig, including pf, vf and sf.

Bug Fixes:

- Fixed an issue that caused the host driver to hang when the received packet was bigger than the received buffer (according to the device's MTU) as the device reported a packet length bigger than the received buffer length. 
- Fixed an issue that caused BMC to fail to detect the PCIe device when using the MCTP-over-PCIe protocol.
- Implemented SLD detection code. Surprise Down Error Reporting Capable value was changed from 1 to 0 in boards where the downstream perst was not controlled thus causing SLD detection not to function properly.
- Fixed rare lanes skew issue that caused CPU to timeout in Rec.idle.
- Optimized the virtio data path to reach line speed for Tx bandwidth.
- Fixed a configuration issue which flipped the MSB of Partition Key field in CNP packets and led to P_KEY mismatch between CNP packets and regular packets.

About Network Adapter Firmware:

When connected, the operating system usually installs a generic firmware that helps the computer to recognize the newly attached device.

However, proper software must be applied if you want to make use of all features that the network adapter has available. This task also allows computers to properly recognize all device characteristics such as manufacturer, chipset, technology, and others.

Updating the adapter's firmware and utilities version might improve overall performance and stability, increase transfer speeds, fix different compatibility problems and several network-related errors, as well as bring various other changes.

To install this release, simply get the package, extract it if necessary, run the setup, and follow the instructions displayed on-screen. When done, don't forget to perform a system restart and reconnect the network adapter to make sure that all changes take effect properly.

Without further ado, if you intend to apply this version, click the download button and install the package. Moreover, check with our website as often as possible so that you don't miss a single new release.

  It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.