How to enable SMB Direct client/server in Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

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In Windows 11 Pro Station, a Mellanox ConnectX-4 MCX455A-ECAT PCIe x16 3.0 100GBe VPI EDR IB network adatper, goes to support SMB Direct, client and server side SMB Multichannel and RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access):

Windows 11 Pro for Workstations

Open Windows Terminal as Administrator.

Enable SMB Direct:

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PS C:\> Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMBDirect
Path          :
Online        : True
RestartNeeded : False

Enable SMB Multichannel on the client-side:

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PS C:\> Set-SmbClientConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $true
Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
Performing operation 'Modify' on Target 'SMB Client Configuration'.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"):

PS C:\> Get-SmbClientConfiguration
...
EnableMultiChannel                    : True
...

Enable SMB Multichannel on the server-side:

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PS C:\> Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EnableMultiChannel $true
Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?
Performing operation 'Modify' on Target 'SMB Server Configuration'.
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"):

PS C:\> Get-SmbServerConfiguration
...
EnableMultiChannel                     : True
...

Enable RDMA for a specific interface:

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PS C:\> Enable-NetAdapterRDMA Mellanox

Verify which state of operability SMB Direct is currently configured to:

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PS C:\> Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMBDirect
FeatureName      : SmbDirect
DisplayName      : SMB Direct
Description      : Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) support for the SMB 3.x file sharing protocol
RestartRequired  : Possible
State            : Enabled
CustomProperties :
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PS C:\> Get-SmbClientNetworkInterface
Interface Index RSS Capable RDMA Capable Speed       IpAddresses                                 Friendly Name
--------------- ----------- ------------ -----       -----------                                 -------------
22              True        True         100 Gbps    {fe80::708:c529:1bcb:2432, 192.168.68.67}   Mellanox

PS C:\> Get-SmbServerNetworkInterface
Scope Name Interface Index RSS Capable RDMA Capable Speed    IpAddress
---------- --------------- ----------- ------------ -----    ---------
*          22              True        True         100 Gbps fe80::708:c529:1bcb:2432
*          22              True        True         100 Gbps 192.168.68.67

Have a look TrueNAS disk speed benchmark, over a 100Gbps ethernet network, from Windows 11 Pro for Workstations with SMB Direct, client/server SMB Multichannel and RDMA enabled:

TrueNAS disk speed benchmark

In Windows Server 2022, with SMB shared folder in Storage Spaces:

Windows Server 2022

Run Windows Powershell as Administrator user , which RDMA Capable are all True for both SMB client/server:

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Windows PowerShell
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PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-SmbServerNetworkInterface
Scope Name Interface Index RSS Capable RDMA Capable Speed    IpAddress
---------- --------------- ----------- ------------ -----    ---------
*          5               True        True         100 Gbps fe80::9ee0:7f4c:5128:863b
*          5               True        True         100 Gbps 192.168.68.66

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-SmbClientNetworkInterface
Interface Index RSS Capable RDMA Capable Speed    IpAddresses                                Friendly Name
--------------- ----------- ------------ -----    -----------                                -------------
5               True        True         100 Gbps {fe80::9ee0:7f4c:5128:863b, 192.168.68.66} Mellanox

Have a look Windows Server 2022 disk speed benchmark, over a 100Gbps ethernet network, from Windows 11 Pro for Workstations with SMB Direct, client/server SMB Multichannel and RDMA enabled:

Windows Server 2022 disk speed benchmark

References

Contents

  1. References