Lenovo Mellanox ConnectX-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for Lenovo System x

Experience HPC-grade networking with the Lenovo Mellanox ConnectX-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for Lenovo System x. This dual-port adapter combines Ethernet and InfiniBand capabilities on a single PCIe card, delivering high-bandwidth data transfer, ultra-low latency, and CPU offloads that boost server efficiency and application throughput in demanding data center environments. Built for scale-out clusters, virtualization-rich environments, and mission-critical workloads, ConnectX-3 delivers flexible protocol support through Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI), enabling administrators to run InfiniBand and Ethernet on the same hardware without compromising performance or simplicity. Whether you’re optimizing inter-node communication in a high-performance compute (HPC) cluster, accelerating data analytics, or provisioning robust virtualization networks, this adapter is designed to meet the most demanding enterprise needs while staying tightly integrated with Lenovo System x servers.

• Dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand (IB/E) capabilities: A single adapter card provides high-speed Ethernet connectivity while supporting InfiniBand alongside Ethernet, enabling flexible networking configurations for HPC and data center deployments. The combined Ethernet and InfiniBand support lets you optimize both traditional data traffic and bandwidth-intensive interconnects for MPI, RDMA, and accelerated messaging.
• High-performance, low-latency I/O with CPU offloads: ConnectX-3 delivers aggressive throughput and minimal CPU overhead through hardware offloads, accelerating networking-intensive workloads such as large-scale simulations, real-time analytics, and data-intensive services. This translates into higher server efficiency and better application responsiveness under heavy load.
• Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) and flexible protocol support: VPI enables simultaneous support for multiple network protocols over a single adapter, allowing InfiniBand, Ethernet, RoCE, iWARP, and mixed environments without requiring separate NICs. This flexibility simplifies gateway design and protocol migration while preserving peak performance and QoS guarantees.
• Advanced virtualization and cloud-ready features: The adapter supports virtualization technologies like SR-IOV and VMQ, facilitating high-density virtualized environments with near-native network performance for each guest VM. This makes it ideal for VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, and other virtualization platforms running on Lenovo System x servers.
• Enterprise-grade reliability and Lenovo integration: Built to perform in data-center conditions, the ConnectX-3 is designed for long runtimes, robust drivers, and seamless integration with Lenovo management tools. It complements Lenovo System x hardware with proven Mellanox technology, ensuring predictable performance, easy deployment, and scalable growth.

Techncial Details of Lenovo Mellanox ConnectX-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for Lenovo System x

• Product family and role: Dual-port network adapter supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand (IB/E) with Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) capabilities for flexible protocol deployment.
• Network interfaces: 2 x ports capable of delivering 10 Gb/s Ethernet performance and InfiniBand interconnect options (FDR IB/E variants), enabling high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects between nodes and storage systems.
• Connector and form factor: PCIe-based mezzanine-style NIC designed for Lenovo System x servers; compatible with PCIe slots and designed for data-center rack deployments. (Exact slot compatibility may vary by server model—verify with Lenovo System x documentation.)
• Protocol support: Ethernet (10 GbE) with RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) and iWARP capabilities; InfiniBand (IB/E) support with high-throughput, low-latency messaging; VPI enables multi-protocol coexistence on the same hardware.
• Offloads and acceleration: Hardware offloads for large send/receive, checksum, TLS/SSL where applicable, and RDMA capabilities to reduce CPU overhead and improve application throughput in HPC, database, and virtualization workloads.
• Virtualization support: SR-IOV, VMQ, and related virtualization features to enable near-native network performance for multiple virtual machines, containers, or applications on Lenovo System x servers.
• Management and drivers: Broad OS support with vendor-provided drivers and utilities; managed alongside Lenovo XClarity and Mellanox network virtualization/management tools for streamlined deployment, monitoring, and tuning.
• Compatibility and ecosystems: Designed to work in Lenovo System x environments and compatible with common Linux distributions, Windows Server, and virtualization platforms commonly deployed in enterprise data centers.
• Power, cooling, and reliability: Engineered for data-center reliability with efficient power usage and robust operation in dense server environments, ensuring consistent performance under sustained workloads.

How to install Lenovo Mellanox ConnectX-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter for Lenovo System x

• Power down the Lenovo System x server and disconnect all power sources. Remove the chassis cover to access the PCIe slots and prepare for installation.
• Identify an available PCIe slot that matches the connector requirements of the ConnectX-3 adapter. Insert the card firmly into the slot, ensuring proper seating and alignment with the server backplane.
• Secure the adapter to the chassis with the appropriate screw or retention mechanism. Reinstall the chassis cover and reconnect power cables.
• Boot the server and install the appropriate drivers and management utilities for the operating system in use. Ensure the Mellanox ConnectX-3 drivers are loaded to enable Ethernet and InfiniBand functionality and VPI capabilities.
• Configure networking in the operating system or virtualization platform (for example, assign IP addresses for 10 GbE interfaces, enable RoCE or IB/E protocols as needed, and set up SR-IOV or VMQ for virtualized environments). Validate connectivity with basic network tests and InfiniBand/RDMA tools where applicable.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What workloads benefit most from the Lenovo Mellanox ConnectX-3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter?

  A: HPC workloads, large-scale data analytics, real-time processing, and dense virtualization environments benefit significantly from the dual-port 10 GbE/InfiniBand capabilities, low latency, and hardware offloads. Applications that rely on fast inter-node messaging, RDMA acceleration, and high-throughput data transfer experience noticeable performance gains with this adapter.

• Q: Does this adapter support RoCE and other RDMA features?

  A: Yes. The ConnectX-3 adapter supports RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) as well as iWARP, enabling low-latency, high-throughput communication across Ethernet networks and InfiniBand interconnects where appropriate.

• Q: Is SR-IOV supported for virtualization?

  A: Yes. The adapter supports virtualization features such as SR-IOV and VMQ, allowing multiple virtual machines or containers to achieve near-native networking performance on Lenovo System x servers.

• Q: What operating systems are supported?

  A: The ConnectX-3 family offers drivers and utilities for major Linux distributions, Windows Server, and virtualization platforms used in enterprise data centers. Always verify compatibility with your specific Lenovo System x model and firmware version.

• Q: How do I optimize performance for mixed Ethernet and InfiniBand workloads?

  A: Use VPI to allocate each protocol to the appropriate traffic class, enable RDMA where latency-sensitive workloads require it, and tune kernel/network parameters for the chosen OS and hypervisor. Monitoring and management tools from Mellanox and Lenovo can help balance bandwidth, latency, and CPU utilization across your cluster or virtualized environment.