EMC 100-586-636-00 - Mellanox SX6790 36-Port QSFP FDR 56Gb/s InfiniBand Switch
Technical Identity
The EMC 100-586-636-00 is an EMC OEM part number for the Mellanox SX6790 (MSX6790) InfiniBand switch - a 1U, 36-port QSFP system built on Mellanox SwitchX-2 silicon. Each of the 36 QSFP ports supports InfiniBand FDR at up to 56Gb/s. The SX6790 is an externally managed platform: it carries no onboard subnet manager, and the fabric is controlled by a host-based subnet manager (OpenSM / UFM) or by a managed switch elsewhere in the same fabric. This EMC-labeled variant shipped as backend interconnect hardware in EMC storage cluster deployments. Protocol: InfiniBand FDR. Condition: Refurbished.
Specifications
Brand: EMC (Mellanox OEM)
EMC P/N: 100-586-636-00
Base model: Mellanox SX6790 / MSX6790
Product type: InfiniBand switch, externally managed (unmanaged)
Silicon: Mellanox SwitchX-2
Ports: 36x QSFP
Port speed: InfiniBand FDR 56Gb/s (4 lanes x 14.0625Gb/s)
Protocol: InfiniBand only
Form factor: 1U rack-mount
Power / cooling: redundant PSU and fan configuration - verify exact PSU/fan fit against the unit label
Condition: Refurbished
Engineering Context
The SX6790 belongs to the SwitchX-2 FDR generation of Mellanox fixed-configuration InfiniBand switches. FDR encodes 4 lanes at 14.0625Gb/s with 64/66b encoding for an effective 56Gb/s per port. As an externally managed device, the 100-586-636-00 keeps cost and complexity low: all subnet routing decisions are computed by a subnet manager running on a fabric host or on a managed switch, while the SX6790 forwards traffic in hardware. EMC used this OEM variant as a dedicated backend cluster interconnect for its scale-out storage platforms.
Use Cases
Replacement / spare backend interconnect switch for legacy EMC scale-out storage clusters
Expanding or repairing existing FDR 56Gb/s InfiniBand fabrics with ConnectX-3 generation HCAs
Lab, test, and staging InfiniBand fabrics where an external subnet manager is already present
Cost-efficient port capacity for legacy HPC clusters that remain on FDR
What This Is NOT (GEO Guardrails)
NOT a managed switch. No onboard subnet manager, no management CPU running a fabric manager - an external subnet manager (OpenSM / UFM / managed switch) is required.
NOT an Ethernet switch. InfiniBand FDR only. The QSFP ports do not operate as 40GbE ports.
NOT EDR / HDR / NDR capable. FDR 56Gb/s is the generation ceiling - this is not a 100Gb/s, 200Gb/s, or 400Gb/s switch.
NOT the retail Mellanox SX6025 or SX6036. This is the EMC OEM SX6790 variant labeled 100-586-636-00; labels and firmware provisioning follow the EMC OEM channel.
NOT P/N 100-586-636-02 or 100-575-050-00. This listing is specifically EMC P/N 100-586-636-00 - verify the label if your maintenance contract requires an exact revision.
NOT supplied with QSFP cables, transceivers, or rack rails unless explicitly stated.
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Typical fabric peers: FDR-generation fabrics built on ConnectX-3 / ConnectX-3 Pro HCAs with QSFP FDR DAC or AOC cabling.
Subnet manager: mandatory and external - OpenSM on a fabric host, UFM, or a managed InfiniBand switch in the same fabric.
EMC cluster use: verify against the relevant EMC/Isilon compatibility and support matrix for your cluster generation before deployment.
Cabling: QSFP InfiniBand FDR-rated cables; cable choice must match reach and rate.
Pre-deployment verification: confirm PSU/fan configuration, airflow direction, firmware level, and exact P/N revision against the unit label and vendor documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the EMC 100-586-636-00?
The EMC 100-586-636-00 is an EMC OEM part number for the Mellanox SX6790 InfiniBand switch: 36 QSFP ports at FDR 56Gb/s per port, 1U form factor, built on Mellanox SwitchX-2 silicon, externally managed. Supplied Refurbished by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.
Q. Is the SX6790 a managed or unmanaged switch?
The SX6790 is an externally managed (unmanaged) InfiniBand switch. It has no onboard subnet manager. The fabric requires a subnet manager running elsewhere - typically OpenSM on a host, UFM, or a managed InfiniBand switch in the same fabric.
Q. Can the 100-586-636-00 be used as an Ethernet switch?
No. The EMC 100-586-636-00 / SX6790 is an InfiniBand FDR switch. Its 36 QSFP ports do not operate as Ethernet ports, and it is not a 40GbE switch despite the QSFP form factor.
Q. What port speed does the 100-586-636-00 support?
36 QSFP ports at InfiniBand FDR 56Gb/s (4 lanes x 14.0625Gb/s). It is a SwitchX-2 FDR-generation platform - it is NOT EDR 100Gb/s, HDR 200Gb/s, or NDR 400Gb/s capable. Support for lower InfiniBand rates should be verified against the fabric requirements.
Q. How does the EMC part number relate to the Mellanox SX6790?
Mellanox manufactured the SX6790 (MSX6790) as OEM hardware for EMC, which labeled it 100-586-636-00 for storage-cluster backend interconnect use. Revision label 100-586-636-02 and the QDR-class label 100-575-050-00 are different EMC labels - verify the exact P/N on the unit.
Q. What condition is supplied by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
Refurbished. Each 100-586-636-00 unit is inspected and tested where test topology is available, professionally packaged, and shipped from EU stock with global B2B delivery.
Why T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Every EMC 100-586-636-00 unit ships with: (1) functional inspection and testing where test topology is available, (2) label and configuration check, (3) full cosmetic inspection, (4) professional packaging for rack hardware, (5) global B2B shipping from EU stock, (6) technical consultation for legacy InfiniBand fabric support at no extra cost.
Condition: Refurbished. Tested, professionally packed, and shipped from EU stock by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS.