NVIDIA Mellanox MSX6018F-1BRS SwitchX-2 18-Port FDR 56Gb/s InfiniBand Managed Switch, 1U Short Depth, C2P Airflow: This is a 1U managed InfiniBand switch built on the SwitchX-2 ASIC, with 18 non-blocking QSFP+ ports running at FDR 56Gb/s per port. The switch ships with MLNX-OS for fabric management and an embedded subnet manager. Airflow is connector-side intake to PSU-side exhaust (C2P). This is a fully managed switch, not an externally-managed unit. This is a refurbished unit.
Engineering Context
The MSX6018F-1BRS provides up to 2.016 Tb/s aggregate non-blocking bandwidth across 18 QSFP+ FDR ports. Port-to-port latency is approximately 170 nanoseconds. The PPC460 management processor runs MLNX-OS and supports an embedded OpenSM subnet manager for small-to-medium fabrics. Single AC power supply, no redundancy. C2P airflow aligns with hot-aisle/cold-aisle data center designs where front-of-rack is the cold aisle.
Deployment & Use Cases
Top-of-Rack leaf switch in compact HPC clusters or AI training pods running NVIDIA NCCL collectives over InfiniBand. Storage fabric for Lustre or IBM Spectrum Scale (GPFS) where 18 FDR ports cover the rack. Self-managed fabrics where the embedded OpenSM eliminates the need for a separate management host. Edge aggregation in financial trading firms running low-latency InfiniBand for tick processing.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MSX6018F-1BRS
NVIDIA P/N: 920-9B010-00RF-2M6
Switch ASIC: SwitchX-2
Ports: 18 x QSFP+ FDR (non-blocking)
Per-Port Speed: 56Gb/s FDR (auto-neg to QDR/DDR/SDR)
Aggregate Bandwidth: 2.016 Tb/s
Port-to-Port Latency: ~170 ns
Management Processor: PPC460 running MLNX-OS
Form Factor: 1U Short Depth
Power Supply: 1 x AC (non-redundant)
Airflow: C2P (connector-side intake to PSU-side exhaust)
Condition: Refurbished — Tested by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
Compatible with NVIDIA Mellanox ConnectX-3, ConnectX-3 Pro, ConnectX-4, ConnectX-5, and ConnectX-6 InfiniBand adapters at FDR or lower speeds. Embedded OpenSM is licensed for fabrics up to 648 nodes. Not an Ethernet switch in default mode (the SX6018 family is InfiniBand-focused; VPI Ethernet operation is not standard on this SKU). Does not support EDR (100Gb/s) or HDR (200Gb/s). C2P airflow only — does not match deployments requiring P2C. Single PSU means no power redundancy.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS verifies all 18 ports under FDR load, validates the MLNX-OS image, confirms the embedded subnet manager initializes correctly, and tests fan speeds and PSU output before shipment. We provide expert consultation on InfiniBand fabric design and global shipping. Visit tes-itsolutions.com. Handling time 1-3 business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What per-port speed does the MSX6018F-1BRS have?
The MSX6018F-1BRS per-port speed is 56Gb/s FDR (auto-neg to QDR/DDR/SDR), as listed in the specifications for MSX6018F-1BRS.
What is the MSX6018F-1BRS NOT compatible with?
This is a fully managed switch, not an externally-managed unit. Confirm fitment against your platform before ordering MSX6018F-1BRS.
What condition is the MSX6018F-1BRS supplied in, and who sells it?
The MSX6018F-1BRS is supplied in Refurbished condition by T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS from EU stock, with 1-3 business day handling and worldwide B2B shipping. See https://www.tes-itsolutions.com/product-page/mellanox-msx6018f-1brs-switchx-2-fdr-infiniband-1u-ac-ppc460-short-depth-c2p.