NVIDIA Mellanox MCX556N-EDAT ConnectX-5 Ex VPI Adapter, EDR InfiniBand & 100GbE, Dual-Port QSFP28, Socket Direct: This is a dual-port VPI (Virtual Protocol Interconnect) network adapter that supports both EDR InfiniBand at 100Gb/s and 100GbE Ethernet on the same QSFP28 ports, using the ConnectX-5 Ex ASIC with a 2× PCIe 4.0 x8 Socket Direct host interface and a tall bracket. This is a network adapter card, not a switch or transceiver. This is a new (factory-sealed) unit.
Engineering Context
The MCX556N-EDAT delivers up to 200 Gb/s of aggregate throughput across two QSFP28 ports, with each port independently configurable for EDR InfiniBand or 100GbE Ethernet via VPI. The Socket Direct architecture splits the host interface into two separate PCIe 4.0 x8 connections that can attach to two different CPU sockets in a multi-socket server, eliminating QPI/UPI hops for traffic from the second CPU and reducing latency. The ConnectX-5 Ex ASIC delivers RoCE v2, NVMe-oF, GPUDirect RDMA, and overlay tunnel offloads.
Deployment & Use Cases
HPC clusters using EDR InfiniBand with MPI for tightly coupled compute. AI/ML training nodes with GPU-to-GPU RDMA across dual CPU sockets. NVMe-over-Fabrics storage targets where latency from secondary-socket NUMA nodes matters. Mixed-protocol fabrics where ports are individually toggled between InfiniBand and Ethernet. Dual-socket servers needing balanced PCIe access from both CPUs without UPI traversal.
Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA Mellanox
Part Number: MCX556N-EDAT
Product Family: ConnectX-5 Ex VPI (Socket Direct)
Ports: 2 × QSFP28
Max Data Rate: EDR InfiniBand 100Gb/s and/or 100GbE per port
Host Interface: 2 × PCIe Gen 4.0 x8 (Socket Direct)
Protocol: VPI (InfiniBand and/or Ethernet, per-port)
Form Factor: Standard PCIe HHHL with tall bracket + auxiliary card
Offloads: RoCE v2, NVMe-oF, T10-DIF, VXLAN/Geneve/NVGRE
Virtualization: SR-IOV
Management: NC-SI
Condition: New
Compatibility & Hard Constraints
For full Socket Direct operation, the host server must provide two PCIe Gen 4.0 x8 slots, ideally one per CPU socket, and accept the auxiliary connector card. The adapter can also operate as a single PCIe 4.0 x16 device when only one slot is used, but Socket Direct latency benefits are lost. Pairs with NVIDIA Quantum/Switch-IB EDR switches for InfiniBand and NVIDIA Spectrum 100GbE switches for Ethernet. Cabling: EDR-rated QSFP28 transceivers, AOCs, or DACs for IB; 100GbE-rated optics for Ethernet. Tall bracket installed; low-profile bracket not included.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS supplies new and refurbished ConnectX adapters with verified OEM packaging. We provide expert consultation on Socket Direct deployment and dual-CPU PCIe topology, global shipping, and a typical handling time of 1–3 business days.