BlueField-1 DPU-based NVMe-oF storage reference platform — the NVIDIA Mellanox MBE1200A-BN1 is a 2U rack-mount BlueField-1 reference platform designed for NVMe-oF (NVMe over Fabrics) storage target applications, supporting up to 16 NVMe SSDs (SSDs not included). MPN: MBE1200A-BN1. This product IS a complete 2U storage appliance chassis and DPU-offload reference platform; it is NOT a PCIe adapter, NOT a network switch, and NOT a standalone NIC. The “BN1” suffix denotes the non-crypto variant — hardware cryptographic acceleration is disabled in this SKU. Condition: refurbished.
Engineering Context
The MBE1200A-BN1 is based on the NVIDIA Mellanox BlueField-1 DPU (Data Processing Unit), which integrates a ConnectX-5 network controller with an ARM processor complex on a single SoC. The reference platform provides a 2U chassis with drive bays for up to 16 NVMe SSDs, a BlueField DPU for storage target offload (NVMe-oF target processing), and Ethernet connectivity for fabric uplinks. The non-crypto (BN1) variant has hardware encryption capabilities disabled — AES-XTS and IPsec offload are not available in this SKU. The platform is designed to run the SNAP (Software-defined Network Accelerated Processing) storage stack, enabling the BlueField DPU to offload NVMe-oF target operations from the host CPU. The SSD bays accept standard U.2 or M.2 NVMe drives (not supplied).
Deployment & Use Cases
Deployed as a disaggregated NVMe-oF storage target node in Ethernet or InfiniBand fabric-attached storage architectures. Used in hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) environments where compute and storage are disaggregated over a high-speed fabric. Suitable for AI/ML training clusters requiring high-throughput, low-latency NVMe-oF storage accessed by GPU servers over RDMA. Appropriate for cloud service provider (CSP) infrastructure building software-defined storage with DPU-offloaded NVMe-oF targets. Requires NVMe SSDs (not included) and appropriate fabric uplink cables for the specific deployment fabric (Ethernet or IB).
Technical Specifications
MPN: MBE1200A-BN1
Series: BlueField-1 Reference Platform
Form Factor: 2U Rack-Mount
DPU: NVIDIA Mellanox BlueField-1 (ConnectX-5 + ARM)
Max SSD Capacity: Up to 16 NVMe SSDs (not included)
Crypto Offload: Disabled (BN1 = Non-Crypto variant)
Storage Protocol: NVMe-oF (target offload)
Condition: Refurbished
Compatibility & Constraints
Designed for deployment as a standalone NVMe-oF storage target node; NVMe SSDs must be sourced separately and are not included with this product. The MBE1200A-BN1 is the non-crypto variant — hardware AES encryption and IPsec offload are disabled. For the crypto-enabled variant, the MBE1200A-EN1 (E-Series Crypto) would be required instead. The platform requires NVIDIA MLNX_OFED or BlueField-specific software stack for NVMe-oF target functionality. Fabric uplink cables and transceivers are not included. Not intended for use as a PCIe add-in card or standalone NIC. Verify SSD form factor and drive interface compatibility (U.2 NVMe vs M.2) with the chassis drive bay specification before populating.
Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS
T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS tests all BlueField platform units for power-on, DPU enumeration, and chassis integrity prior to dispatch. Lab-verified stock, 1–3 business day handling, global shipping. Technical consultation available for NVMe-oF deployment architecture and BlueField software stack. Visit tes-itsolutions.com.