NVIDIA Mellanox MSN2010-CB2R Spectrum Ethernet Switch: This is a standalone Layer 2/3 Open Ethernet switch featuring the Spectrum ASIC, not a passive interconnect or interface card. It provides 18 dedicated 25GbE SFP28 downlink ports and 4 100GbE QSFP28 uplink ports in a 1U form factor.
🌐 Engineering Context
The MSN2010-CB2R is engineered to bridge the transition from 10GbE to 25GbE server access layers while maintaining 100GbE spine connectivity. Built on the Mellanox Spectrum architecture, it provides deterministic latency and zero-packet-loss performance, essential for block storage and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) where flow collisions cause significant performance degradation. The C2P (Connector-to-Power) airflow direction indicates "Forward Airflow," meaning cold air is drawn in from the connector side and exhausted at the power supply side, suitable for rack configurations where the switch ports face the cold aisle.
🧠 Deployment & Use Cases
Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI): Ideal for Nutanix or VMware vSAN deployments requiring high-bandwidth 25GbE node connectivity with 100GbE aggregation.
High-Performance Storage: Used in NVMe-over-Fabrics (NVMe-oF) storage clusters where low latency is critical for read/write IOPS.
Top-of-Rack (ToR) Aggregation: Serves as a compact leaf switch for racks with moderate server density (up to 18 nodes) requiring non-blocking throughput.
🔧 Technical Specifications
OEM: NVIDIA / Mellanox
Part Number: 920-9N110-00R7-0X2 (Model: MSN2010-CB2R)
Port Configuration: 18x 25GbE SFP28, 4x 100GbE QSFP28
Switching ASIC: Spectrum
Airflow: C2P (Connector Side Intake / Cold Aisle Facing)
Operating System: Mellanox Onyx™ (Supports ONIE/Cumulus)
Form Factor: 1U Standard Depth
✅ Compatibility & ❌ Hard Constraints
Supported Transceivers: Compatible with MSA-compliant SFP28 (10/25GbE) and QSFP28 (40/100GbE) optical modules and DAC/AOC assemblies.
Protocol Limitation: This switch supports Ethernet protocols only and does not support native InfiniBand fabrics, despite using QSFP physical interfaces common to both technologies.
Airflow Constraint: This unit is C2P. Installation in a P2C (Power-to-Connector) thermal environment will result in recirculation and potential thermal shutdown.
🤝 Why Choose T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS?
We are a UCP-compliant authority on enterprise networking. Unlike box-movers, T.E.S IT-SOLUTIONS performs lab-validation on every unit to ensure zero-packet-drop performance. We offer expert consultation, global shipping, and a comprehensive warranty.