Dell 540-BCDL ConnectX-5 VPI 1-Port QSFP28 EDR IB PCIe Adapter

Product Description

The Dell 540-BCDL is a high-performance network adapter powered by the Mellanox ConnectX-5 controller, designed for the most demanding data center and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. This adapter features a single QSFP28 port, capable of supporting data rates up to 100 Gb/s. Its key differentiator is the Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) technology, which allows it to operate seamlessly as either a high-speed Ethernet adapter or an EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) InfiniBand adapter, providing unparalleled flexibility in network infrastructure. This versatility makes the ConnectX-5 VPI adapter ideal for a wide array of applications, including AI and machine learning, big data analytics, high-performance storage solutions, and cloud computing environments. It supports advanced features such as RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) over Converged Ethernet (RoCEv2) for low-latency communication, NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) for high-performance storage access, and GPUDirect for efficient data transfer between GPUs and network interfaces. The adapter connects to the host system via a PCI Express 3.0 x16 interface, ensuring maximum bandwidth and minimal latency for data-intensive operations. By consolidating Ethernet and InfiniBand capabilities into a single adapter, the Dell 540-BCDL simplifies network architecture, reduces costs, and enhances performance. It is designed to meet the evolving needs of modern data centers that require high bandwidth, low latency, and advanced acceleration technologies to drive computational efficiency and accelerate time-to-insight. The adapter typically comes in a full-height form factor, suitable for standard server installations.