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Supported ML2 (Ethernet) adapters

Use this information for an overview of the ML2 (Ethernet) adapters that are supported on the server.

The following table lists the supported Ethernet adapters. For additional information about installing the adapters, see Installing an adapter and Installing an adapter in the standard or half-length I/O book, and Standard I/O book.

Note
  • You must go to the Lenovo Support web site at the Lenovo Data Center Support website and download the latest device drivers for the ML2 Ethernet adapters. Look for the Ethernet adapters under NIC adapters. Use the release notes and read.txt files for the device driver installation instructions.
  • Each ML2 (Ethernet) adapter comes with a standard profile bracket and a low-profile bracket. One bracket might already be installed.
Table 1. Supported ML2 (Ethernet) adapters and where you can install the adapters..

Three-column table that lists the supported Ethernet adapters, where to install the adapters, and notes about the adapters

Ethernet adaptersWhere to install the adapterNotes and Features
Intel X540 ML2 quad-port 1 Gb-T Ethernet Adapter for System xThis adapter can only be installed in slot 10 on the standard I/O book board.
  • Port 1 on the adapter is the default port for IMM Shared mode when enabled through UEFI.
  • This adapter provides the following features:
    • Single chip, quad-port 1 Gb Base-T controller with integrated MAC and PHY
    • PCI Express v2.1 with 5.0 GT/s and 2.5 GT/s support for x1, x2, and x4 links widths
    • Pass-Through (PT) functionality via a sideband interface
    • DMTF Network Controller Sideband Interface (NC-SI)
    • 1000BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, and 10Base-T link modes
    • Flexible port partitioning (32 virtual functions on quad-port or 16 virtual functions on dual-port)
Intel I350-T4 ML2 dual-port 10 Gb-T Ethernet Adapter for System xThis adapter can only be installed in slot 10 on the standard I/O book board.
  • Port 1 on the adapter is the default port for IMM Shared mode when enabled through UEFI.
  • This adapter provides the following features:
    • Single chip, dual port 10 Gb Base-T controller with integrated MAC and PHY
    • 12.5 watts maximum power
    • Unified networking delivering LAN, iSCSI, and FCoE over 10 Gb Base-T
    • Two independent 10 Gb Base-T interfaces with SR-IOV support
    • PCI Express v2.1 with 5.0 GT/s and 2.5 GT/s support for x1, x2, x4, and x8 links widths
    • 10BASE-T, 1000BASE-T, and 100BASE-TX link modes
Emulex VFA5 ML2 dual-port 10 Gb-SFP+ Ethernet Adapter for System xThis adapter can only be installed in slot 10 on the standard I/O book board.
  • Port 1 on the adapter is the default port for IMM Shared mode when enabled through UEFI.
  • This adapter supports FoD and requires a license or key (Emulex VFA5 ML2 FCoE/iSCSI License for System x (FoD)) if you want access to FCoE and iSCSI advanced features.
  • For this adapter, you will need supported SFP transceivers or DAC cables to connect to your Fibre connections.
  • This adapter provides the following features:
    • Four SFI 10 Gb Base-R Ethernet interfaces
    • PCIe Gen3 x8 interface
    • Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)
    • Ethernet network interface (Layer 2 NIC) and TCP/IP
    • Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
    • Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)
Broadcom NetXtremeII ML2 dual-port 10 Gb-T Ethernet Adapter for System xThis adapter can only be installed in slot 10 on the standard I/O book board.
  • Port 1 on the adapter is the default port for IMM Shared mode when enabled through UEFI.
  • This adapter provides the following features:
    • PCIe Gen2 x8 dual-port 10 Gb Base-T controller in 50 mm wide ML2 form factor
    • TCP/IP Offload (TOE), Wake on LAN (WOL), UCM and CIM capable
    • Supports standard pNIC or vNIC2 modes
    • Unified networking delivering LAN and iSCSI over 10 Gb Base-T
    • Two independent 10 Gbp Base-T interfaces with SR-IOV capability
    • PCI Express v2.1 with support for x8 link width 10 Gb Base-T and 1000Base-T link modes
    • DMTV Network Controller Sideband interface (NC-SI) capable for IMM2 shared port access
Broadcom NetXtremeII ML2 dual-port 10 Gb-SFP+ Ethernet Adapter for System xThis adapter can only be installed in slot 10 on the standard I/O book board.
  • Port 1 on the adapter is the default port for IMM Shared mode when enabled through UEFI.
  • This adapter provides the following features:
    • PCIe Gen2 x8 dual-port 10 Gb SFP+ controller in 50 mm wide ML2 form factor
    • TCP/IP Offload (TOE), Wake on LAN (WoL), UCM and CIM capable
    • Supports standard pNIC or vNIC2 modes
    • Unified networking delivering LAN and iSCSI over 10 Gb SFP+
    • Two independent 10 Gbp SFP+ interfaces with SR-IOV capability
    • PCI Express v2.1 with support for x8 link width, accepts both FTP+ SR optical and SFP+ DAC cables
    • DMTV Network Controller Sideband interface (NC-SI) capable for IMM2 shared port access