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Table of Contents
Abstract
The NVIDIA ConnectX-7 network adapter offers performance and versatility for modern networking needs. This adapter is designed to meet the demands of high-speed data communication, making it suitable for data centers and enterprise environments.
This product guide provides essential presales information to understand the ConnectX-7 10/25GbE adapter and their key features, specifications and compatibility. This guide is intended for technical specialists, sales specialists, sales engineers, IT architects, and other IT professionals who want to learn more about the adapters and consider their use in IT solutions.
Change History
Changes in the April 23, 2025 update:
- Added OS support information for the adapter - Operating system support section
Introduction
NVIDIA ConnectX-7 with four 25Gb Ethernet ports is a remote direct-memory access (RDMA) over converged Ethernet (RoCE) network adapter that supports Ethernet protocol at 25 Gb/s. It enables a wide range of advanced, scalable, and secure networking solutions for enterprise needs, from traditional workloads to the world’s most-demanding AI, scientific computing, and hyperscale cloud data center workloads.
The following figure shows the ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-7 10/25GbE SFP28 4-Port PCIe Ethernet Adapter.
Figure 1. ThinkSystem NVIDIA ConnectX-7 10/25GbE SFP28 4-Port PCIe Ethernet Adapter
Did you know?
The ConnectX-7 adapters are optimized to deliver accelerated networking for modern cloud, artificial intelligence, and traditional enterprise workloads. ConnectX-7 provides a broad set of software-defined, hardware-accelerated networking, storage, and security capabilities which enable organizations to modernize and secure their IT infrastructures.
Part number information
The following table provides the ordering part numbers and feature codes for the ConnectX-7 10/25GbE adapter.
The option part number include the following items:
- One Ethernet adapter
- Full-height (3U) bracket attached with Low profile (2U) bracket included in the box
- Documentation flyer
Note: The adapters ship without any transceivers or direct attach cables. These items must be ordered separately as listed in the following section.
Supported transceivers and cables
The ConnectX-7 10/25GbE adapter has empty SFP28 cages for connectivity. The adapter either supports connections to a 10 Gb or 25 Gb switch or can share a connection to a 100 Gb switch using a 4:1 breakout cable.
The following table lists the supported transceivers.
25Gb transceivers: When installed in this 25Gb Ethernet adapter, 25Gb transceivers are designed to operate at either 25 Gb/s or 10 Gb/s speeds as listed in the description of the transceiver, however the speed also depends on the negotiation with the connected switch. In most configurations, this negotiation is automatic, however in some configurations you may have to manually set the link speed or FEC mode.
The following table lists the supported optical cables.
The following table lists the supported direct-attach copper (DAC) cables.
Features
The ConnectX-7 10/25GbE adapter has the following features:
- Accelerated Networking and Security
ConnectX-7 provides a broad set of software-defined, hardware-accelerated networking, storage, and security capabilities which enable organizations to modernize and secure their IT infrastructures. Moreover, ConnectX-7 empowers agile and high-performance solutions from edge to core data centers to clouds, all while enhancing network security and reducing the total cost of ownership.
- Accelerate Data-Driven Scientific Computing
ConnectX-7 provides ultra-low latency, extreme throughput, and innovative NVIDIA In-Network Computing engines to deliver the acceleration, scalability, and feature- rich technology needed for today’s modern scientific computing workloads.
- Accelerate Software- Defined Networking
NVIDIA ASAP2 technology accelerates software-defined networking, delivering line-rate performance with no CPU penalty.
- Enhance Storage Performance
ConnectX-7 enables high-performance and efficient data storage by leveraging RDMA/RoCE, GPUDirect Storage, and hardware-based NVMe-oF offload engines.
Specifications
The ConnectX-7 10/25GbE adapter has the following technical specifications:
- Host interface
- PCIe Gen 4.0 x16 host interface
- Support for PCIe bifurcation
- Support for MSI/MSI-X mechanisms
- Ethernet Interface
- Four network ports supporting NRZ
- Auto-detection of 10G/25G link
- RDMA over converged Ethernet (RoCE)
- Enhanced Ethernet Networking
- Zero-touch RoCE
- NVIDIA Accelerated Switch and Packet Processing (ASAP2) for software-defined networking (SDN) and virtual network functions (VNF)
- OVS acceleration
- Overlay network acceleration: VXLAN, GENEVE, NVGRE
- Connection tracking (L4 firewall)
- Flow mirroring, header rewrite, hierarchical QoS
- SR-IOV Stateless TCP offloads
- Management and Control
- NC-SI, MCTP over SMBus, and MCTP over PCIe
- Platform-Level Data Model (PLDM) for Monitor and Control DSP0248
- PLDM for Firmware Update DSP0267
- PLDM for Redfish Device Enablement DSP0218
- PLDM for Field-Replaceable Unit (FRU) DSP0257
- Security Protocols and Data Models (SPDM) DSP0274
- Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) to flash
- JTAG IEEE 1149.1 and IEEE 1149.6
- Remote Boot
- Remote boot over iSCSI
- UEFI
- PXe
- Platform security:
- Secure boot with hardware root of trust (RoT)
- Secure firmware update
- Flash encryption
- Device attestation
Note: This adapter does not support crypto features
Server support
The following tables list the ThinkSystem servers that are compatible.
Support of adapters with generic firmware
One or more of the adapters described in this product guide uses standard vendor firmware (look for "Generic FW" or "Generic" in the adapter names). These adapters are supported in Lenovo servers however there are currently limitations on the use of Lenovo management tools.
Support in Lenovo XClarity management tools for adapters with generic firmware is per the following table.
Tip: Always use firmware that is obtained from Lenovo sources to ensure the firmware is fully tested by Lenovo and is supported. You should not use firmware that is obtained from the vendor web site, unless directed to do so by Lenovo support.
Operating system support
The following table lists the supported operating systems for the adapter.
Tip: These tables are automatically generated based on data from Lenovo ServerProven.
Physical specifications
The PCIe adapters have a Low Profile form factor with the following dimensions:
- Length: 144 mm (5.6 in.)
- Height: 69 mm (2.7 in.)
Operating environment
The adapters have the following operating characteristics:
- Typical power consumption (passive cables): 15.1W
- Temperature
- Operational: 0°C to 55°C
- Non-operational: -40°C to 70°C
- Humidity: 90% relative humidity
Warranty
One-year limited warranty. When installed in a supported server, these adapters assume the server’s base warranty and any warranty upgrade.
Agency approvals
The adapter has the following regulatory approvals:
- Safety: CB / cTUVus / CE
- EMC: CE / FCC / VCCI / ICES / RCM / KC
- RoHS: RoHS Compliant
Related publications
For more information, see the following resources:
- ThinkSystem Ethernet and InfiniBand Adapter Reference
https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/lp1594-thinksystem-ethernet-infiniband-adapter-reference - NVIDIA ConnectX-7 User Manual:
https://docs.nvidia.com/networking/display/connectx7vpi - Lenovo ServerProven compatibility information
http://serverproven.lenovo.com
Trademarks
Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
ServerProven®
ThinkSystem®
XClarity®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Intel® is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Microsoft®, Windows Server®, and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
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Full Change History
Changes in the April 23, 2025 update:
- Added OS support information for the adapter - Operating system support section
First published: February 25, 2025
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