540-BBVJ Dell Dual Port 10GB PCIE NIC

Dell Broadcom BCM57416 Dual Port 10Gb PCIe Ethernet NIC Overview

The 540-BBVJ Dell Broadcom BCM57416 Dual Port 10Gb PCIe Ethernet Low Profile NIC represents a highly capable networking solution tailored for modern enterprise environments. Featuring dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, PCIe Gen3 interface compatibility, and a compact low-profile form factor, this adapter card meets the performance and scalability requirements of high-density data center deployments. Designed for Dell PowerEdge servers, the BCM57416 NIC provides efficient data throughput, robust virtualization support, and energy-efficient networking capabilities.

Key Features of the 540-BBVJ Dell Broadcom BCM57416 10Gb NIC

Dual 10GbE Ports

Equipped with two 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) ports, the Dell Broadcom BCM57416 allows for substantial increases in bandwidth and network performance. These dual ports are essential for environments requiring high-speed data transfers, failover protection, and link aggregation capabilities. Dual-port configurations are also ideal for reducing latency in virtualized and cloud applications.

PCIe 3.0 x8 Interface

Utilizing the PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, this NIC ensures high-speed data exchange between the network and the server's internal architecture. PCIe Gen3 delivers faster throughput and better performance compared to older generations, providing optimal data rates of up to 8 GT/s per lane, which is essential for modern data-intensive applications.

Low-Profile Form Factor

The low-profile bracket design makes this card perfect for space-constrained server chassis. The low-profile PCIe NIC form factor is standard in 1U and 2U rack-mounted servers, which are common in contemporary enterprise infrastructure. Its compact size ensures compatibility without sacrificing performance.

Broadcom BCM57416 Controller

At the heart of the adapter is the Broadcom BCM57416 controller, a robust and efficient Ethernet controller that supports hardware offloads for tasks such as TCP segmentation and checksum, reducing CPU load and improving overall system performance. This controller is purpose-built for high-performance, enterprise-class networking.

Performance Capabilities in Enterprise Networks

Accelerated Data Throughput

The Dell Broadcom 540-BBVJ NIC is engineered to handle heavy workloads with ease. Its dual 10GbE interfaces enable data throughput of up to 20Gbps when used in full-duplex mode, making it ideal for applications such as database mirroring, video streaming, and high-frequency trading where low latency and high bandwidth are non-negotiable.

Support for Network Virtualization

With built-in support for advanced virtualization technologies such as VMware NetQueue, Microsoft VMQ, and SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization), this NIC enhances virtual machine (VM) performance by offloading network traffic from the hypervisor, reducing processing overhead, and increasing VM density per server.

High Availability and Redundancy

Network redundancy is crucial in enterprise environments, and the 540-BBVJ provides this with features such as teaming and failover support. These capabilities help ensure continued network availability, minimizing downtime in the event of port failure or cable disconnection.

Reduced CPU Utilization

Offload features such as TCP/IP checksum offload, large send offload (LSO), and interrupt moderation free up valuable CPU cycles by shifting packet processing to the NIC hardware. This results in a more responsive server system and improved application performance under load.

Hardware Compatibility and System Integration

Compatibility with Dell PowerEdge Servers

The 540-BBVJ NIC is fully tested and validated for Dell PowerEdge servers, ensuring a seamless integration experience. It supports a range of models, including R640, R740, R740xd, R540, T640, and more. This tight integration enhances system stability and simplifies driver management and firmware updates.

Plug-and-Play Installation

With standard PCIe support and Dell OpenManage integration, deploying this NIC is straightforward. Whether in a new deployment or as an upgrade, the NIC is recognized by system firmware and major operating systems like Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu Server, and VMware ESXi.

U.2 and NVMe Workload Compatibility

In server environments where NVMe-based storage workloads are prevalent, the high-speed 10GbE connectivity provided by the 540-BBVJ NIC ensures there is no network bottleneck between the storage and client systems. The card supports sufficient bandwidth for NVMe-over-Fabrics (NVMe-oF) setups.

Advanced Networking Features and Protocol Support

Data Center Bridging (DCB) Support

For environments leveraging converged data and storage traffic, this NIC supports Data Center Bridging (DCB), a suite of IEEE standards that enhance Ethernet networks to support lossless transport and traffic prioritization. DCB is essential for ensuring consistent performance in iSCSI and FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) networks.

Support for IPv4 and IPv6

To future-proof enterprise infrastructure, the Dell BCM57416 NIC supports both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. This ensures smooth transition and dual-stack network environments, facilitating compatibility with modern internet and intranet architectures.

Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

The NIC supports IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol which is increasingly important in high-frequency trading, telecom, and distributed database systems where accurate timing is critical. PTP enables precise clock synchronization across network nodes.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Optimization

Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE)

To reduce power consumption, the Broadcom BCM57416 NIC incorporates Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE)

Low Thermal Footprint