42C1800 IBM 10GB PCI Express 2.0 X8 Converged Network Adapters

Product Overview ofIBM 42C1800 Qlogic X8 Converged Network 

The IBM 42C1800 Qlogic adapter is a high-performance plug-in card designed to deliver reliable wired connectivity, advanced networking protocols, and efficient data transfer rates for enterprise environments.

General Information

• Brand: IBM
• Part Number: 42C1800
• Device Type: Network Adapter

Technical Specifications

Form Factor

• Plug-in card design for easy installation

Interface Type

• PCI Express 2.0 X8 bus interface

Bus Voltage

• Universal support for 3.3 V & 5.0 V

Networking Capabilities

Connectivity Technology

• Wired connection for stable performance

Supported Protocols

• 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• 10Gb Fibre Channel

Fibre Channel Standards

• FC-GS-2
• FC-GS-3
• FC-Tape
• FCP
• FCP-2

Data Transfer Rate

• 10 Gbps throughput

Advanced Features

• Auto-negotiation capability
• IPv6 protocol support

Processor and Memory

RAM Capacity

• 2 MB onboard memory

Flash Storage

• 4 MB flash memory

Expansion and Connectivity

Interfaces

• 2 x Network ports - SFP+

Compatible Slots

• 1 x PCI Express 2.0 X8 slot
• Half-length, low-profile design

Key Benefits

Performance Advantages

• High-speed 10Gbps data transfer
• Reliable wired connectivity
• Support for multiple Fibre Channel standards

Design Benefits

• Compact half-length form factor
• Low-profile compatibility for diverse systems

IBM 42C1800 QLogic 10Gb PCI Express 2.0 x8 Converged 

The IBM 42C1800 QLogic 10Gb PCI Express 2.0 x8 Converged Network Adapter represents a high-performance networking solution designed for enterprise-grade data centers, virtualization environments, and mission-critical workloads that require reliable, low-latency, and high-throughput connectivity. As part of the converged network adapter (CNA) category, this hardware integrates both storage and Ethernet networking capabilities into a single adapter, significantly improving server efficiency and reducing infrastructure complexity. Built on QLogic’s trusted architecture and IBM’s enterprise integration standards, this adapter is engineered for scalability, performance stability, and compatibility with advanced network storage protocols.

Enterprise-Class Converged Networking Architecture

Integration of Storage and Ethernet Traffic

The core strength of the IBM 42C1800 QLogic 10Gb PCIe 2.0 x8 Converged Network Adapter lies in its ability to converge storage and Ethernet traffic over a unified network interface. This convergence reduces the need for multiple network interface cards and Host Bus Adapters, allowing IT administrators to streamline server hardware while improving bandwidth utilization. By combining Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and standard TCP/IP networking, the adapter enables simplified data center architecture and lower total cost of ownership.

PCI Express 2.0 x8 Interface Efficiency

The PCI Express 2.0 x8 interface provides a robust data transfer pathway between the server motherboard and the adapter. With high lane bandwidth availability, it ensures that the 10Gb Ethernet performance is not bottlenecked by the system bus. This architecture allows the adapter to deliver consistent throughput for demanding workloads such as virtualization clusters, database replication, and cloud service provisioning.

Bandwidth Optimization Capabilities

The adapter intelligently distributes bandwidth across multiple virtual lanes, ensuring balanced network traffic flow even under peak loads. This makes it particularly suitable for environments where multiple virtual machines share a single physical network interface.

High-Performance 10 Gigabit Connectivity

Low-Latency Network Communication

Designed for high-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet communication, the IBM 42C1800 adapter reduces latency across both storage and network transactions. This is essential for modern data centers where real-time application responsiveness is critical. The adapter’s architecture minimizes packet processing delays and ensures rapid data transmission between servers, storage arrays, and network switches.

Support for Virtualization Environments

Virtualized infrastructures such as VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Linux KVM benefit significantly from the adapter’s performance optimization. It supports multiple virtual NICs, enabling each virtual machine to communicate independently while sharing the same physical adapter. This enhances workload density and improves server utilization rates.

Enhanced VM Density and Efficiency

By offloading network processing tasks from the CPU to the adapter hardware, system resources are freed for application processing. This leads to improved VM density per physical server, making it a cost-effective solution for cloud service providers and enterprise IT environments.

QLogic Engine and Hardware Acceleration

Intelligent Offload Capabilities

The QLogic controller embedded within the IBM 42C1800 adapter supports advanced offloading functions such as TCP segmentation offload (TSO), large receive offload (LRO), and checksum offloading. These features reduce CPU overhead and improve overall system performance.

Fibre Channel over Ethernet Support

One of the key advantages of this converged network adapter is its support for FCoE, enabling Fibre Channel storage traffic to run over Ethernet infrastructure. This eliminates the need for separate storage networking hardware and simplifies cabling and switch requirements in the data center.

Storage Networking Consolidation

With storage and network traffic unified, administrators can reduce hardware sprawl and improve infrastructure manageability. This consolidation is especially valuable in large-scale enterprise environments where rack space and power efficiency are critical considerations.

Data Center Optimization and Scalability

Efficient Server Resource Utilization

The IBM 42C1800 QLogic 10Gb PCIe CNA is engineered to maximize server resource utilization by minimizing the overhead associated with traditional NIC and HBA deployments. By consolidating these functions into a single adapter, it reduces power consumption, heat generation, and hardware maintenance requirements.

Scalable Network Architecture

In scalable data center environments, this adapter supports seamless expansion of network capacity without requiring significant architectural changes. Organizations can scale from small server clusters to large enterprise deployments while maintaining consistent network performance and reliability.

Cloud Infrastructure Compatibility

Cloud computing platforms benefit from the adapter’s ability to handle multi-tenant workloads efficiently. It supports isolated traffic streams for different virtual environments, ensuring security and performance consistency across shared infrastructures.

Reliability and Enterprise Stability

Designed for Continuous Operation

Enterprise IT environments require hardware capable of 24/7 operation under heavy workloads. The IBM 42C1800 adapter is built with enterprise-grade components that ensure long-term reliability and operational stability even in high-temperature and high-demand scenarios.

Error Handling and Data Integrity

Advanced error detection and correction mechanisms ensure data integrity across network transmissions. This is particularly important for financial systems, healthcare databases, and mission-critical applications where data loss or corruption cannot be tolerated.

Redundant Path Compatibility

The adapter supports network redundancy configurations, allowing multiple failover paths to be established. This ensures continuous connectivity even in the event of a hardware or network failure.

Compatibility and System Integration

Server Platform Support

The IBM 42C1800 QLogic 10Gb PCIe 2.0 x8 Converged Network Adapter is compatible with a wide range of IBM servers and enterprise x86 server platforms. It integrates seamlessly into existing infrastructure without requiring extensive configuration changes, making deployment straightforward and efficient.

Operating System Support

This adapter supports major enterprise operating systems including Windows Server editions, Linux distributions, and UNIX-based environments. Driver support ensures stable performance and optimized hardware utilization across different platforms.

Driver Optimization and Firmware Updates

Regular firmware updates and driver enhancements improve compatibility and performance over time. These updates often include security patches, performance improvements, and expanded protocol support for evolving network standards.

Energy Efficiency and Cost Optimization

Reduced Hardware Footprint

By combining multiple networking functions into a single adapter, the IBM 42C1800 reduces the number of physical components required in a server system. This leads to lower energy consumption and reduced cooling requirements in data center environments.

Advanced Networking Features

Quality of Service (QoS) Management

The adapter supports advanced Quality of Service mechanisms that prioritize critical network traffic. This ensures that latency-sensitive applications such as VoIP, video streaming, and financial transactions receive optimal bandwidth allocation.

Traffic Segmentation and Security

Network segmentation capabilities allow administrators to isolate traffic types, enhancing both performance and security. This is essential for multi-tenant environments and regulated industries where data separation is required.

Secure Data Transmission Protocols

Encryption and secure communication protocols are supported to ensure that sensitive data remains protected during transmission across enterprise networks.

Deployment Scenarios and Use Cases

Enterprise Data Centers

In enterprise data centers, the IBM 42C1800 adapter is used to streamline network infrastructure and support high-performance computing workloads. It enables efficient server-to-storage communication and reduces latency across distributed systems.

Cloud Service Providers

Cloud environments benefit from the adapter’s ability to handle multiple virtualized workloads simultaneously. It supports dynamic resource allocation and ensures consistent performance across shared infrastructure.

High-Performance Computing Environments

HPC clusters require extremely fast and reliable network communication between compute nodes. This adapter provides the necessary bandwidth and low latency required for scientific simulations, AI workloads, and large-scale data analysis.

Big Data and Analytics Workloads

Data-intensive applications such as Hadoop clusters and real-time analytics platforms benefit from the adapter’s ability to handle large volumes of data traffic efficiently and consistently.