N2XX-AIPCI01 Cisco Ethernet X520 PCI-E 2 Ports Adapter

Highlights of Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 Ethernet Network Adapter

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 Ethernet Converged Network Adapter PCIe 2 Ports X520 is a high-performance enterprise networking solution engineered for Cisco UCS servers and modern data centers. Featuring the Intel 82599ES Ethernet controller, dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ ports, and PCI Express 2.0 x8 connectivity, this adapter delivers exceptional bandwidth, low-latency communication, and support for converged networking technologies including Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). It is an ideal choice for virtualization, cloud computing, storage networking, and high-performance enterprise applications.

General Information

• Manufacturer: Cisco
• Part Number: N2XX-AIPCI01
• Product Type: Network Adapter
• Series: Cisco UCS X520 Converged Network Adapter

Technical Specifications

• Interface: PCIe 2 Ports Ethernet X520 Network Adapter
• Form Factor: Plug-in Card with Low-Profile and Full-Height Brackets
• Host Interface: PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0 x8 (5 GT/s)
• Controller: Intel 82599ES Ethernet Controller
• Ports: 2 × 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ Open Slots
• Data Transfer Rate: 10 Gbps Per Port
• Data Link Protocol: 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Media Compatibility: 10GBASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, and SFP+ Copper Direct Attach (DAC)
• Supported Protocols: TCP/IP, UDP/IP, IPSec, iSCSI, FCoE, NFS
• Management Features: PXE Boot, iSCSI Boot, SNMP, RMON Statistics Counters
• Compliant Standards: IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.1Q, IEEE 802.1p, IEEE 802.3ad (LACP), IEEE 802.1AE

PCI Express 2.0 x8 Interface

• PCIe 2.0 x8 architecture
• High-bandwidth server interface
• Efficient data movement
• Reduced bottlenecks
• Improved application responsiveness

Flexible SFP+ Media Support

• Compatible with 10GBASE-SR optics
• Supports 10GBASE-LR optical modules
• Works with SFP+ DAC cables
• Ideal for short and long-distance networking
• Scalable connectivity options

Industry Standards Compliance

• IEEE 802.3 Ethernet
• IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging
• IEEE 802.1p QoS
• IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation (LACP)
• IEEE 802.1AE MAC Security
• IEEE 802.1AS Time Synchronization

Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 2 Ports X520 Network Adapter Overview

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 Ethernet Converged Network Adapter PCIe 2 Ports X520 is engineered to deliver enterprise-class networking performance with a design tailored for Cisco UCS servers and modular infrastructures. Built on Intel’s X520 converged Ethernet technology, this adapter ensures scalable throughput, reliable integration, and seamless deployment in structured environments. Its design supports modern workloads, delivering consistent bandwidth, optimized traffic management, and enhanced flexibility for mission-critical applications across diverse industries.

Advanced Security Architecture

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 incorporates advanced security mechanisms to safeguard enterprise networks. Features such as secure boot, hardware root of trust, and encryption support protect against unauthorized access and cyber threats. Enterprises achieve compliance with industry standards, ensuring reliable protection for sensitive data and mission-critical applications with minimal risk exposure and enhanced resilience.

Optimized Performance

With support for SR-IOV and virtualization offloads, the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 enables versatile communication across enterprise networks. Its architecture ensures consistent bandwidth for diverse applications. Enterprises benefit from optimized traffic flow, reduced latency, and improved scalability in virtualization-centric environments where performance consistency is essential for mission-critical workloads and distributed infrastructures.

Dual-Port 10GBE Connectivity

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 provides dual 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, ensuring efficient communication across enterprise environments. With support for SFP+ connections, it delivers stable coverage and improved throughput. Enterprises benefit from reduced latency, enhanced responsiveness, and reliable performance for servers, storage systems, and applications operating simultaneously in demanding conditions.

Integration with Cisco UCS Servers

The adapter integrates seamlessly with Cisco UCS servers, offering flexible expansion options. This integration supports advanced traffic management, virtualization features, and high availability. Enterprises benefit from streamlined deployment, reduced complexity, and scalable solutions that adapt to evolving networking requirements across enterprise and data center environments with minimal disruption.

Traffic Management and QoS Capabilities

Quality of Service features allow administrators to prioritize critical applications such as storage traffic, voice, and video. The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 ensures that latency-sensitive workloads receive dedicated bandwidth, reducing jitter and packet loss. Enterprises achieve improved user experiences, optimized performance, and reliable communication across diverse applications with enhanced control over traffic distribution and prioritization.

Energy Efficiency and Thermal Design

Energy-efficient design minimizes power consumption while maintaining high performance. The adapter’s optimized thermal design ensures simplified deployment without overheating risks. Enterprises benefit from reduced cooling requirements, improved sustainability, and extended hardware lifespan in high-density environments where efficiency and reliability are critical for long-term operations.

Scalability for Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With dual 10GBE ports, businesses can expand their networks without significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that networking capabilities evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.

Mission-Critical Workloads

Reliability is a cornerstone of the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 design. Redundant architecture and robust connectivity ensure continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across distributed environments and global deployments.

Deployment Flexibility Across Environments

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 offers deployment flexibility across diverse environments. Its compatibility with Cisco UCS modular platforms allows seamless integration into enterprise, campus, and branch networks. Enterprises can tailor configurations for redundancy, scalability, or performance optimization, ensuring adaptability to evolving business needs with simplified management and streamlined workflows.

High-Density Applications

High-density applications such as virtualization clusters and storage backbones benefit from the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01’s dual-port design and advanced networking capabilities. Enterprises achieve simplified cabling, reduced infrastructure costs, and improved manageability in environments requiring large-scale device connectivity with consistent performance delivery and reliable throughput across critical workloads.

Future-Proof Networking Solution

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 is designed as a future-proof solution, meeting evolving enterprise needs. Its compatibility, scalability, and advanced features ensure relevance as technology advances. Businesses can invest confidently, knowing the adapter will support networking requirements for years to come across diverse industries with minimal upgrade requirements and enhanced adaptability.

Enhanced Performance

Storage networking platforms benefit from the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01’s QoS and port support. Storage traffic receives prioritized bandwidth, ensuring clear communication and reduced latency. Enterprises achieve improved collaboration between storage systems, optimized performance, and reliable connectivity for mission-critical storage networks across global deployments with consistent quality and seamless integration.

Cloud and Edge Deployments

Cloud and edge deployments require reliable connectivity and scalability. The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 provides secure integration for high-speed cloud adoption and edge device connectivity. Enterprises benefit from seamless cloud adoption, reduced latency, and improved efficiency in distributed environments with consistent throughput and reliable performance across diverse workloads.

Comprehensive Manageability Features

Manageability features such as centralized monitoring, configuration management, and diagnostics simplify administration. The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 ensures that IT teams can efficiently manage large-scale deployments. Enterprises achieve reduced operational overhead, improved visibility, and enhanced control over network infrastructures with streamlined workflows and simplified management processes across complex environments.

Emerging Technologies

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 supports emerging technologies such as NVMe over Fabrics and advanced storage protocols. Its dual-port design ensures reliable connectivity, while advanced traffic management provides high-speed performance. Enterprises benefit from future-ready infrastructure, enabling seamless adoption of new technologies without significant upgrades or disruptions across diverse industries and global deployments.

Resilient Architecture

The resilient architecture of the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 ensures consistent performance under demanding conditions. Redundant connectivity and advanced traffic management features safeguard enterprise networks. Enterprises achieve improved uptime, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability for mission-critical applications requiring continuous availability and consistent performance across distributed infrastructures.

Universal Device

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 is compatible with a wide range of Cisco UCS platforms, ensuring seamless integration into diverse infrastructures. Enterprises benefit from deployment flexibility, reduced complexity, and enhanced scalability across enterprise and campus networks with simplified device onboarding and configuration.

Optimized for Enterprise Growth

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 provides scalability to meet growing enterprise demands. With its universal design, businesses can expand their networks without requiring significant infrastructure changes. Enterprises achieve cost-effective scaling, ensuring that adapter solutions evolve alongside organizational growth with minimal disruption and consistent performance across diverse workloads.

Demanding Conditions

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 ensures reliable performance even in demanding industrial conditions. Its robust construction and centralized management provide enterprises with confidence in their infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and consistent performance across mission-critical applications requiring continuous availability and resilience.

Data-Intensive Workloads

Data-intensive workloads such as analytics and cloud applications benefit from the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01’s connectivity and QoS features. Enterprises achieve optimized performance, reduced latency, and improved scalability for workloads requiring consistent bandwidth and reliable communication across distributed environments and mission-critical infrastructures.

Enterprise-Class Reliability and Uptime

Reliability is a key advantage of the Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01. Its robust architecture ensures continuous operation even during hardware failures. Enterprises benefit from minimized downtime, consistent service availability, and enhanced resilience for mission-critical workloads requiring uninterrupted connectivity across diverse environments and global deployments with consistent performance.

Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities

The Cisco N2XX-AIPCI01 enhances monitoring by providing real-time visibility into network performance. Administrators can track device health, traffic patterns, and application usage, ensuring proactive management. Enterprises achieve improved efficiency, reduced risk, and enhanced reliability across diverse deployment scenarios with simplified troubleshooting and proactive alerts.

Secure Role-Based Access Control

The adapter’s role-based access control ensures that only authorized personnel can configure or manage devices. Enterprises achieve improved security, reduced risk of misconfiguration, and enhanced compliance with industry standards across diverse environments with consistent enforcement of access policies.