00YK369 Lenovo 25GbE SFP28 2 Port PCI-E-3.0x8 NIC Mellanox Module

Product Highlights of Lenovo 00YK369 SFP28 Network Adapter

The Lenovo 00YK369 Mellanox Connectx-4 LX is a high-performance network adapter designed for seamless and efficient connectivity. Ideal for enhancing network speeds, this adapter delivers up to 25 Gbps data transfer rates, making it perfect for modern networking demands.

General Specifications

• Manufacturer: Lenovo
• Part Number: 00YK369
• Product Type: Dual-Port Network Adapter

Technical Specifications

• Form Factor: Plug-in card, optimized for ease of integration
• Interface Type: Mezzanine LAN-on-motherboard (ML2) for streamlined setup
• Ports: Dual 25 Gigabit SFP28 ports for high-speed connectivity
• Data Link Protocol: Supports 25 Gigabit LAN protocol
• Data Transfer Rate: Achieves up to 25 Gbps for rapid data throughput
• Jumbo Frame Size: Capable of handling large packets up to 9600 bytes

Design & Form Factor

• Compact plug-in card engineered for seamless integration
• Mezzanine LAN-on-motherboard (ML2) interface for simplified deployment

Connectivity Features

• Two SFP28 ports delivering 25 Gigabit Ethernet performance
• Supports advanced 25GbE LAN protocol for reliable networking
• Maximum throughput reaching 25 Gbps for accelerated data exchange

Performance Enhancements

• Handles jumbo frames up to 9600 bytes for efficient packet transmission
• Optimized for high-bandwidth workloads and virtualized environments

System Compatibility

• Certified for ThinkAgile Vx Nodes (7Y94, 7Z12)
• Compatible with ThinkAgile Vx7820 Appliance (7Z13)
• Fully supported on SR630, SR650, SR850, and SR860 platforms

IEEE Compliance

• IEEE 802.1Q – VLAN tagging for streamlined traffic segmentation
• IEEE 802.3ad (LACP) – Link aggregation for redundancy and higher bandwidth
• IEEE 802.3ae – 10 Gigabit Ethernet compatibility
• IEEE 802.3az – Energy-efficient Ethernet reducing operational power usage

Advanced Traffic Management

• IEEE 802.1QBB – Priority-based flow control for congestion handling
• IEEE 802.1QAZ – Enhanced traffic prioritization mechanisms
• IEEE 802.1QBG – Virtual bridging for optimized network virtualization

High-Speed Data Handling

• 25Gbps transfer rate ensures rapid communication across enterprise networks

Energy Efficiency

• 802.3az compliance reduces energy consumption without compromising performance

Scalability & Reliability

• Supports link aggregation for improved resilience and bandwidth scaling

Lenovo 00YK369 25GbE SFP28 Network Interface Card 

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC represents a high-performance networking solution engineered for enterprise-grade data centers, cloud infrastructures, and virtualization-intensive environments. Designed as a dual-port 25 Gigabit Ethernet adapter, this network interface card integrates advanced networking capabilities with efficient PCI Express 3.0 x8 architecture to deliver exceptional throughput, low latency, and high reliability. Built on the Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx controller, this ML2 module is specifically optimized for Lenovo ThinkSystem servers, ensuring seamless compatibility, hardware-level acceleration, and optimized data processing.

Architecture and Design Characteristics

The architecture of the Lenovo 00YK369 is built around the Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx chipset, which provides a scalable and highly efficient framework for handling modern networking workloads. The dual-port SFP28 configuration enables simultaneous high-speed connectivity, offering flexibility for redundancy, load balancing, or segmented network traffic management. With a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, the adapter ensures sufficient bandwidth to fully utilize the 25GbE capabilities without bottlenecks.

PCI Express 3.0 x8 Interface Efficiency

The PCI Express 3.0 x8 interface delivers a data transfer rate capable of supporting high-throughput operations required in enterprise environments. This interface allows the NIC to communicate efficiently with the host system, minimizing latency and maximizing packet processing performance. The architecture ensures compatibility with modern server platforms, providing a stable foundation for data-intensive applications.

Optimized ML2 Form Factor

The ML2 form factor is specifically designed for Lenovo ThinkSystem servers, offering a compact and integrated solution that does not occupy standard PCIe slots. This allows for efficient space utilization within server chassis while maintaining high-performance networking capabilities. The ML2 design also simplifies installation and enhances airflow management within the system.

25GbE Dual-Port SFP28 Connectivity

The dual-port 25 Gigabit Ethernet configuration provides a significant upgrade over traditional 10GbE solutions, delivering enhanced bandwidth and improved network efficiency. Each SFP28 port supports high-speed optical or direct-attach copper connections, enabling flexible deployment across various networking environments.

High-Speed Data Transmission

The 25GbE standard enables faster data transfer rates, reducing network congestion and improving application responsiveness. This is particularly beneficial for workloads such as virtualization, database management, and high-performance computing where large volumes of data must be transmitted quickly and reliably.

SFP28 Interface Flexibility

The SFP28 interface allows for the use of different transceiver types, including fiber optic modules and direct attach cables. This flexibility enables organizations to tailor their network configurations according to distance, cost, and performance requirements.

Dual-Port Redundancy and Load Balancing

Having two independent ports provides built-in redundancy, ensuring network availability even in the event of a link failure. Additionally, load balancing can be implemented to distribute traffic evenly across both ports, enhancing overall network performance and reliability.

Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx Controller Technology

The Mellanox ConnectX-4 Lx controller is a key component that powers the Lenovo 00YK369 NIC, delivering advanced networking features and hardware acceleration capabilities. This controller is designed to handle modern data center demands, including virtualization, cloud computing, and software-defined networking.

Advanced Offload Capabilities

The ConnectX-4 Lx controller supports a wide range of offload technologies that reduce CPU overhead and improve system efficiency. These include TCP segmentation offload, large receive offload, and checksum offloading, all of which contribute to faster data processing and reduced latency.

RDMA Support

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) support enables direct memory access between servers without involving the CPU, significantly reducing latency and increasing throughput. This feature is particularly useful for high-performance computing and data-intensive applications.

Virtualization Acceleration

The controller includes hardware-based virtualization features such as SR-IOV, which allows multiple virtual machines to share a single physical NIC while maintaining near-native performance. This enhances the efficiency of virtualized environments and supports scalable cloud deployments.

Compatibility with Lenovo ThinkSystem Servers

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC is specifically engineered for integration with ThinkSystem servers, ensuring optimal compatibility and performance. The ML2 form factor aligns with Lenovo’s server architecture, allowing for seamless deployment and efficient system integration.

System Integration Benefits

Integration with ThinkSystem servers ensures that the NIC operates at peak efficiency, leveraging firmware and hardware optimizations designed by Lenovo. This results in improved reliability, simplified management, and consistent performance across deployments.

Optimized Thermal Design

The ML2 module is designed to work within the thermal constraints of ThinkSystem servers, ensuring efficient heat dissipation and stable operation even under heavy workloads.

Performance Optimization and Throughput Capabilities

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC is engineered to deliver high throughput and low latency, making it suitable for demanding enterprise applications. Its architecture supports efficient packet processing and high-speed data transfer, ensuring optimal performance in various use cases.

Low Latency Networking

Low latency is critical for applications such as real-time analytics, financial trading, and high-performance computing. The NIC’s design minimizes delays in data transmission, ensuring fast response times and improved application performance.

Scalability for Data Centers

The 25GbE capability provides a scalable solution for growing data center demands, allowing organizations to upgrade their network infrastructure without significant changes to existing systems.

Enterprise Networking Features

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC includes a range of enterprise-level features designed to enhance network performance, security, and manageability. These features make it a reliable choice for mission-critical applications.

Security Enhancements

The NIC includes hardware-based security features that protect data during transmission, ensuring secure communication across networks. These features are essential for maintaining data integrity and compliance with industry standards.

Network Virtualization Support

Support for network virtualization technologies enables efficient resource allocation and improved flexibility in managing network infrastructure. This is particularly important for cloud and virtualized environments.

Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC is suitable for a wide range of deployment scenarios, including enterprise data centers, cloud environments, and high-performance computing clusters. Its advanced features and high-speed connectivity make it an ideal choice for modern IT infrastructures.

Cloud Computing Environments

In cloud environments, the NIC provides the bandwidth and efficiency required to support large-scale virtualized workloads. Its virtualization features ensure optimal resource utilization and performance.

High-Performance Computing

The low latency and RDMA support make the adapter suitable for high-performance computing applications, where fast data transfer and minimal delays are critical.

Storage Networking

The 25GbE capability supports high-speed storage networking, enabling efficient data access and transfer in storage area networks and distributed storage systems.

Reliability and Operational Efficiency

The Lenovo 00YK369 NIC is designed for reliability and long-term operation in demanding environments. Its robust construction and advanced features ensure consistent performance and minimal downtime.

Error Detection and Correction

The adapter includes mechanisms for detecting and correcting errors during data transmission, ensuring data integrity and reducing the risk of network failures.

Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient design helps reduce power consumption while maintaining high performance, contributing to lower operational costs in data centers.