7ZT7A00549 Lenovo Thinksystem 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Network Adapter

Lenovo 10GB 4-Port Base-T Adapter 

The Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 ThinkSystem 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter is a powerful networking solution designed to deliver high-speed connectivity, reliability, and scalability for enterprise servers.

Manufacturer Information

• Brand Name: Lenovo
• Part Number: 7ZT7A00549
• Category: Network Adapter

Technical Highlights

Form Factor

• Plug-in Card for easy installation

Interface Type

• LAN-on-Motherboard compatibility

Port Configuration

• Four 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports
• Supports GigE and 10 GigE protocols
• Data transfer speed up to 10 Gbps

Cabling Type

• Ethernet 10GBASE-T

Performance Capacity

• Virtual Functions: 128
• Processor: 1 x X557-AT4 Intel chipset

Compliance Standards

• IEEE 802.1q
• IEEE 802.1p
• IEEE 802.3x
• IEEE 802.3ad (LACP)
• IEEE 802.1as
• IEEE 802.1qbg

Compatibility and Supported Systems

Designed For

• ThinkSystem SR630
• ThinkSystem SR650
• ThinkSystem SR850
• ThinkSystem SR860
• ThinkSystem SR950

Operating System Requirements

Microsoft Platforms

• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2016

Linux Distributions

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP4
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.9
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3

Virtualization Platforms

• VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 3
• VMware ESXi 6.5

Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 10GB 4-Port Base-T Adapter Overview

The Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 ThinkSystem 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter represents a powerful and versatile networking solution designed specifically for modern enterprise infrastructures. Built to integrate seamlessly with Lenovo ThinkSystem servers, this adapter delivers high-speed 10 Gigabit Ethernet connectivity across four independent ports using standard RJ-45 interfaces. Its Base-T design ensures compatibility with existing copper cabling infrastructure, making it a cost-effective upgrade path for organizations transitioning from traditional 1GbE to 10GbE networks.

This category of LOM (LAN on Motherboard) adapters is particularly valuable in environments where scalability, reliability, and performance are essential. By offering four 10GbE ports in a compact and integrated form factor, the Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 reduces the need for additional PCIe expansion cards, freeing up valuable server resources while maintaining optimal airflow and system efficiency. Enterprises deploying virtualization, cloud computing, data analytics, and high-performance workloads benefit significantly from the bandwidth and redundancy provided by this adapter.

High-Performance 10GbE Connectivity

Bandwidth Optimization for Data-Intensive Applications

The Lenovo ThinkSystem 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter is engineered to handle demanding workloads that require consistent and high-throughput network performance. Each of its four ports supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet speeds, allowing servers to transmit and receive large volumes of data with minimal latency. This is particularly beneficial for applications such as big data analytics, database management systems, and high-frequency transaction processing.

With increasing data generation and consumption across enterprises, network bottlenecks can severely impact productivity and operational efficiency. The 7ZT7A00549 adapter eliminates such bottlenecks by enabling faster communication between servers, storage systems, and network infrastructure. Its ability to maintain stable performance under heavy loads ensures uninterrupted data flow, making it ideal for mission-critical environments.

Low Latency and Enhanced Throughput

Latency is a crucial factor in determining network efficiency, especially in environments where real-time processing is required. The Lenovo 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter minimizes latency through advanced hardware design and optimized data handling mechanisms. This results in faster response times and improved application performance, particularly in latency-sensitive workloads such as financial trading systems and real-time analytics platforms.

Enhanced throughput is achieved through features like TCP segmentation offload, large send offload, and receive-side scaling. These capabilities reduce CPU overhead by offloading network processing tasks to the adapter itself, allowing the server’s processor to focus on core computational tasks.

Integration with Lenovo ThinkSystem Servers

Seamless Compatibility and Deployment

The Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 adapter is specifically designed for integration with ThinkSystem servers, ensuring seamless compatibility and ease of deployment. As a LOM adapter, it is directly integrated into the server motherboard, eliminating the need for additional installation steps associated with traditional network interface cards. This integration simplifies system configuration and reduces deployment time.

Compatibility with a wide range of ThinkSystem server models ensures that organizations can standardize their networking infrastructure without worrying about hardware inconsistencies. This standardization is particularly beneficial in large-scale data centers where uniformity and predictability are critical.

Optimized for Data Center Environments

Data centers demand high-density, high-performance networking solutions that can operate efficiently within constrained physical spaces. The Lenovo 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter meets these requirements by offering a compact design that integrates directly into the server architecture. This reduces cable clutter and enhances airflow, contributing to better thermal management and overall system reliability.

Additionally, the adapter supports advanced data center features such as VLAN tagging, network virtualization, and traffic prioritization. These capabilities enable administrators to manage network traffic more effectively, ensuring optimal resource allocation and improved performance across all workloads.

Base-T Technology and Infrastructure Compatibility

Utilization of Existing Copper Cabling

One of the key advantages of the Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 ThinkSystem adapter is its use of Base-T technology, which operates over standard copper Ethernet cables. This allows organizations to leverage their existing cabling infrastructure without the need for costly upgrades to fiber optics. The ability to use Cat6a or Cat7 cables for 10GbE connectivity significantly reduces deployment costs while maintaining high performance.

This compatibility makes the adapter an attractive option for businesses looking to upgrade their network speeds without overhauling their entire infrastructure. It provides a practical and economical pathway to achieving 10GbE performance levels.

Flexible Network Expansion

Base-T technology also offers flexibility in terms of network expansion. With support for auto-negotiation and backward compatibility with 1GbE and 100Mb Ethernet standards, the Lenovo adapter can seamlessly integrate into mixed-speed environments. This ensures that organizations can gradually upgrade their network infrastructure without disrupting existing operations.

The four-port configuration further enhances flexibility by allowing multiple network connections from a single server. This can be used for load balancing, redundancy, or segmentation of network traffic, depending on organizational requirements.

Advanced Networking Features and Capabilities

Virtualization and Cloud Optimization

Modern data centers heavily rely on virtualization and cloud computing technologies. The Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 adapter is optimized to support these environments through features such as virtual machine queue (VMQ) and single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV). These technologies enable efficient distribution of network traffic among virtual machines, improving performance and reducing latency.

By offloading network processing tasks from the hypervisor to the adapter, SR-IOV enhances overall system efficiency and allows for better utilization of server resources. This is particularly important in cloud environments where multiple tenants share the same physical infrastructure.

Enhanced Security and Reliability

Security is a critical consideration in enterprise networking. The Lenovo ThinkSystem 10GB 4-Port Base-T LOM Adapter incorporates advanced security features to protect data integrity and prevent unauthorized access. These include support for secure boot, firmware validation, and hardware-based encryption capabilities.

Reliability is ensured through features such as link aggregation and failover support. Link aggregation allows multiple network connections to be combined into a single logical link, increasing bandwidth and providing redundancy. In the event of a link failure, traffic is automatically rerouted through alternate paths, ensuring continuous connectivity.

Improved Cooling and System Stability

Thermal management is essential for maintaining system stability and longevity. The integrated design of the LOM adapter helps improve airflow within the server chassis, reducing the risk of overheating. Efficient heat dissipation ensures that the adapter operates within optimal temperature ranges, even under heavy workloads.

This contributes to overall system reliability and reduces the likelihood of hardware failures, making it a dependable choice for enterprise environments.

Cloud and Virtualized Environments

Cloud service providers and organizations implementing private or hybrid clouds benefit greatly from the capabilities of this adapter. Its support for virtualization technologies enables efficient resource allocation and improved performance in multi-tenant environments.

The adapter’s high bandwidth and low latency ensure that cloud applications run smoothly, providing a seamless user experience.

High-Performance Computing

In high-performance computing environments, where large datasets are processed in parallel, network performance is critical. The Lenovo 7ZT7A00549 adapter provides the necessary bandwidth and reliability to support these workloads. Its four-port configuration allows for efficient data distribution and communication between compute nodes.

This makes it an excellent choice for research institutions, scientific laboratories, and organizations involved in complex simulations and data analysis.