MCX562A-ACAI Mellanox Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-Port SFP28 OCP3 Adapter

Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet 10/25Gb Adapter Outline

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is a high-performance Ethernet adapter card engineered to deliver reliable 10GbE and 25GbE network connectivity for modern enterprise servers and data center infrastructures. Designed with the Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 standard, this dual-port SFP28 network adapter provides exceptional throughput, reduced latency, and outstanding scalability for virtualization, cloud computing, storage networking, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments.

Built on the trusted Mellanox networking architecture, the MCX562A-ACAI offers PCI Express 3.0 performance while supporting advanced Ethernet technologies. Its compact OCP 3.0 form factor makes it an ideal networking upgrade for compatible HPE ProLiant servers and Nimble Storage dHCI solutions that demand fast, stable, and energy-efficient data communication.

General Information of Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI

• Manufacturer: Mellanox
• Part Number: MCX562A-ACAI
• Product Type: Ethernet Adapter Card

Hardware Specifications

• Form Factor: Plug-in Card
• OCP Interface: Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0
• PCI Express Revision: PCIe 3.0
• Weight: Approximately 9.17 oz

Network Connectivity

• Network Ports: 2 × SFP28
• Supported Ethernet Speeds: 10GbE and 25GbE
• Networking Protocols: 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 25 Gigabit Ethernet
• Maximum Data Rate: Up to 25 Gbps
• Compliance: OCP 3.0 Standard

Optimized for Data Center Workloads

• Cloud computing platforms
• Virtual machine clusters
• Software-defined networking (SDN)
• High-performance computing (HPC)
• Big data analytics
• Artificial intelligence workloads
• Enterprise databases
• Storage area networks
• Hyper-converged infrastructure
• Backup and disaster recovery systems

Compatible Server Platforms

Supported HPE ProLiant Servers

• HPE ProLiant DL110 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL345 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL365 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10
• HPE ProLiant XL225n Gen10
• HPE ProLiant XL290n Gen10
• HPE ProLiant XL645d Gen10
• Nimble Storage dHCI Medium Solution

Applications

• Enterprise networking
• Cloud data centers
• Virtualization environments
• Private cloud infrastructure
• Hyper-converged systems
• Storage networking
• Database servers
• AI and machine learning clusters
• High-performance computing environments
• Disaster recovery solutions
• Business-critical server deployments
• Large-scale enterprise applications

Key Features of Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Adapter

• Dual-port 10GbE and 25GbE Ethernet connectivity
• High-speed SFP28 network interfaces
• Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 compliant design
• PCI Express 3.0 interface for enhanced bandwidth
• Supports up to 25 Gbps data transfer per port
• Optimized for enterprise servers and cloud infrastructure
• Low-latency networking for demanding workloads
• Reliable performance for virtualization and storage environments
• Compatible with selected HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers
• Lightweight and space-saving plug-in card architecture

Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI 10/25Gb 2-Port Card

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-Port Card SFP28 OCP3 Adapter is designed for modern enterprise networking environments that demand exceptional throughput, low latency, and dependable connectivity. As organizations continue to migrate workloads to virtualization platforms, cloud-native applications, software-defined infrastructure, and high-density storage systems, network adapters have become critical components that directly influence performance and scalability. This OCP 3.0 compliant Ethernet adapter delivers advanced connectivity with dual SFP28 interfaces capable of supporting both 10GbE and 25GbE Ethernet deployments, making it a versatile choice for evolving data center environments.

Built around the advanced Mellanox networking architecture, the MCX562A-ACAI provides efficient packet processing, hardware acceleration capabilities, and intelligent traffic management features. Enterprises deploying virtualization clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure, cloud computing platforms, distributed storage systems, AI environments, and enterprise database servers benefit from the adapter's optimized network performance. The adapter is engineered to reduce CPU utilization while increasing overall system throughput, allowing servers to dedicate more processing power to applications rather than networking overhead.

Designed for Modern OCP 3.0 Server Platforms

The Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 specification has become an important standard for hyperscale and enterprise server deployments. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet Adapter follows this specification, allowing seamless installation into compatible OCP 3.0 server platforms from leading manufacturers. Compared with traditional PCI Express add-in cards, OCP adapters improve airflow, simplify cable management, and maximize server density while maintaining excellent networking performance.

Data centers increasingly adopt OCP-compliant hardware because it enables standardized deployment, improved serviceability, and better thermal efficiency. The MCX562A-ACAI integrates perfectly into these environments, providing reliable networking capabilities without sacrificing flexibility or expandability.

Dual-Port SFP28 Connectivity

One of the primary advantages of the Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is its dual-port SFP28 interface design. Each port supports both 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 25 Gigabit Ethernet operation, allowing organizations to transition gradually from existing 10GbE infrastructure to higher-speed 25GbE networking without replacing server adapters.

The SFP28 interface provides exceptional deployment flexibility because administrators can select fiber optic transceivers or Direct Attach Copper (DAC) cables depending on infrastructure requirements. Whether connecting top-of-rack switches, aggregation switches, storage arrays, or high-speed server clusters, the adapter supports multiple deployment scenarios while maintaining consistent performance.

Support for 10GbE and 25GbE Networks

Many enterprise environments continue operating mixed-speed infrastructures where some switches support 10GbE while newer deployments utilize 25GbE. The MCX562A-ACAI eliminates compatibility concerns by supporting both speeds on compatible network equipment. This flexibility protects infrastructure investments and simplifies network migration planning.

Optimized Bandwidth Utilization

With dual independent ports, administrators can configure network redundancy, traffic separation, storage networking, virtualization traffic isolation, or link aggregation depending on application requirements. These deployment options improve network availability while maximizing available bandwidth for mission-critical workloads.

High-Speed Ethernet Performance for Enterprise Applications

Modern applications require significantly more network bandwidth than traditional enterprise workloads. Virtual desktop infrastructure, machine learning platforms, cloud-native microservices, distributed databases, software-defined storage, media streaming, and high-performance computing clusters all generate enormous network traffic. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is designed to accommodate these demanding workloads by delivering reliable high-speed Ethernet connectivity with minimal latency.

Its advanced packet processing architecture reduces communication delays between servers while maintaining consistent throughput under heavy workloads. This makes the adapter particularly suitable for applications where network responsiveness directly impacts user experience or computational efficiency.

Low-Latency Networking Architecture

Latency remains one of the most important performance metrics in enterprise networking. Even when bandwidth is abundant, excessive latency can reduce application responsiveness and increase processing delays across distributed systems. The Mellanox architecture incorporates numerous hardware optimizations that minimize packet processing time while maintaining efficient communication between network endpoints.

Consistent Data Transfer Performance

Unlike consumer-grade networking hardware, enterprise adapters are designed for continuous operation under sustained traffic loads. The MCX562A-ACAI maintains predictable throughput during prolonged periods of high utilization, making it ideal for production environments that require uninterrupted connectivity.

Advanced Hardware Offload Technologies

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI includes hardware acceleration technologies that significantly reduce processor overhead. Instead of relying solely on the server CPU for packet handling, multiple networking operations are processed directly by the adapter hardware. This approach improves application performance while lowering overall system resource consumption.

TCP Offload Engine Support

TCP processing can consume considerable CPU resources in high-bandwidth environments. Hardware TCP offload capabilities help reduce processor utilization while maintaining reliable network communications. Applications benefit from improved efficiency because the operating system spends less time processing network traffic.

Checksum Offloading

Checksum calculations represent another common networking task that benefits from hardware acceleration. By performing these operations directly on the adapter, the MCX562A-ACAI decreases CPU overhead while increasing packet processing efficiency across enterprise workloads.

Large Send and Receive Offload

Large Send Offload and Large Receive Offload technologies reduce interrupt frequency and improve data movement efficiency. These capabilities become increasingly valuable in virtualized infrastructures where numerous virtual machines simultaneously generate network traffic.

Virtualization Optimization

Virtualization has transformed enterprise IT infrastructure by enabling multiple operating systems and workloads to share physical hardware resources. Network adapters must therefore efficiently support virtual machines without introducing excessive overhead. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is optimized for virtualization platforms including VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, KVM, and other enterprise hypervisors.

Efficient Virtual Machine Networking

Advanced hardware virtualization features improve communication between virtual machines and external networks while minimizing processor utilization. These technologies enable higher virtual machine density without sacrificing networking performance.

Scalable Cloud Infrastructure

Cloud service providers and private cloud deployments require adapters capable of supporting thousands of simultaneous network connections. The MCX562A-ACAI delivers consistent performance across virtualized environments where workload distribution changes dynamically throughout the day.

Enhanced Resource Allocation

Intelligent hardware resource allocation ensures networking performance remains predictable even during peak workload periods, improving application availability and service reliability.

Storage Networking Capabilities

Storage traffic continues to increase as enterprises adopt distributed storage systems, software-defined storage platforms, backup appliances, and high-capacity network-attached storage. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI supports storage networking environments requiring reliable high-speed Ethernet communication between compute nodes and storage infrastructure.

Applications utilizing network storage benefit from improved throughput, lower latency, and reduced communication overhead. This results in faster backup operations, quicker data replication, improved database responsiveness, and more efficient storage cluster performance.

Optimized Data Center Storage Performance

Enterprise storage systems often involve multiple servers exchanging substantial amounts of data across Ethernet networks. High-performance network adapters help eliminate communication bottlenecks that could otherwise limit storage subsystem efficiency.

Compatibility with Enterprise Operating Systems

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI supports a broad range of enterprise operating systems and server environments. Organizations deploying Linux distributions, Microsoft Windows Server editions, VMware ESXi, virtualization platforms, cloud operating systems, and other enterprise environments benefit from mature driver support and ongoing software compatibility.

Driver stability remains essential for production environments because network interruptions can significantly impact business operations. Mellanox has established a strong reputation for providing enterprise-quality driver packages that support demanding production workloads.

Comprehensive Driver Support

Enterprise administrators appreciate adapters that integrate smoothly into existing infrastructure without requiring extensive manual configuration. Stable drivers simplify deployment, maintenance, firmware updates, and long-term lifecycle management.

Network Reliability and Availability

Business-critical applications depend upon uninterrupted network connectivity. The dual-port design of the MCX562A-ACAI enables redundant network configurations that improve fault tolerance and operational continuity. Organizations can implement failover mechanisms or load balancing strategies that increase infrastructure resilience.

Redundant Connectivity Options

Each SFP28 interface can connect to separate network switches or redundant switching fabrics. Should one network path experience an interruption, traffic can continue flowing through the remaining connection, minimizing downtime for production services.

Enterprise-Class Reliability

Built using high-quality components and validated for continuous operation, the adapter is engineered for demanding enterprise environments where reliability directly influences operational success.

Ideal Deployment Scenarios

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-Port Card SFP28 OCP3 Adapter serves a broad range of enterprise applications including virtualization clusters, private cloud infrastructure, hyperscale computing, database servers, AI training systems, analytics platforms, backup servers, software-defined storage, high-performance computing environments, and container orchestration platforms.

Organizations implementing hybrid cloud architectures can also benefit from the adapter's flexible networking capabilities. As workloads move between on-premises infrastructure and cloud environments, reliable high-speed Ethernet connectivity becomes increasingly important for maintaining application responsiveness and efficient resource utilization.

Enterprise Database Infrastructure

Database clusters frequently exchange synchronization traffic that demands consistent network performance. The MCX562A-ACAI provides dependable connectivity that supports transactional databases, analytics engines, and distributed database architectures.

Investment Protection Through Scalable Connectivity

Technology investments should provide value over multiple infrastructure generations. Because the Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI supports both 10GbE and 25GbE Ethernet operation, organizations can deploy the adapter today within existing 10 Gigabit networks while preparing for future migration to higher-speed infrastructure. This scalability reduces future upgrade costs and extends hardware lifecycle value.

The adapter's compliance with OCP 3.0 standards further enhances long-term compatibility with modern server platforms. Enterprises seeking standardized, high-performance networking hardware appreciate solutions that simplify procurement, deployment, maintenance, and future expansion while maintaining compatibility across evolving infrastructure requirements.

Future-Ready Enterprise Networking

As enterprise workloads continue growing in complexity, networking infrastructure must evolve to accommodate increasing traffic volumes. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI provides an effective balance between performance, flexibility, reliability, and scalability, making it a practical solution for organizations modernizing their data centers while protecting existing networking investments. Its combination of dual-port SFP28 connectivity, hardware acceleration technologies, virtualization optimization, enterprise operating system compatibility, storage networking support, and OCP 3.0 compliance positions the adapter as a dependable choice for high-performance Ethernet deployments requiring consistent throughput, low latency, and enterprise-class operational reliability.