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

Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet Adapter Overview

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is a dual-port Ethernet adapter designed for enterprise networking environments that require high bandwidth, efficient data transmission, and scalable infrastructure. With support for both 10GbE and 25GbE networking, organizations can easily upgrade their network performance while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure.

This network interface card (NIC) utilizes the Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 form factor, making it ideal for modern servers where space optimization, airflow, and simplified deployment are essential. The adapter enables businesses to maximize network efficiency while reducing latency across virtualization, cloud computing, storage networking, and database applications.

Product Specifications

General Information

• Manufacturer: Mellanox
• Part Number: MCX562A-ACAI
• Product Type: Ethernet Adapter Card
• Form Factor: Plug-in Card
• Weight: Approximately 9.17 oz

Networking Specifications

• Network Ports: 2 × SFP28
• Supported Ethernet Speeds: 10GbE and 25GbE
• Maximum Data Transfer Rate: 25 Gbps
• Data Link Protocol: 10 Gigabit Ethernet, 25 Gigabit LAN
• Connector Type: SFP28

Interface Specifications

• Bus Interface: Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0
• PCI Express Revision: PCIe 3.0
• Compliance Standard: OCP 3.0

Advantages of Dual-Port Connectivity

• Higher aggregate bandwidth
• Improved network redundancy
• Enhanced fault tolerance
• Support for link aggregation
• Efficient load balancing
• Reduced network congestion
• Flexible deployment configurations

Benefits of OCP 3.0

• Space-saving server integration
• Better thermal efficiency
• Simplified installation process
• Reduced internal cabling
• Improved cooling performance
• Enterprise-grade reliability

PCIe 3.0 Advantages

• High-speed communication
• Low latency architecture
• Efficient bandwidth utilization
• Reliable packet processing
• Excellent compatibility with enterprise servers

Ideal Deployment Scenarios

• Enterprise data centers
• Cloud service providers
• Virtualized server environments
• Software-defined networking
• Storage networking
• Database servers
• High-performance computing clusters
• Big data analytics
• Artificial intelligence infrastructure
• Business-critical applications

Applications Benefiting from Low Latency

• Virtual machine migration
• Cloud-native applications
• Database replication
• Real-time analytics
• Storage traffic
• Enterprise ERP systems
• Financial applications

Scalability Benefits

• Smooth migration from 10GbE to 25GbE
• Future-ready network infrastructure
• Reduced upgrade costs
• Higher server density
• Better resource utilization
• Flexible deployment strategies

Server Compatibility

• Nimble Storage dHCI Medium Solution
• 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

Key Features of Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI

• Dual-port SFP28 Ethernet connectivity
• Supports both 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 25 Gigabit Ethernet
• Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 mezzanine card design
• PCI Express 3.0 interface for high-speed communication
• Maximum data transfer speed up to 25 Gbps per port
• Optimized for enterprise servers and cloud infrastructure
• Low-latency packet processing
• High bandwidth for virtualization and storage applications
• Compact plug-in card form factor
• Excellent compatibility with HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers

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

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-Port Card SFP28 OCP3 Adapter is designed for modern enterprise infrastructures that require exceptional bandwidth, low latency, and outstanding network efficiency. As data centers continue evolving toward virtualization, cloud-native applications, software-defined networking, and distributed storage, organizations require network adapters capable of supporting increasing traffic volumes without compromising performance. This dual-port 10/25Gb Ethernet adapter delivers the flexibility and speed needed for today's demanding workloads while maintaining compatibility with Open Compute Project (OCP) 3.0 server platforms.

Built with advanced networking technology, the adapter enables reliable communication between servers, storage systems, and networking equipment while minimizing bottlenecks. Its dual SFP28 interfaces provide scalable connectivity options for organizations migrating from traditional 10Gb Ethernet environments to faster 25Gb infrastructures. Businesses can deploy the adapter in enterprise servers, cloud platforms, hyper-converged infrastructure, virtualization clusters, artificial intelligence environments, and high-performance computing systems where consistent throughput and minimal latency are essential.

The OCP 3.0 form factor simplifies server integration while improving airflow and maximizing internal server expansion capabilities. As modern servers become denser and more powerful, optimized adapter placement helps improve cooling efficiency and overall hardware reliability. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI offers enterprise-grade networking features that support scalable deployments across small, medium, and hyperscale environments.

Dual-Port SFP28 Connectivity for Flexible Network Expansion

Support for 10GbE and 25GbE Ethernet Networks

One of the most valuable advantages of the Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet adapter is its ability to operate within both 10 Gigabit and 25 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructures. Organizations often migrate networking environments gradually, making backward compatibility an important consideration during hardware upgrades. This adapter enables seamless operation across mixed-speed environments while protecting existing infrastructure investments.

The dual-port configuration allows administrators to connect multiple network paths simultaneously, providing increased bandwidth, redundancy, and load balancing capabilities. Whether connecting to top-of-rack switches, storage arrays, virtualization hosts, or distributed application clusters, the adapter delivers reliable high-speed communication suitable for mission-critical environments.

Scalable Infrastructure for Future Growth

Organizations investing in digital transformation require networking components that continue supporting future business growth. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI provides scalability by enabling migration toward 25Gb Ethernet without requiring complete infrastructure replacement. The ability to support increasing workloads ensures longer hardware life cycles while reducing upgrade costs over time.

As applications generate larger data volumes and users demand faster response times, scalable Ethernet adapters become essential components within modern IT infrastructure. This adapter supports organizations planning future network expansion while maintaining operational continuity.

Open Compute Project 3.0 Design Advantages

Optimized Server Integration

The Open Compute Project has introduced standardized hardware designs that improve server efficiency, manageability, and compatibility across enterprise environments. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI follows the OCP 3.0 specification, allowing straightforward integration into compatible server platforms while improving serviceability and airflow management.

Unlike traditional PCIe adapters that occupy standard expansion slots, OCP adapters utilize dedicated networking slots specifically engineered for high-speed networking hardware. This architecture preserves valuable PCIe expansion capacity for storage controllers, GPU accelerators, RAID controllers, or additional computing resources.

Improved Cooling Performance

Efficient airflow plays an important role in maintaining stable operating temperatures within high-density server environments. The compact OCP 3.0 design positions networking hardware to maximize airflow across critical components, reducing thermal stress and improving long-term reliability. Better cooling contributes to consistent networking performance under sustained workloads.

Advanced Ethernet Performance for Modern Data Centers

High Throughput for Enterprise Applications

Modern enterprise applications generate continuous network traffic involving virtual machines, containerized workloads, cloud services, distributed databases, analytics platforms, and storage replication. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI delivers the throughput required to maintain efficient communication across these demanding environments.

High-speed packet processing reduces transmission delays while improving application responsiveness. Organizations operating latency-sensitive workloads benefit from faster data exchange between servers and storage resources, supporting more efficient workload execution and better user experiences.

Low Latency Communication

Latency directly affects application responsiveness, particularly within financial services, cloud computing, virtualization clusters, and real-time analytics. The Mellanox adapter minimizes communication delays through advanced hardware processing technologies that reduce CPU involvement during packet transmission.

Low-latency networking enables distributed applications to synchronize more efficiently while improving transaction processing, database replication, application clustering, and storage communication across enterprise environments.

Optimized Packet Processing

Hardware acceleration technologies integrated into the adapter help process network traffic more efficiently than software-only implementations. By offloading networking tasks from the host processor, system resources remain available for application workloads, increasing overall server productivity and reducing processing overhead.

Virtualization and Cloud Computing Optimization

Enhanced Virtual Machine Networking

Virtualized environments require network adapters capable of supporting numerous virtual machines simultaneously while maintaining predictable performance. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI provides advanced virtualization capabilities that improve bandwidth allocation, reduce latency, and enhance communication between virtualized workloads.

As organizations consolidate workloads onto fewer physical servers, networking efficiency becomes increasingly important. The adapter helps maintain stable connectivity even during peak utilization, supporting enterprise virtualization platforms and private cloud deployments.

Container-Based Infrastructure Support

Containerized applications require fast networking to enable communication between distributed services running across clusters. The adapter delivers reliable connectivity for Kubernetes environments, microservices architectures, DevOps platforms, and cloud-native applications where rapid packet transmission directly impacts application responsiveness.

Efficient Resource Utilization

Advanced networking capabilities improve resource allocation across virtual environments by reducing networking overhead while maximizing available CPU cycles. Better resource efficiency contributes to improved server consolidation ratios and enhanced infrastructure utilization.

Storage Networking Performance

Accelerating Distributed Storage Systems

Modern storage architectures rely heavily on high-speed Ethernet connectivity for replication, synchronization, backup operations, and distributed file systems. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI provides sufficient bandwidth to support demanding storage workloads involving large datasets and continuous data movement.

Organizations deploying software-defined storage platforms benefit from faster communication between storage nodes, reducing synchronization delays while improving overall storage responsiveness. High-speed Ethernet also supports efficient disaster recovery replication across geographically distributed data centers.

Reliable Data Transfer

Consistent network performance ensures storage traffic remains predictable under varying workloads. The adapter supports reliable packet delivery while minimizing retransmissions and network congestion, improving application availability and storage system efficiency.

Enterprise Reliability and Continuous Availability

Redundant Network Connectivity

The dual-port architecture enables network redundancy by allowing independent connections to separate switches or network paths. If one network connection experiences interruption, traffic can continue through the alternate interface, improving overall infrastructure resilience and minimizing downtime.

High availability remains essential for organizations operating business-critical applications where continuous network connectivity directly impacts operational productivity and customer satisfaction.

Stable Operation Under Heavy Workloads

Enterprise networking hardware must maintain consistent performance even during sustained periods of heavy utilization. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI is engineered for continuous operation within demanding data center environments where servers process large volumes of network traffic around the clock.

Consistent Performance Across Diverse Workloads

Whether supporting transactional databases, virtualization platforms, storage systems, cloud infrastructure, or analytics applications, the adapter delivers predictable networking behavior that administrators can rely upon during routine operations and peak business activity.

Server Compatibility and Deployment Flexibility

Designed for Modern Enterprise Servers

The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI integrates seamlessly into compatible OCP 3.0 server platforms deployed across enterprise, cloud, and hyperscale environments. Standardized hardware specifications simplify installation while reducing compatibility concerns during infrastructure upgrades.

Organizations deploying new server platforms benefit from streamlined hardware integration that accelerates deployment timelines while maintaining consistent networking capabilities across multiple server generations.

Suitable for Diverse Industries

Numerous industries rely on high-performance Ethernet networking to support mission-critical business operations. Financial institutions require low-latency communication for transaction processing. Healthcare organizations depend upon rapid access to medical imaging and electronic health records. Manufacturing companies utilize real-time networking for industrial automation, while research institutions process large scientific datasets requiring continuous high-bandwidth communication.

Energy Efficiency and Infrastructure Optimization

Lower Processing Overhead

Advanced networking acceleration reduces CPU utilization associated with packet processing, allowing servers to dedicate more computing resources toward application execution. Improved efficiency contributes to better overall system performance while supporting higher virtual machine density and increased workload consolidation.

Optimized Data Center Operations

Efficient networking hardware contributes to reduced infrastructure complexity by enabling greater bandwidth within fewer physical network connections. Higher link speeds decrease cable requirements while simplifying network architecture and improving rack organization.

Long-Term Investment Value

The ability to support both 10GbE and 25GbE networking extends deployment longevity by accommodating evolving infrastructure requirements. Organizations gain flexibility to expand networking capacity without replacing adapters during incremental upgrade cycles, improving return on investment while reducing long-term capital expenditures.

Security, Manageability, and Network Efficiency

Enterprise-Class Management Capabilities

Modern data centers require networking hardware that integrates effectively with centralized management frameworks. The Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI supports enterprise administration by providing consistent networking performance, simplified deployment, and efficient monitoring capabilities across large-scale server environments.

Supporting Secure Data Communications

Reliable Ethernet connectivity forms the foundation for secure enterprise communications by enabling consistent transmission of business-critical information between servers, storage platforms, virtualization hosts, and cloud resources. Stable hardware operation contributes to dependable network infrastructure supporting organizational security strategies.

Efficient Network Traffic Distribution

Balanced traffic handling across dual SFP28 ports improves bandwidth utilization while reducing congestion within enterprise networks. Administrators can optimize workload placement, improve application responsiveness, and maintain predictable network behavior during periods of increasing demand. These capabilities make the Mellanox MCX562A-ACAI Ethernet 10/25Gb 2-Port Card SFP28 OCP3 Adapter an excellent solution for organizations seeking scalable, high-performance, low-latency networking that supports virtualization, cloud computing, storage networking, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and next-generation enterprise infrastructure.