Intel X520 SFP+ User Manual

Intel
®
Ethernet X520 SFP+
Direct Attach Server Adapter
10 Gigabit Ethernet Dual Port Server Adapter Provides
Ultimate Flexibility and Scalability in Virtual and Unified
Storage Environments
Product Brief
Intel® Ethernet X520
SFP+ Direct Attach
Server Adapter for Dell
PowerEdge Servers
Network Connectivity
Third-party information brought to you courtesy of Dell.
The Intel® Ethernet X520 SFP+ Direct Attach
(DA) Server Adapter for Dell PowerEdge Rack
and Tower servers is one of the most flexible
and scalable Ethernet adapters for today’s
demanding data center environments. Data
center networks are being pushed to their
limits. The escalating deployments of servers
with multi-core processors and demanding
applications such as High Performance
Computing (HPC), database clusters, and video-
on-demand are driving the need for 10 Gigabit
connections. Customers require flexible and
scalable I/O solutions to meet the rigorous
requirements of running mission-critical
applications in virtualized and unified storage
environments.
Designed as a low-cost, low-power adapter, the
Intel Ethernet X520 SFP+ DA Server Adapter
provides direct attach copper twinaxial cable
connections between servers and a top-of-rack
switch. Two ports, coupled with a low-profile
PCI Express* form factor, make this adapter
ideal for slot-constrained environments. Using
direct attach copper cables compliant with the
SFP+ MSA SFF-8431 specification, the Intel
x520 SFP+ DA Server Adapter is well-suited for
customers who require low-cost “in-the-rack”
connections of up to 7 meters between server
and top-of-rack switch.
Powered by Intel’s third-generation 10 GbE
network controller, the Intel® Ethernet 82599
10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller, the X520 server
adapter addresses the demanding needs of
the next-generation data center by providing
unmatched features for virtualization, flexibility
for LAN and SAN networking, and proven,
reliable performance.
Best Choice for Virtualization
The explosive growth in virtualization is
leading to an increasing demand for network
performance. With more Virtual Machines (VMs)
running on each multi-core server, networking
traffic is dramatically increased with each
VM competing for available I/O bandwidth.
Dell’s new Intel Ethernet X520 Server
Adapter addresses networking bottlenecks
in virtualized environments. This new adapter
enables network-intensive applications
to achieve the performance expected in a
virtualized environment.
The Intel Ethernet X520 SFP+ DA Server
Adapter provides the best networking
performance available in the industry, whether
the physical port is configured in an emulation
mode using the virtual switch in the Virtual
Machine Monitor (VMM), or is directly assigned
to a virtual machine. In the emulation mode,

Intel X520 SFP+ Specifications

General

Product Name	Intel X520 SFP+
Product Type	Network Card
Interface Type	PCI Express 2.0 x8
Form Factor	Low Profile
Data Link Protocol	Ethernet
Maximum Data Transfer Rate	10 Gbps
Ports	2
Data Rate	10 Gbps
Connectivity Technology	Wired
Controller	Intel 82599ES
Supported Transceiver Types	SFP+
Jumbo Frame Support	Yes
Virtualization Support	Yes
RoHS Compliant	Yes
Operating Systems Supported	Windows, Linux
OS Required	Linux

Summary

Intel Ethernet X520 SFP+ DA Server Adapter Overview

Product Description and Key Features

Details the adapter's design, connectivity, and controller for demanding data center environments.

Virtualization Performance

Enhances network performance and scalability in virtualized environments by addressing bottlenecks.

Unified Networking and Storage Solutions

Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) Support

Enables routing SAN traffic over Ethernet with hardware acceleration and Data Center Bridging.

iSCSI Support

Provides support for iSCSI initiators and boot for efficient storage networking.

Advanced Performance and Reliability

Security Optimizations

Supports IPsec offload for enhanced network security capabilities in Windows environments.

PCIe v2.0 Connectivity

Leverages PCIe v2.0 for high-speed data transfer, providing up to 20 Gbps throughput.

Multi-core Processor Optimization

Utilizes technologies to distribute network processing across multiple CPU cores for better performance.

Virtualization Features Details

VMDq and Next-Generation VMDq

Offloads data sorting and provides QoS for improved throughput and CPU usage in virtual environments.

SR-IOV Implementation

Bypasses virtual switch for near-native performance and provides data protection between VMs.

LinkSec for Data Protection

Provides Layer 2 data protection with encryption and authentication between devices.

Manageability and Specifications

Manageability Features

Includes PXE support, SNMP/RMON counters, iSCSI boot, and watchdog timer for system management.

Technical Specifications

Details product codes, connectors, network standards, software support, and power consumption.