Help needed - Connecting IS-5022 to ConnectX2 for IPoIB - What Cable Options?

[Gideon Ravenor]

My lab is 5x Windows Server 2016. I purchased 5x ConnectX2 and an IS-5022.

I have 5x SFP+ to SFP+ Passive copper cables - 2m long.

The IS-5022 has 8 QSFP ports (female). The ConnectX2 cards have SFP+ ports I believe, but documentation seems really difficult to get (these are HP Mellanox cards).

Do I need passive or active cabling?
Do I need 5x QSFP to SFP+ adapters? If so, would QSFP+ to SFP+ adapters work too?
Can I use one QSFP to 4x SFP+ cable, to connect 4 of the servers, and one more of the same cable for the 5th?

The intent is to set up high-speed Ethernet. I don't care about getting a full 10Gb, I am happy with anything above 3gbps.

What do I need to connect to cards to the switch?

 

[i386]

It's very likely that you purchased ethernet mellanox cards and not infiniband (vpi) cards. They won't work with this infiniband switch.

 

[Gideon Ravenor]

I did not understand your reply - and thank you for replying btw.

The cards purchase was seperate from the switch purchase. The cards are HP 671798-001 10GB PCI-E Mellanox ConnectX-2 Card High Profile AS# 666172-001.

The switch is MELLANOX IS5022 QDR 8-Port IB Switch 851-0167-01.

Does the switch handle IPeIB? Do the cards handle IPoIB?

Do they work together at all?

I also have this switch .. IBM SAN16M-2 / 2026-16E Total Storage 16 Port Switch. I was not planning to use it since its 2Gbs/s only per port, but does this match the cards?

Is there a way to reflash the cards to handle IPoIB? Does the IS-5022 handle IPoIB?

 

[i386]

Does the switch handle IPeIB?
Do the cards handle IPoIB?
Do they work together at all?
Is there a way to reflash the cards to handle IPoIB?

Yes, it's an infiniband switch.
No, they are ethernet only.
No, ethernet and infiniband are two different protocols and are not compatible.
No, you will need an ethernet switch for the connect-x2 cards.

 

[Gideon Ravenor]

Wonderful - thank you for the information .. what are the simplest, least expensive 5-8 port ethernet switches that I can use?

 

[Gideon Ravenor]

I have replaced the Mellanox SFP+ ConnectX2 with QSFP+ ConnectX4. This removes the SFP+ vs QSFP from the equation.

I have confirmed that the cards work with the IS5022 with OpenSM and found instructions to set it all up on Windows.

The only thing I need now to complete the project is discovering whether any QSFP+ - QSFP+ cable will do, or whether the cable must be explicitely compatible with my Mellanox cards and Switch.

I found NetApp X6558-R6 within the budget range, will these work with my Mellanox IS-5022 and Mellanox MHQH19B-XTR cards?