Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI with SAS $29

[MiniKnight]

This looks like a cool listing. The CX3 is not necessarily the best price at $29, but this one has a bracket and an internal to external SAS converter on the same bracket. That's a pretty neat way to combine slots. These internal to external SAS adapters can cost quite a bit so getting these together is not bad. I've def spent $30 on just an internal to external SAS adapter before.

CX354A W/ EXT SAS ADAPTER Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI Network Adapter CX354A-QCBT | eBay

Notes: CX354A W/ EXT SAS ADAPTER. Add a Custom Support Contract to This Item Condition: USED.

www.ebay.com

 

[MiniKnight]

Oh this is the 10G model not the 40G one. That sucks.

 

[semidetached]

Oh this is the 10G model not the 40G one. That sucks.

It can be flashed with the 40GbE firmware.

 

[koifish59]

I saw this one too and almost grabbed a few. But for anyone else thinking about this, just note that VPI model doesn't support RoCE v2, if that's what you need. You'd need a CX3 PRO model for that.

 

[epicurean]

This looks like a cool listing. The CX3 is not necessarily the best price at $29, but this one has a bracket and an internal to external SAS converter on the same bracket. That's a pretty neat way to combine slots. These internal to external SAS adapters can cost quite a bit so getting these together is not bad. I've def spent $30 on just an internal to external SAS adapter before.

CX354A W/ EXT SAS ADAPTER Mellanox ConnectX-3 VPI Network Adapter CX354A-QCBT | eBay

Notes: CX354A W/ EXT SAS ADAPTER. Add a Custom Support Contract to This Item Condition: USED.

www.ebay.com

How does the internal to external SAS converter on this card connect to a another SAS card? I do not understand how this works

 

[epicurean]

It can be flashed with the 40GbE firmware.

Any specific way to do this?

 

[semidetached]

Any specific way to do this?

Download the firmware for the MCX354A-FCBT variant (dual port VPI w/ 40GbE) and cross flash with the mstflint tool

mstflint -d <device> -i <firmware .bin> -allow_psid_change burn

 

[epicurean]

Download the firmware for the MCX354A-FCBT variant (dual port VPI w/ 40GbE) and cross flash with the mstflint tool

mstflint -d <device> -i <firmware .bin> -allow_psid_change burn

Thank you. Do I do this in windows linux?

 

[semidetached]

Thank you. Do I do this in windows linux?

Either. Most linux distros will have a package for the mstflint tool. I haven't used windows, but the official Mellanox tools should include the flint tool, which does the same thing.

 

[Xeroxxx]

Thank you. Do I do this in windows linux?

I did this from Windows before install. After installation I do updates with a Docker Container on my Synology NAS.

https://hub.docker.com/r/xeroxxx/mlxcontainer

 

[epicurean]

Is there a specific version of the firmware I should download ?

 

[semidetached]

Is there a specific version of the firmware I should download ?

The latest (2.42.5) works fine