P25960-B21: HPE Mellanox MCX623106AS-CDAT Ethernet 100Gb 2-port QSFP56 Adapter for HPE
Mellanox MCX623106AS-CDAT Ethernet 100Gb 2-port QSFP56 Adapter for HPE. Listed by HPE as a network adapter for the Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus. The pairing comes from the vendor QuickSpecs, which also gives the quantity limits and any controller, firmware or slot requirements. Check those rules and the part number suffix before buying a used unit.
Specifications
| Part number | P25960-B21 |
|---|---|
| Brand | HPE |
| Type | Network adapters |
| Speed gbps | 100 |
| Vendor description | Mellanox MCX623106AS-CDAT Ethernet 100Gb 2-port QSFP56 Adapter for HPE |
Fits these models
Works together
How the HPE P25960-B21 connects to servers, storage and the network: 3 ways, with the hardware on each path.
iSCSI and NVMe/TCP over Ethernet
Keep the speed the same at all three points: a 25GbE server, a 25GbE switch port and a 25GbE array port. Mixed speeds work but the slowest link sets the pace.
Switches
HPE Aruba CX 10000 1U distributed services switch
HPE Aruba CX 8100 1U fixed switch
HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Storage
HPE Alletra Storage MP 2U rack
Dell PowerMax 2500 4U multi-node rack
Dell PowerMax 8500 system bay multi-enclosure
Dell PowerProtect DD9900 2U appliance + shelves
Dell PowerProtect DD9910 2U appliance + shelves
Dell PowerStore 1200T 2U rack
Optics
QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
QSFP-100G-LR4-AR Arista 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
QSFP-100G-SR4 Arista 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
File storage (NFS and SMB)
Front-end ports face the clients; back-end ports (on scale-out systems) connect the nodes to each other and need their own switch pair.
Switches
- HPE Aruba CX 10000 1U distributed services switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8100 1U fixed switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
- HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Storage
- HPE Alletra Storage MP 2U rack
Dell PowerScale F210 1U node
Dell PowerScale F600 1U rack
Dell PowerScale F710 1U node
Dell PowerScale F900 2U rack
Dell PowerScale H700 4U
Optics
- QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-100G-LR4-AR Arista 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-100G-SR4 Arista 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
Hyperconverged cluster
Plan at least two 25GbE ports per node to two switches; all-NVMe clusters often move to 100GbE.
HCI nodes
HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10 Plus v2 1U rack
HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 G 2U rack
HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10 1U rack
HPE SimpliVity 380 Gen10 2U rack
Switches
- HPE Aruba CX 10000 1U distributed services switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8100 1U fixed switch
- HPE Aruba CX 8325-48Y8C 1U rack
- HPE Aruba CX 8360-32Y4C 1U rack
Optics
- QSFP-100G-CWDM4-AR Arista 100GBASE-CWDM4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-100G-LR4-AR Arista 100GBASE-LR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver Module
- QSFP-100G-SR4 Arista 100GBASE-SR4 QSFP28 Optical Transceiver
Plan and size it
- Draw this setup in the topology planner mrplanb.com
- Add up rack power and space rack-density.com
- iSCSI explained mrplanb.com
- Virtualization storage Ledger: scored storage platforms mrplanb.com
- Network monitoring tools compared mrplanb.com
- HPE SPOCK (HPE storage compatibility) hpe.com
Check compatibility with HPE
Before you buy, confirm the exact configuration against the vendor's own lists: firmware levels, operating systems, adapters and optics that HPE has tested with the HPE P25960-B21.
- Compatibility HPE SPOCK (storage, SAN and host compatibility)
- Part lookup HPE PartSurfer (spare and option part numbers)
- Support HPE Support Center
Buying or selling P25960-B21?
New, refurbished or used. Tell us the quantity and condition and we connect you with a vetted reseller in your region, usually within one working day.
Sources
- HPE Apollo 6500 Gen10 Plus System QuickSpecs, checked 2026-10-28