---
title: "CL Port Diagrams - InfiniBand"
slug: "cl-port-diagrams-infiniband"
description: "Explore Cascade Lake networking configurations, including NIC settings and VAST support for optimal performance in diverse CNode setups."
updated: 2026-10-26T23:15:21Z
published: 2026-10-26T23:15:21Z
canonical: "docs.vastdata.com/cl-port-diagrams-infiniband"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vastdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# CL Port Diagrams - InfiniBand

> [!NOTE]
> ℹ️ Info
> 
> The Green Port - the leftmost RJ45 on the Cascade Lake CNode (The Green Port) is “reserved” and is not used in a VAST Deployment.

> [!WARNING]
> ⚠️ Warning
> 
> Networking is configured on a per-CNode basis, it is possible for a chassis to have CNodes with differing configurations. If you are unsure of the configuration of a particular CNode, please contact VAST Support for assistance.

## Cascade Lake CBox with single CX5 NIC in InfiniBand Mode

![The Images shows the rear view of a server with the ports labeled by number.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/89b91113-5dc6-49db-86ec-57b16dc8ce56/Images/Documentation/7ee53ca1-9aad-4206-b865-051f5f84dcf2.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T09%3A56%3A36Z&se=2026-11-08T10%3A56%3A36Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DTyR7XqcF6KGBIYaoDLIHK8adZtgaqfAuPbSjyzyyk4%3D)

| **Cascade Lake CBox** |
| --- |
| Number | Name | Port Location | Function | PCIe B:D.F |
| 1 | CNode 1 |  |  |  |
| 2 | CNode 2 |  |  |  |
| 3 | CNode 3 |  |  |  |
| 4 | CNode 4 |  |  |  |
| 5 | PSU 1 |  |  |  |
| 6 | PSU 2 |  |  |  |
| 7 | ib0 | Right Card – Left Port | Unified | `5e:00.0` |
| 8 | ib1 | Right Card – Right Port | Unified | `5e:00.1` |
| 9 | eno1 | 1 GbE Port 1 (Left) | MGMT/IPMI (*TECH) |  |
| 10 | eno2 | 1 GbE Port 2 (Right) | TECH (*MGMT) |  |

*in B2B IPMI configuration the MGMT port is moved to 1GbE port 2 (eno2) and the TECH port is moved to 1GbE port 1 (eno1).

---

## Cascade Lake CBox with Dual CX5 or CX5+CX6 NIC in IB + IB mode

![The Images shows the rear view of a server with the ports labeled by number.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/89b91113-5dc6-49db-86ec-57b16dc8ce56/Images/Documentation/fa23d43f-3494-4d1b-baea-aa5911a5262c.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T09%3A56%3A36Z&se=2026-11-08T10%3A56%3A36Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DTyR7XqcF6KGBIYaoDLIHK8adZtgaqfAuPbSjyzyyk4%3D)

| **Cascade Lake CBox** |
| --- |
| Number | Name | Port Location | Function | PCIe B:D.F |
| 1 | CNode 1 |  |  |  |
| 2 | CNode 2 |  |  |  |
| 3 | CNode 3 |  |  |  |
| 4 | CNode 4 |  |  |  |
| 5 | PSU 1 |  |  |  |
| 6 | PSU 2 |  |  |  |
| 7 | ib2 | Right Card – Left Port | Internal | `5e:00.0` |
| 8 | ib3 | Right Card – Right Port | Internal | `5e:00.1` |
| 9 | ib1 | Left NIC - Left Port | Northbound / Split | `3b:00.1` |
| 10 | ib0 | Left NIC - Right Port | Northbound / Split | `3b:00.0` |
| 11 | eno1 | 1 GbE Port 1 (Left) | MGMT/IPMI (*TECH) |  |
| 12 | eno2 | 1 GbE Port 2 (Right) | TECH (*MGMT) |  |

*in B2B IPMI configuration the MGMT port is moved to 1GbE port 2 (eno2) and the TECH port is moved to 1GbE port 1 (eno1).

---

## Cascade Lake CBox with Dual CX5 or CX5+CX6 NIC in IB mode with “Skip NIC - External” enabled

> [!NOTE]
> ℹ️ Info
> 
> The “Skip NIC - External” flag is a setting that can be set either in the VAST GUI Installer or via the command line `configure_network.py` tool. This flag is set on a per-CNode basis.

> [!WARNING]
> ⚠️ Warning
> 
> Since this is a per-CNode setting, it is possible for a chassis to have CNodes with differing configurations. If you are unsure of the configuration of a CNode, please contact VAST Support for assistance.

When this flag is used, VAST instructs the auto-ports feature to disable the NIC that is typically designated for **northbound** traffic. This means that if you use this flag on a node with two NICs, the NIC designated for **internal** traffic will handle **both internal and external** (aka Unified) network traffic. This means the network interfaces that would typically be solely used for **northbound** connections are effectively disabled. This flag is not valid on a single NIC CNode.

![The Images shows the rear view of a server with the ports labeled by number.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/89b91113-5dc6-49db-86ec-57b16dc8ce56/Images/Documentation/fa23d43f-3494-4d1b-baea-aa5911a5262c.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T09%3A56%3A36Z&se=2026-11-08T10%3A56%3A36Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DTyR7XqcF6KGBIYaoDLIHK8adZtgaqfAuPbSjyzyyk4%3D)

| **Cascade Lake CBox** |
| --- |
| Number | Name | Port Location | Function | PCIe B:D.F |
| 1 | CNode 1 |  |  |  |
| 2 | CNode 2 |  |  |  |
| 3 | CNode 3 |  |  |  |
| 4 | CNode 4 |  |  |  |
| 5 | PSU 1 |  |  |  |
| 6 | PSU 2 |  |  |  |
| 7 | ib2 | Right Card – Left Port | Unified | `5e:00.0` |
| 8 | ib3 | Right Card – Right Port | Unified | `5e:00.1` |
| 9 | ib1 | Left NIC - Left Port | Disabled | `3b:00.1` |
| 10 | ib0 | Left NIC - Right Port | Disabled | `3b:00.0` |
| 11 | eno1 | 1 GbE Port 1 (Left) | MGMT/IPMI (*TECH) |  |
| 12 | eno2 | 1 GbE Port 2 (Right) | TECH (*MGMT) |  |

*in B2B IPMI configuration the MGMT port is moved to 1GbE port 2 (eno2) and the TECH port is moved to 1GbE port 1 (eno1).

---

## Cascade Lake CBox with CX5+CX6 NIC in IB mode with “Skip NIC - Internal” enabled

> [!NOTE]
> ℹ️ Info
> 
> The “Skip NIC - Internal” flag is a setting that can be set either in the VAST GUI Installer or via the command line `configure_network.py` tool. This flag is set on a per-CNode basis.

> [!WARNING]
> ⚠️ Warning
> 
> Since this is a per-CNode setting, it is possible for a chassis to have CNodes with differing configurations. If you are unsure of the configuration of a CNode, please contact VAST Support for assistance.

When this flag is used, VAST instructs the auto-ports feature to disable the NIC that is typically designated for **internal** traffic. This means that if you use this flag on a node with two NICs, the NIC designated for **northbound** traffic will handle **both internal and external** (aka Unified) network traffic. This means the network interfaces that would typically be solely used for **internal** connections are effectively disabled. This flag is not valid on a single NIC CNode.

![The Images shows the rear view of a server with the ports labeled by number.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/89b91113-5dc6-49db-86ec-57b16dc8ce56/Images/Documentation/fa23d43f-3494-4d1b-baea-aa5911a5262c.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T09%3A56%3A36Z&se=2026-11-08T10%3A56%3A36Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DTyR7XqcF6KGBIYaoDLIHK8adZtgaqfAuPbSjyzyyk4%3D)

| **Cascade Lake CBox** |
| --- |
| Number | Name | Port Location | Function | PCIe B:D.F |
| 1 | CNode 1 |  |  |  |
| 2 | CNode 2 |  |  |  |
| 3 | CNode 3 |  |  |  |
| 4 | CNode 4 |  |  |  |
| 5 | PSU 1 |  |  |  |
| 6 | PSU 2 |  |  |  |
| 7 | ib2 | Right Card – Left Port | Disabled | `5e:00.0` |
| 8 | ib3 | Right Card – Right Port | Disabled | `5e:00.1` |
| 9 | ib1 | Left NIC - Left Port | Unified | `3b:00.1` |
| 10 | ib0 | Left NIC - Right Port | Unified | `3b:00.0` |
| 11 | eno1 | 1 GbE Port 1 (Left) | MGMT/IPMI (*TECH) |  |
| 12 | eno2 | 1 GbE Port 2 (Right) | TECH (*MGMT) |  |

*in B2B IPMI configuration the MGMT port is moved to 1GbE port 2 (eno2) and the TECH port is moved to 1GbE port 1 (eno1).

---

## Cascade Lake CBox with CX5+CX6 NIC in IB + IB mode with “Reverse NICs” enabled

> [!NOTE]
> ℹ️ Info
> 
> The “Reverse NICs” flag is a setting that can be set either in the VAST GUI Installer or via the command line `configure_network.py` tool. This flag is set on a per-CNode basis.

> [!WARNING]
> ⚠️ Warning
> 
> Since this is a per-CNode setting, it is possible for a chassis to have CNodes with differing configurations. If you are unsure of the configuration of a CNode, please contact VAST Support for assistance.

The “Reverse NICs” flag refers to a specific configuration that swaps the roles between the NIC intended for **northband** traffic and the NIC intended for **internal** traffic. This is primarily used in scenarios where the physical cabling or hardware layout necessitates a reversal of these roles.

![The Images shows the rear view of a server with the ports labeled by number.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/89b91113-5dc6-49db-86ec-57b16dc8ce56/Images/Documentation/fa23d43f-3494-4d1b-baea-aa5911a5262c.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-08T09%3A56%3A36Z&se=2026-11-08T10%3A56%3A36Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=DTyR7XqcF6KGBIYaoDLIHK8adZtgaqfAuPbSjyzyyk4%3D)

| **Cascade Lake CBox** |
| --- |
| Number | Name | Port Location | Function | PCIe B:D.F |
| 1 | CNode 1 |  |  |  |
| 2 | CNode 2 |  |  |  |
| 3 | CNode 3 |  |  |  |
| 4 | CNode 4 |  |  |  |
| 5 | PSU 1 |  |  |  |
| 6 | PSU 2 |  |  |  |
| 7 | ib2 | Right Card – Left Port | Northbound / Split | `5e:00.0` |
| 8 | ib3 | Right Card – Right Port | Northbound / Split | `5e:00.1` |
| 9 | ib1 | Left NIC - Left Port | Internal | `3b:00.1` |
| 10 | ib0 | Left NIC - Right Port | Internal | `3b:00.0` |
| 11 | eno1 | 1 GbE Port 1 (Left) | MGMT/IPMI (*TECH) |  |
| 12 | eno2 | 1 GbE Port 2 (Right) | TECH (*MGMT) |  |

*in B2B IPMI configuration the MGMT port is moved to 1GbE port 2 (eno2) and the TECH port is moved to 1GbE port 1 (eno1).

---

> [!NOTE]
> ℹ️ Note
> 
> Using the Skip NIC and Reverse NIC functionality together is supported, but has extremely limited use cases. Thus it is not documented here.

Stateless VAST Compute Node; runs all VAST services. Note: CNode can refer to the physical server or the VAST container acting in the CNode role.

The physical package that holds multiple CNodes. It should only be used to clarify that you’re referring to the physical box, not one of the servers or logical CNodes it contains. CNode should be the general term, as VAST is a software company.