406-BBQK Dell Emulex Single Port Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter.

Dell 406-BBQK LPe35000-M2 Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter

The Dell 406-BBQK LPe35000-M2 is a high-performance single port PCIe 4.0 Fibre Channel HBA designed for enterprise data centers and modern IT infrastructures. Engineered with Gen 7 64/32GFC technology, it delivers superior connectivity, low latency, and reliable throughput for mission-critical applications.

Key Information

• Manufacturer: Dell
• Part Number / SKU: 406-BBQK
• Product Type: Fibre Channel
• Category: Host Bus Adapter
• Generation: Gen 7 (64/32GFC)

Technical Specifications

Physical Dimensions

The Dell 406-BBQK comes in a short, low-profile PCIe form factor for versatile deployment:

• Length: 167.64 mm (6.60")
• Height: 68.91 mm (2.71")

Connectivity & Cable Support

Engineered for broad fibre channel connectivity, this adapter supports multiple multimode and single-mode options:

• 0.5m – 100m at 64GFC/32GFC on 50/125 µm OM4 MMF
• 0.5m – 100m at 64GFC/32GFC on 50/125 µm OM5 MMF
• 0.5m – 70m at 64GFC/32GFC on 50/125 µm OM3 MMF
• 10 km at 32GFC/16GFC on 9/125 µm SMF with Emulex-approved longwave transceivers

Optical Data Rates

• 28.05 Gb/s (3200 MB/s)
• 14.025 Gb/s (1600 MB/s)
• 8.5 Gb/s (800 MB/s)
• Automatic detection supported

Hardware Compatibility

This adapter is optimized for various server and workstation platforms:

• Intel x64 architecture
• Intel x86 systems
• PowerPC environments

Performance Highlights

• Single port Fibre Channel connectivity
• PCIe Gen4 x8 host bus type
• Advanced I/O controller: XE601
• Short wave lasers with LC-type connectors

Environmental Specifications

Operating Conditions

• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Operating Humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Storage Conditions

• Storage Temperature: -20°C to 85°C (-4°F to 185°F)

Operating System Support

The Dell 406-BBQK LPe35000-M2 offers extensive OS compatibility, ensuring seamless integration across enterprise platforms:

• Microsoft Windows Server editions
• Oracle Linux
• Oracle Linux with UEK
• Oracle Solaris
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
• VMware vSphere
• Additional OEM and partner support available

Advantages of Dell 406-BBQK Fibre Channel HBA

Performance Benefits

• High throughput with 64GFC/32GFC Gen 7 support
• Reduced latency for faster application response
• Reliable data transfer across enterprise workloads

Scalability & Flexibility

• Supports a wide range of fibre channel cable lengths
• Compatible with leading server platforms
• Designed for both small and large-scale IT infrastructures

Enterprise Reliability

• Backed by Dell quality and Emulex technology
• Tested for enterprise-grade environments
• Ensures consistent uptime and business continuity

Ideal Use Cases

Data Center Applications

• High-performance storage networking
• Enterprise backup and disaster recovery
• Large-scale virtualization environments

Dell 406-BBQK Single Port PCI-E 4.0 Host Bus Adapter

The Dell 406-BBQK LPe35000-m2 Emulex single port PCI-E 4.0 Host Bus Adapter (HBA) represents a high-performance class of storage connectivity hardware designed for enterprise SAN (Storage Area Network) environments, virtualization platforms, and mission-critical server workloads. This category page covers the LPe35000-m2 family and closely related 32G and 64G Fibre Channel (FC) single-port HBAs, focusing on real-world technical benefits, deployment considerations, compatibility with Dell PowerEdge servers, and the reasons IT teams select the Dell 406-BBQK as a foundation for low-latency, high-availability storage infrastructures.

High-Level Capabilities: PCI-E 4.0 Throughput and Fibre Channel Flexibility

The LPe35000-m2 adapter is engineered to leverage PCI-Express 4.0 lanes to deliver bandwidth and low latency to the host server. PCI-E 4.0 provides doubled per-lane throughput compared to PCI-E 3.0, which enables the HBA to fully utilize modern SAN link speeds and reduces host-side bottlenecks. Available in 32G and 64G Fibre Channel variants, the single port Emulex design offers straightforward connectivity for scale-up servers or for use as a dedicated storage fabric interface in blade and rack servers. For customers deploying mixed SAN fabrics, the LPe35000-m2’s support for common Fibre Channel features ensures easy integration into existing multiprotocol infrastructures while offering future readiness for higher-speed fabrics.

Enterprise-Grade Reliability and Emulex Firmware Ecosystem

Emulex HBAs have a long-standing reputation for enterprise reliability, extensive firmware toolsets, and stable driver support across major operating systems. The Dell 406-BBQK leverages Emulex’s firmware maturity and management utilities to give administrators granular control over adapter behavior, diagnostics, and performance tuning. Native support for link-level error detection, automatic recovery mechanisms, and robust queue management helps keep storage traffic flowing during heavy loads or transient fabric issues. Firmware update workflows and vendor-certified driver bundles from Dell ensure the adapter is kept in a validated state for production servers, which is particularly important in regulated or high-uptime environments.

Performance Characteristics and Real-World Throughput

Performance for the 406-BBQK LPe35000-m2 centers on two pillars: the host-side PCI-E 4.0 interface and the SAN-side Fibre Channel link speed. In typical deployments, the combination of a PCI-E 4.0 x8 (or higher) slot and a 32G or 64G Fibre Channel connection delivers predictable, low-latency access to shared storage arrays and NVMe over FC targets. For sequential and random I/O workloads common to databases and virtual machine storage, this HBA family minimizes queuing delays and optimizes throughput to take advantage of modern array architectures. The single port design is ideal where a dedicated, high-performance path is required, such as host-local primary storage access, backup target traffic, or clustered file system traffic.

Latency, IOPS, and Queue Management

Low latency matters for database transaction throughput and application responsiveness. The Emulex architecture in the LPe35000-m2 series focuses on deterministic queue handling and offload features that reduce CPU overhead on the host. This results in improved IOPS under high-concurrency conditions and allows the server CPU to remain focused on application processing rather than interrupt processing. For virtualization platforms that consolidate many VMs per server, the adapter’s ability to sustain high IOPS with consistent latency makes it an attractive option for reducing storage-related performance variability.

NVMe over Fibre Channel and Modern Storage Stacks

As organizations adopt NVMe-based storage arrays and NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe/FC), HBAs that support modern FC features are increasingly important. The Dell 406-BBQK class adapters can participate in NVMe/FC fabrics when paired with compatible switches and array controllers, enabling low-latency NVMe access over the SAN. This allows enterprises to modernize storage tiers without completely redesigning their converged infrastructure, preserving fabric investments while moving to NVMe for performance-critical workloads.

Compatibility and Server Integration

Compatibility is a core consideration for procurement and lifecycle management. Dell certifies the 406-BBQK for a range of PowerEdge servers, ensuring that the HBA firmware and drivers are tested against server BIOS, RAID controllers, and major OS versions. This reduces the risk of incompatibilities that can cause downtime or degraded performance. When selecting an HBA for a server fleet, IT teams should verify the supported OS/driver matrix provided in Dell’s documentation and align firmware revision levels with their change-control processes to maintain supportability.

Operating System and Hypervisor Support

Support for a wide range of operating systems and hypervisors is another critical advantage. The Emulex LPe35000-m2 family typically provides certified drivers for enterprise Linux distributions, Microsoft Windows Server, VMware ESXi, and other common platforms. Vendor-provided driver packages and diagnostic utilities simplify troubleshooting and integration with monitoring frameworks. For virtualization administrators, tight driver integration with hypervisor features such as multipathing and virtual adapter assignment improves storage network reliability and flexibility.

Multipathing and High Availability Considerations

Multipathing software plays an essential role in SAN resilience. When used with multipathing solutions, the single-port 406-BBQK adapter can be combined with additional HBAs, redundant fabrics, or multi-path aware switches to create highly resilient storage topologies. Although a single port per adapter might suggest limited redundancy, many organizations deploy two adapters per host or pair single-port HBAs with converged top-of-rack switches to ensure there are alternate paths in the event of link or component failure. Detailed planning around multipathing policies and failover behavior is recommended to match the adapter configuration to the desired level of availability.