867706-B21 HPE 10GB 2-Port 521T Network Adapters

Overview of HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet 2-Port Network Adapter

The HPE 867706-B21 is a high-performance dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter designed to deliver secure, reliable, and energy-efficient connectivity for enterprise servers. It provides advanced virtualization support, robust throughput, and compliance with modern networking standards.

General Information

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Part Number: 867706-B21
• Product Type: Network Adapter
• Form Factor: Plug-in Card
• Interface Type: PCI Express 3.0 x8

Technical Specification

• Ports: 2 x 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Technology: Wired connectivity
• Protocol: 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Data Transfer Rate: 10 Gbps per port
• Performance: Bidirectional throughput of 40 Gbps
• Capacity: Jumbo frame size up to 9.2 KB
• Remote Management: SNMP protocol

Networking Enhancements

• VLAN Support
• Wake on LAN (WoL)
• IPv6 Compatibility
• Jumbo Frames Support
• PXE Boot Support

Latency & Performance Optimizations

• Precision Time Protocol (PTP)
• RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE)
• RoCE v2 for enhanced efficiency
• Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN)
• Receive Side Coalescing (RSC)
• iSCSI Extensions over RDMA (iSER)

Additional Innovations

• HPE Sea of Sensors 3D technology for thermal optimization

IEEE Standards Supported

• IEEE 802.1Q (VLAN tagging)
• IEEE 802.1P (Traffic prioritization)
• IEEE 802.1AS (Timing and synchronization)
• IEEE 802.3az (Energy Efficient Ethernet)
• IEEE 802.1QBB (Priority-based Flow Control)
• IEEE 802.1QAZ (Enhanced Transmission Selection)
• IEEE 802.3BY (25 Gigabit Ethernet compatibility)

Core Hardware

• Processor: Cavium QL41401

HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet 10GB 2-Port 521T Network Adapter

The HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet 10GB 2-Port 521T Network Adapter represents a powerful and versatile networking solution engineered to meet the growing demands of modern enterprise environments. Designed for high-speed data transmission, seamless scalability, and consistent performance, this adapter is a critical component in enhancing server connectivity across data centers, virtualization platforms, and cloud infrastructures. With its dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet capability, it delivers exceptional bandwidth and reliability for organizations requiring uninterrupted data flow and minimal latency.

This category of network adapters is particularly suited for organizations transitioning from traditional 1GbE infrastructure to high-performance 10GbE networking. The increased throughput not only supports demanding workloads but also optimizes resource utilization, making it a cost-effective investment for businesses aiming to future-proof their IT infrastructure.

Advanced Architecture and Design Efficiency

The architectural design of the HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet adapter is built to maximize performance while maintaining energy efficiency. The adapter integrates cutting-edge controller technology that ensures stable data handling, reduced packet loss, and efficient traffic management. Its PCIe interface enables high-speed communication between the server and the network, minimizing bottlenecks that often hinder performance in traditional adapters.

In addition to its robust internal structure, the adapter features a compact form factor that allows seamless integration into a wide range of server configurations. This design flexibility ensures compatibility with multiple HPE ProLiant servers, enabling organizations to deploy the adapter without extensive hardware modifications.

Dual-Port Connectivity Advantages

The dual-port configuration of this 10GbE adapter significantly enhances redundancy and load balancing capabilities. By distributing network traffic across two ports, it reduces the risk of network congestion and ensures uninterrupted connectivity in the event of a port failure. This feature is essential for mission-critical applications where downtime can lead to significant operational losses.

Each port supports independent network connections, allowing IT administrators to segment traffic, optimize network performance, and implement advanced networking strategies such as link aggregation and failover configurations. This flexibility makes the adapter an ideal choice for enterprise-level deployments.

High-Speed Data Transmission Capabilities

With support for 10 Gigabit Ethernet speeds, the HPE 867706-B21 adapter delivers significantly higher data transfer rates compared to legacy network solutions. This increased bandwidth enables faster data processing, improved application performance, and enhanced user experiences across various workloads.

The adapter is optimized for both small packet and large data transfers, ensuring consistent performance regardless of workload type. Whether handling database transactions, multimedia streaming, or large-scale data migrations, the adapter maintains high throughput and minimal latency.

Compatibility and Integration Flexibility

One of the defining characteristics of the HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet adapter is its broad compatibility with HPE server platforms. It is engineered to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of HPE ProLiant servers, ensuring a smooth deployment process and minimal configuration requirements.

The adapter supports industry-standard networking protocols and operating systems, making it suitable for diverse IT environments. This compatibility extends to virtualization platforms, enabling organizations to deploy virtual machines with optimized network performance.

Support for Virtualized Environments

Virtualization has become a cornerstone of modern IT infrastructure, and the HPE 867706-B21 adapter is designed to support this paradigm effectively. It provides advanced virtualization features such as virtual NIC partitioning, which allows multiple virtual machines to share a single physical network interface while maintaining performance isolation.

This capability enhances resource utilization and reduces hardware costs by enabling multiple workloads to operate efficiently on a single server. The adapter also supports technologies that improve virtual machine mobility and scalability, making it an essential component in cloud and hybrid environments.

Operating System Compatibility

The adapter is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including various versions of Windows Server, Linux distributions, and virtualization hypervisors. This flexibility ensures that organizations can deploy the adapter within their existing infrastructure without compatibility concerns.

Driver support and firmware updates provided by HPE further enhance compatibility and performance, ensuring that the adapter remains reliable and secure over time.

Performance Optimization

Performance optimization is a key focus of the HPE 867706-B21 Ethernet adapter. It incorporates advanced features such as TCP offload, checksum offloading, and interrupt moderation, which reduce CPU overhead and improve overall system efficiency. These features allow servers to handle more network traffic without compromising performance.

Reliability is equally important, and the adapter is designed to deliver consistent performance even under heavy workloads. Its robust construction and high-quality components ensure long-term durability, making it suitable for demanding enterprise environments.

Low Latency Networking

Low latency is critical for applications that require real-time data processing, such as financial transactions, online gaming, and video conferencing. The HPE 867706-B21 adapter minimizes latency through optimized data paths and efficient packet handling, ensuring fast and responsive network performance.

This low-latency capability enhances user experiences and supports applications that depend on rapid data exchange, making the adapter a valuable asset for businesses with performance-critical workloads.

Enhanced Throughput for Data-Intensive Applications

Data-intensive applications such as big data analytics, machine learning, and high-performance computing require substantial network bandwidth. The 10GbE capability of this adapter ensures that these applications can operate efficiently, reducing processing times and improving overall productivity.

The adapter’s ability to handle high volumes of data without congestion makes it an ideal choice for organizations dealing with large datasets and complex computational tasks.

Secure Firmware and Updates

Firmware security is essential for maintaining the integrity of network devices. The HPE 867706-B21 adapter features secure firmware that is regularly updated to address potential vulnerabilities and enhance performance. These updates ensure that the adapter remains resilient against emerging threats and continues to operate efficiently.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is a key consideration for modern data centers, and the HPE 867706-B21 adapter is designed to minimize power consumption without compromising performance. Its efficient design reduces operational costs and contributes to a greener IT infrastructure.

By optimizing power usage, organizations can achieve significant cost savings over time, particularly in large-scale deployments where energy consumption is a major expense.

Reduced Operational Costs

The combination of high performance and energy efficiency makes this adapter a cost-effective solution for businesses. It reduces the need for additional hardware by maximizing the capabilities of existing servers, leading to lower capital expenditures.

Maintenance costs are also minimized due to the adapter’s reliability and durability, further enhancing its value proposition.

Scalability for Growing Businesses

Scalability is essential for businesses experiencing growth, and the HPE 867706-B21 adapter provides the flexibility needed to expand network infrastructure. Its compatibility with various server configurations and support for advanced networking features enable organizations to scale their operations seamlessly.

This scalability ensures that the adapter can adapt to changing business requirements, making it a long-term investment for organizations planning future expansion.