HPE 649281-B21 10Gb 40Gb Dual Port 544QSFP G8 Adapter

Product Overview

The HPE 649281-B21 Dual Port 544QSFP G8 Adapter is a high-performance networking component engineered to deliver superior connectivity in enterprise data centers. Designed with reliability and scalability in mind, this adapter supports a wide range of applications where advanced throughput and minimal latency are essential. It combines InfiniBand and Ethernet technologies, enabling organizations to build a flexible and powerful infrastructure that adapts to changing workloads.

Key Specifications

• Brand: HPE
• Manufacturer Part Number: 649281-B21
• Spare Part Number: 656089-001
• Device Category: Network Adapter – InfiniBand

Advanced Networking Features

This adapter is built for wired connections and ensures consistent speed and stability. Leveraging the PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, it supports high-bandwidth operations and smooth communication between servers and storage systems. Key supported protocols include:

• 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• 40 Gigabit Ethernet
• InfiniBand with FDR link capability

These protocols provide a versatile networking foundation, suitable for virtualized environments, cloud infrastructure, and high-performance computing.

Data Transfer Capabilities

The HPE 649281-B21 is engineered to achieve exceptional performance with a maximum data transfer speed of 56 Gbps. This allows for seamless data-intensive operations, supporting workloads such as:

• Database applications requiring low latency
• High-bandwidth file transfers
• Virtual machine clustering
• Scientific and research computing environments

Connectivity & Port Options

Equipped with two QSFP ports, this adapter supports flexible expansion and connectivity. These interfaces provide dual-function operation, allowing either Ethernet or InfiniBand depending on deployment needs. This adaptability reduces hardware redundancy and ensures investment protection for growing networks.

Expansion & Compatibility

With dual 40Gb Ethernet/InfiniBand FDR interfaces, the adapter integrates seamlessly into complex environments. Its design supports scalability in dense data centers while maintaining efficient thermal performance.

Operating Environment

Reliability in varying conditions is critical, and this model is designed to handle:

• Minimum Operating Temperature: 32 °F (0 °C)
• Maximum Operating Temperature: 131 °F (55 °C)

Such flexibility ensures dependable operation in enterprise-level deployments with diverse environmental demands.

System Compatibility

The HPE 649281-B21 adapter is specifically designed for ProLiant servers, including:

• HPE ProLiant DL360p Gen8
• HPE ProLiant DL380p Gen8
• HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen8

This ensures seamless integration with existing infrastructures, simplifying deployment and management across multiple server platforms.

HPE 649281-B21 10Gb 40Gb Dual Port 544QSFP G8 Adapter

The HPE 649281-B21 10Gb 40Gb Dual Port 544QSFP G8 Adapter is a high-performance server network interface card designed to deliver superior bandwidth, reduced latency, and reliable connectivity for enterprise workloads. Built for demanding data centers and cloud environments, this dual port adapter ensures seamless integration with HP ProLiant Gen8 servers and provides enhanced scalability for modern IT infrastructures. Its compatibility with both 10GbE and 40GbE Ethernet speeds allows organizations to optimize data transfer while future-proofing their network investments.

By leveraging QSFP+ connectivity, the adapter supports advanced virtualization, network convergence, and workload balancing across multiple server environments. With low power consumption and a flexible design, the HPE 649281-B21 empowers enterprises to manage bandwidth-intensive applications such as virtualization, cloud hosting, high-performance computing (HPC), and large-scale storage solutions.

Features of HPE 649281-B21 Dual Port 544QSFP Adapter

• Dual QSFP+ ports supporting 10GbE and 40GbE Ethernet speeds.
• Optimized for HPE ProLiant Gen8 server platforms.
• Enhanced throughput for virtualized and cloud workloads.
• Low latency networking for HPC and mission-critical applications.
• Energy-efficient design to reduce operational costs.
• Supports network virtualization and advanced management tools.
• Seamless scalability with high-bandwidth connectivity.

Performance Benefits

The adapter offers unmatched throughput by enabling 40GbE connections, while retaining backward compatibility with 10GbE infrastructure. This ensures smooth migration paths for organizations upgrading their networks. The dual port architecture supports redundancy and load balancing, enhancing both reliability and efficiency. Applications such as virtual machine mobility, real-time analytics, and large data transfers benefit from the reduced bottlenecks provided by this adapter.

Compatibility with Server Platforms

The HPE 649281-B21 adapter integrates seamlessly with HPE ProLiant Gen8 servers, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of enterprise deployments. Its plug-and-play architecture reduces installation complexity, while firmware and driver support from HPE provides a stable and optimized networking environment. Compatibility extends to leading virtualization platforms, including VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Linux KVM, allowing IT administrators to deploy diverse workloads without performance concerns.

Virtualization Support

Virtualized environments demand reliable, high-throughput networking to handle multiple concurrent workloads. The HPE 544QSFP G8 Adapter includes features such as SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization), hardware offloading, and QoS (Quality of Service) enhancements. These capabilities ensure optimized resource allocation, minimizing latency and maximizing VM density on each server. Cloud providers and enterprises deploying hybrid IT environments benefit greatly from these virtualization-ready features.

Advanced Networking Technologies

Equipped with cutting-edge networking features, the HPE 649281-B21 enhances efficiency across workloads. By supporting technologies like iSCSI offload, TCP/IP offload, and VLAN tagging, the adapter reduces CPU overhead and frees processing resources for critical applications. Furthermore, its advanced error handling and link aggregation ensure network reliability, making it ideal for mission-critical tasks.

Scalability and Data Center Growth

Modern enterprises require scalable solutions to accommodate rapid data growth. The dual 40GbE support of this adapter ensures enterprises can expand their data center capacity without frequent hardware upgrades. It allows multiple servers to be interconnected at high speeds, enhancing clustering and workload balancing capabilities. Whether used in cloud hosting, private data centers, or research facilities, this adapter facilitates seamless scaling of IT operations.

Use Cases for HPE 649281-B21 544QSFP Adapter

High-Performance Computing

For HPC workloads that demand extreme bandwidth and low latency, the adapter’s dual port 40GbE connectivity ensures faster communication between nodes. Researchers and organizations dealing with simulations, big data analytics, and scientific modeling rely on such hardware to accelerate processing times and enhance collaboration.

Cloud and Virtualization Environments

Data centers deploying large-scale virtualization benefit from the adapter’s SR-IOV support, ensuring efficient workload distribution and resource utilization. By reducing CPU load and improving throughput, it allows administrators to achieve higher VM density and provide smooth end-user experiences across cloud applications.

Enterprise Networking and Storage

The adapter enhances storage networking by supporting iSCSI and NAS solutions, ensuring seamless integration with SAN (Storage Area Networks) and DAS (Direct Attached Storage). Enterprises dealing with real-time backups, business continuity, and large database applications rely on this performance-driven connectivity solution to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Design and Energy Efficiency

Engineered for maximum efficiency, the HPE 649281-B21 adapter reduces total power consumption while providing high bandwidth. This makes it an environmentally friendly choice for organizations aiming to lower operational expenses and adhere to sustainability goals. The compact design integrates neatly into HPE servers without occupying excessive space, while its heat management design ensures reliability even under heavy workloads.

Reliability and Redundancy

The dual port architecture not only doubles available bandwidth but also ensures redundancy for mission-critical applications. Should one connection fail, the second port maintains uninterrupted connectivity, minimizing downtime risks. This feature is vital for organizations handling sensitive financial transactions, healthcare data, or government operations..

Security Enhancements

With network security being a top priority, the adapter incorporates features such as secure firmware updates, network isolation through VLANs, and compatibility with intrusion prevention systems. These capabilities ensure that enterprise environments remain secure while achieving optimal performance.

Benefits for IT Infrastructure

• Improved bandwidth for large-scale applications.
• Reduced network bottlenecks in virtualized environments.
• Scalable design suitable for future-proofing data centers.
• Enhanced security through VLAN support and monitoring tools.
• Redundancy features ensure maximum uptime.
• Lower energy costs and sustainable IT operations.