HPE 817736-001 2 Ports PCI-Express High-Profile Network Adapter.

HPE 817736-001 2 Ports 562T 10Gb/s PCI-Express 3.0 x4 High-Profile Network Adapter — Product category overview

The HPE 817736-001 2 Ports 562T 10Gb/s PCI-Express 3.0 x4 High-Profile Network Adapter occupies a focused category within enterprise networking: dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet server NICs designed for high-throughput, low-latency data center and virtualization environments. This category prioritizes balanced performance, broad operating system support, and rugged reliability for 24/7 server deployments. Buyers who search for HPE 562T, HPE 10Gb NIC, PCIe 3.0 x4 network card, or the part number 817736-001 are typically comparing server-grade adapters to meet demands across virtualization, storage networking, hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), database clusters, and high-performance compute (HPC) front-end connectivity.

Key technical characteristics of the category

Interface and bus standard

Adapters in this category implement the PCI-Express 3.0 physical interface with a x4 lane requirement. PCIe 3.0 x4 provides a reliable lane bandwidth ceiling suitable for two 10GbE ports without saturating host resources in most real-world server workloads. The standard ensures compatibility with a wide range of HPE ProLiant and other server motherboards that accept full-height, high-profile cards.

Port configuration and throughput

As a dual-port 10Gb/s adapter, the 562T family supports two physical 10G links that can operate independently, aggregate via link aggregation (LACP), or be partitioned into virtual interfaces depending on software features. Typical throughput considerations include bidirectional aggregate bandwidth up to 20 Gbps (10 Gbps per port), with line-rate performance for most packet sizes when proper CPU and memory resources are available.

Form factor — high-profile vs low-profile

The high-profile designation indicates that this adapter is intended for standard full-height server chassis (tall bracket), providing stable mounting and compatibility with rack and tower servers. Some vendors provide half-height (low-profile) brackets as optional accessories; however, the high-profile card is the default and recommended for systems with full-height expansion slots.

Hardware features and on-board technologies

Offload and acceleration

Modern HPE 10Gb adapters include hardware offloads that shift CPU-intensive tasks to the NIC silicon. Typical offload capabilities in this category:

• TCP/UDP checksum offload (IPv4/IPv6)
• Large Send Offload (LSO) and Large Receive Offload (LRO)
• TCP segmentation offload (TSO)
• Receive Side Scaling (RSS) to distribute interrupts across multiple CPU cores

These offloads reduce host CPU utilization for network-heavy workloads — particularly beneficial for virtualization hosts running many VMs or containers.

Virtualization and SR-IOV support

The category commonly includes virtualization-friendly features such as single-root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) and VLAN tagging. SR-IOV allows creation of multiple virtual functions (VFs) that can be mapped directly to virtual machines for near-native I/O performance. When evaluating cards, look for explicit SR-IOV support and the maximum number of VFs — a crucial parameter for dense virtualization deployments.

Energy efficiency and thermal design

HPE server adapters are optimized for typical data center thermal envelopes. Expect:

• Low idle power consumption modes for energy-efficient operation
• Thermal throttling safeguards to protect silicon under sustained loads
• Compatibility with server chassis airflow patterns to avoid hotspots

Software, firmware, and driver ecosystem

Operating system support

This category maintains wide software support across enterprise OSes: multiple Linux distributions (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS/AlmaLinux, Ubuntu Server, SUSE), Microsoft Windows Server editions, VMware ESXi, and BSD variants. When selecting a specific adapter make/model, verify driver support and recommended firmware versions on the vendor’s compatibility matrix for your OS level — especially for production environments that require vendor-validated drivers and firmware.

Management utilities and monitoring

Enterprise NICs commonly provide command-line and GUI utilities for:

• Firmware updates and rollback
• Link diagnostics and health reporting
• Interface statistics, counters, and error monitoring
• Configuration of VLANs, teaming, and virtualization features

Integrating NIC monitoring into existing infrastructure (SNMP, IPMI, or vendor tools) is standard practice for proactive troubleshooting and capacity planning.

Deployment scenarios and use cases

Virtualized server hosts and VDI

Dual 10GbE adapters are ideal for hosts running multiple virtual machines or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Use cases include:

• Dedicated NICs for management, vMotion/Live Migration, and VM traffic segmentation
• SR-IOV to allocate near bare-metal performance to critical VMs
• NIC teaming to provide redundancy and simple load balancing

Storage and hyperconverged infrastructure

When paired with iSCSI, NFS, or SMB storage, 10GbE links dramatically reduce storage latency and increase throughput compared to 1GbE. In HCI clusters (e.g., VMware vSAN, Nutanix), dual ports can be used to separate replication and data traffic or to form redundant multipath links for resiliency.

High-performance computing and database servers

Low-latency, high-bandwidth NICs benefit database clusters and compute nodes that exchange high volumes of data. Deploy the 562T category in front-end roles for database application servers, caching layers, or to isolate east-west traffic in distributed compute fabrics.

Compatibility and pre-purchase checklist

Server compatibility checklist

• Confirm the server has an available PCIe 3.0 x4 (or higher) full-height slot.
• Check BIOS & firmware compatibility lists for the server model (HPE ProLiant SKU-specific guidance is common).
• Ensure physical clearance for a dual-port module and adjacent cards if the server has multiple expansion cards.
• Verify chassis airflow and cable management will not obstruct cooling.

Interconnect and cabling checklist

Depending on the physical PHY (SFP+, RJ45, or other), the adapter may require:

• SFP+ transceivers (SR, LR, or DAC passive/active cables) for fiber or direct-attach copper connections.
• Cat6a/Cat7 compatible copper for 10GBASE-T RJ45 variants (if offered in the 562T family).
• Appropriate port breakout or patch panel planning for data center cabling consistency.

Performance tuning and best practices

Receive/transmit queue tuning

Modern NICs expose multiple hardware queues; optimal settings depend on CPU core counts and interrupt handling:

• Enable Receive Side Scaling (RSS) to distribute packet processing across cores.
• Increase the number of queues when hosting many VMs or high parallel flows.
• Match queue count to logical CPU cores but avoid oversubscription that causes contention.

Jumbo frames and MTU considerations

Enabling jumbo frames (e.g., MTU 9000) can improve throughput and reduce CPU load for large-payload flows, especially iSCSI or NFS workloads. Ensure the entire network path (switches, routers, other NICs) supports the chosen MTU to avoid fragmentation issues.

Interrupt moderation and latency tradeoffs

Interrupt moderation reduces CPU interrupts by batching events, lowering host CPU overhead at the cost of increased latency. For latency-sensitive applications (e.g., trading platforms, real-time telemetry), disable or fine-tune moderation. For throughput-heavy batch workloads, higher moderation values can be beneficial.

Advanced features and enterprise integrations

Hardware-assisted virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM)

For virtual environments, verify support for:

• VMQ/virtio-net optimizations
• SR-IOV mapping and security considerations
• Driver tools for hypervisor-level NIC configuration

Storage offload features

Adapters in this category may expose features helpful for storage offload, such as iSCSI offload engines or better support for SMB multichannel. These features lower CPU cycles for storage traffic and can improve throughput for shared storage architectures.

Physical installation and serviceability

Step-by-step installation guide

Typical installation steps for a high-profile 10Gb NIC:

1. Power down the server and disconnect power sources following your data center safety policies.
2. Open the chassis and locate a free full-height PCIe 3.0 x4 (or larger) slot.
3. Remove the appropriate slot cover and align the adapter with the slot.
4. Seat the card firmly until the board edge connector fully engages, securing it with the chassis screw or retention mechanism.
5. Install any necessary transceivers or cables (SFP+, DAC, or RJ45), taking care not to bend fibers or stress connectors.
6. Power on the server and validate BIOS/UEFI detection of the new adapter.
7. Install vendor drivers and firmware updates per the compatibility matrix.

Hot-swap and replacement considerations

While adapters themselves are not typically hot-swappable, network redundancy (via teaming or multipathing) allows maintenance windows without service disruption. Establish redundant network paths before replacing NICs in production hosts.

Comparisons and category alternatives

10GbE vs 25GbE: when to choose 10Gb

10GbE remains a cost-effective and compatible choice for many server-to-switch links, management networks, and storage front-ends. Compare:

• 10GbE: Mature ecosystem, lower cost for NICs, transceivers, and cabling; excellent for virtualization hosts and small clusters.
• 25/40/100GbE: Higher throughput for spine/leaf fabrics, large-scale storage clusters, or when consolidating multiple 10Gb links is desired.

Choose 10Gb when budget, existing switch compatibility, and typical per-host throughput make higher speeds unnecessary.

Vendor alternatives and compatibility

While this category centers on HPE-branded adapters (part number 817736-001), there are comparable offerings from Broadcom, Intel, and Mellanox (NVIDIA) whose silicon is often rebranded by server OEMs. When interoperability and driver support are critical, prefer the vendor-recommended SKU for your server platform.

Common troubleshooting and maintenance tips

Link and physical connectivity failures

• Check physical cables and SFP+ modules for proper seating and cleanliness.
• Validate that both ends of the link negotiate the expected speed and duplex (10G full-duplex).
• Examine switch port logs for error counters (CRC errors, alignment errors) that suggest cabling or transceiver issues.

Driver and firmware mismatch problems

Symptoms such as unexpected reboots, link drops, or degraded performance often trace back to unsupported driver/firmware combinations. Keep drivers and firmware in sync with vendor release notes and cross-check against your OS and hypervisor compatibility documentation.

CPU or memory bottlenecks

If NIC utilization is high but application throughput remains low, inspect CPU scheduling, interrupt distribution, and memory bandwidth. Offload features reduce CPU load but require correct configuration (e.g., enabling RSS, tuning queue counts).

Security considerations

Network isolation and segmentation

Use VLANs, private VLANs, or separate physical NICs to segregate management, backup, and production traffic. For virtualization hosts, avoid exposing management interfaces to the same broadcast domain as tenant VMs.

Firmware integrity and secure boot

Keep NIC firmware updated to mitigate vulnerabilities; obtain firmware only from trusted vendor channels. Where possible, enable secure boot and firmware signature validation features available in your platform.

Accessories and complementary components

Cabling and transceivers

Match the NIC port type to the correct cable or transceiver:

• SFP+ SR for short multimode fiber runs (up to 300 m on OM3/OM4).
• SFP+ LR for single-mode long reach applications (kilometer ranges).
• Direct Attach Copper (DAC) for short, cost-effective connections in the same rack or adjacent racks.
• 10GBASE-T for copper RJ45 connectivity over Cat6a/Cat7 cabling up to 30–100 meters depending on PHY.

Switching and aggregation hardware

Deploy 10Gb switches, leaf/spine fabrics, or multi-gig uplinks on access switches to fully leverage the adapter’s capacity. Consider features like LACP, MLAG, and switch-level flow control to manage convergence and redundancy.

UX and conversion optimization for product listings in this category

High-value product content elements

• Clear product titles including model number and key attributes (e.g., “HPE 817736-001 2 Ports 10Gb SFP+ PCIe 3.0 x4 High-Profile”).
• Prominent spec highlights: ports, bus type, supported OS, SR-IOV, warranty.
• Downloadable resources: drivers, firmware changelogs, installation guide PDFs.
• Customer reviews and validated benchmarks to build trust.