S4P78A HPE 2 Ports 16GB Storeonce Gen5 Fibre Channel Network Card

Product Overview of the HPE S4P78A 2-Port 16GB Fibre Channel

The HPE S4P78A 2-Port 16GB Fibre Channel StoreOnce Gen5 Controller is a high-performance host bus adapter designed to deliver reliable and fast data connectivity for enterprise storage environments. Built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, this controller is ideal for organizations that require stable Fibre Channel performance for backup, recovery, and data-intensive workloads.

General Information

Manufacturer Details

• Brand: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)
• Manufacturer Part Number: S4P78A
• Device Category: Host Bus Adapter (HBA)

Technical Specifications

Hardware Configuration

• Form Factor: Plug-in card, low-profile design
• Bus Interface: PCI Express 3.0
• Number of Ports: 2 x 16GB Fibre Channel
• Connectivity Type: Wired
• Cabling: Fiber optic

Performance

• Supported Protocols: 4Gb, 8Gb, and 16Gb Fibre Channel (SW)
• Maximum Data Transfer Rate: Up to 14.025 Gbps
• Speed Management: Automatic negotiation

Compatibility

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)
• VMware ESXi
• VMware ESX

The Enterprise Backup Controllers

The category of enterprise backup controllers represented by the HPE S4P78A 2 Ports 16GB Fibre Channel StoreOnce Gen5 Controller focuses on high-performance data protection, backup acceleration, and storage efficiency within modern data centers. These controllers are designed to operate as the core processing and connectivity layer for disk-based backup appliances, enabling reliable data ingestion, deduplication, replication, and recovery at scale. Within this category, emphasis is placed on high throughput, low latency, strong data integrity, and seamless integration with enterprise backup software and SAN infrastructures.

HPE StoreOnce Gen5 Controller Architecture

StoreOnce Gen5 controllers belong to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s advanced backup hardware ecosystem, engineered to support demanding enterprise workloads. The architecture centers on optimized processing pipelines that handle backup streams, deduplication operations, metadata indexing, and Fibre Channel data movement without bottlenecks. This category targets organizations that require predictable backup windows, efficient storage utilization, and enterprise-grade reliability.

Controller-Centric Backup

In controller-based backup systems, the controller is responsible for orchestrating all data movement and optimization tasks. The HPE S4P78A controller category emphasizes offloading computationally intensive processes from general-purpose servers, ensuring that backup performance remains consistent even during peak usage. This design philosophy supports both scale-up and scale-out backup strategies while maintaining centralized control.

Integration with StoreOnce

Controllers in this category are purpose-built to integrate seamlessly with HPE StoreOnce backup appliances. They serve as the operational core, managing disk shelves, cache memory, and network connectivity. The tight integration between hardware, firmware, and StoreOnce software enables advanced features such as variable block deduplication, efficient replication, and fast restore operations across local and remote sites.

Fibre Channel Connectivity

The inclusion of dual 16GB Fibre Channel ports defines a critical subcategory focused on SAN-based backup environments. Fibre Channel connectivity ensures high-speed, low-latency data transfer between backup servers and StoreOnce appliances, making this category ideal for enterprises that rely on SAN infrastructures for mission-critical applications.

16GB Fibre Channel Performance Advantages

Controllers equipped with 16GB Fibre Channel ports offer significantly higher bandwidth compared to older 8GB solutions. This increased throughput supports parallel backup streams, large dataset ingestion, and faster recovery times. In environments with virtualized workloads or high transaction volumes, the performance headroom provided by 16GB Fibre Channel helps maintain consistent backup windows.

High Availability SAN

Dual-port Fibre Channel controllers enable redundant path configurations within SAN environments. This category supports multipathing and failover designs that enhance availability and resilience. If one path becomes unavailable, traffic can automatically reroute through the alternate port, ensuring uninterrupted backup operations.

Optimized for Mixed Workloads

Enterprise backup environments often consist of diverse data types. The StoreOnce Gen5 controller category is designed to handle mixed workloads efficiently, maintaining high deduplication effectiveness even when data characteristics vary significantly between backup jobs.

Gen5 Performance

The Gen5 generation of StoreOnce controllers represents a significant evolution in performance and scalability. This category is built to meet the demands of modern data growth, higher backup frequencies, and stricter compliance requirements.

Enhanced Processing Power

Gen5 controllers incorporate advanced processors and memory architectures that accelerate deduplication, indexing, and data movement tasks. This increased computational capacity allows organizations to protect larger datasets within shorter backup windows.

Scalability for Growing Environments

As data volumes increase, the controller category supports scaling through additional disk capacity and optimized resource utilization. This scalability allows organizations to extend the lifespan of their backup infrastructure without frequent hardware replacements.

Reliability and Data Integrity Features

Enterprise backup controllers must ensure the integrity and availability of protected data. The HPE StoreOnce Gen5 controller category emphasizes robust reliability mechanisms and enterprise-grade protection features.

Use Cases

The HPE S4P78A 2 Ports 16GB Fibre Channel StoreOnce Gen5 Controller category supports a wide range of enterprise use cases, from small data centers to large, distributed environments.

Large-Scale Enterprise Data Centers

In large data centers, these controllers provide the performance and scalability needed to protect petabytes of data. High-speed Fibre Channel connectivity ensures that backup operations do not interfere with production workloads.