641148-001 ​HPE Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module

HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module Overview

The HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module for BladeSystem C-class delivers a powerful, highly efficient, and scalable solution designed to integrate networking functionality into enterprise-grade blade server environments. This module connects server blades directly to the parent switch fabric, offering simplified network management, improved efficiency, and reduced complexity. By consolidating multiple server connections into a streamlined architecture, organizations can experience lower operational overhead and enhanced performance.

Key Features of HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP

• Seamless integration with HP BladeSystem C-class infrastructure
• Support for Cisco Nexus technology to provide reliable and high-speed data throughput
• Consistent network policies across servers with extended fabric capabilities
• Reduced cabling requirements for optimized data center operations
• Improved scalability to adapt to growing enterprise workloads

Performance Benefits

By leveraging the HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module, businesses can enhance network performance and streamline data traffic management. This module minimizes latency by maintaining a direct link to Cisco Nexus parent switches, ensuring that workloads run with greater efficiency. It provides a unified fabric solution that keeps traffic flows consistent, stable, and secure while accommodating the needs of modern virtualization and cloud deployments.

Advantages for IT Infrastructure

• Centralized management through Cisco Nexus parent switches
• Lower power consumption compared to traditional network designs
• Enhanced resiliency and redundancy for mission-critical workloads
• Support for both physical and virtual environments
• Future-ready architecture designed to grow with evolving technology demands

Compatibility with BladeSystem C-class

The HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP is specifically engineered to integrate seamlessly with HP BladeSystem C-class enclosures. This ensures consistent connectivity, reliable communication, and full support for enterprise networking needs. The module works as an extension of the Cisco Nexus switching environment, providing the same policies, features, and operational models across all connected servers, simplifying both deployment and troubleshooting.

Deployment Scenarios

Enterprises, data centers, and organizations with large-scale IT infrastructures benefit greatly from deploying this module. It is particularly well-suited for:

• High-performance computing clusters
• Virtualized server environments
• Private and hybrid cloud data centers
• Large enterprise applications requiring fast data access
• Scalable environments with dynamic workload demands

Technical Specifications

The HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module is built with enterprise-grade networking capabilities. Designed for compatibility, performance, and scalability, it offers:

• Fabric extender technology supporting Cisco Nexus architecture
• Optimized for HP BladeSystem C-class enclosures
• High-bandwidth throughput for seamless server-to-switch communication
• Energy-efficient design to reduce overall power consumption
• Durable construction with long lifecycle support

Reliability and Security

This module ensures enterprise-grade reliability with redundant network paths and security measures built into the Cisco Nexus environment. IT teams benefit from policy consistency and centralized controls, reducing risks and ensuring compliance with corporate standards. Security features are seamlessly extended from the parent Cisco Nexus switches, offering protection against vulnerabilities while maintaining smooth network operations.

Enterprise Use Cases

From medium-sized businesses to large-scale enterprises, the HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module offers a versatile solution. Its ability to simplify data center networking while maintaining enterprise-level performance makes it an ideal choice for:

• Enterprises migrating to cloud-based infrastructure
• Organizations aiming to minimize network downtime
• Businesses seeking centralized network policy management
• Companies focused on reducing infrastructure costs
• IT environments requiring robust scalability and reliability

HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender 

The HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender Module for BladeSystem C-class delivers advanced network extension capabilities tailored for enterprise environments that demand scalability, reliability, and simplified management. Designed to integrate seamlessly with HP BladeSystem infrastructures, this module extends Cisco Nexus switch functionality directly into the blade chassis. It operates as a remote line card of the parent Cisco Nexus switch, enabling centralized configuration, monitoring, and policy enforcement while reducing the complexity typically associated with large-scale deployments.

By leveraging the HP 641148-001, businesses achieve streamlined network architectures where multiple blade servers can connect to the data center core through a fabric extender approach. This model ensures higher port density, lower latency, and an overall optimized performance landscape, making it a preferred solution in mission-critical workloads, private cloud environments, and high-performance computing clusters.

Key Features of the HP 641148-001 

Seamless BladeSystem Integration

A primary strength of the HP 641148-001 module is its integration with HP BladeSystem C-class enclosures. Instead of requiring independent top-of-rack switches for every group of servers, the B22HP module enables direct server connectivity inside the chassis to the upstream Cisco Nexus fabric. This design minimizes cabling clutter, reduces the need for excessive rack switches, and helps streamline management operations.

Centralized Policy and Control

Operating under the parent Cisco Nexus switch, the fabric extender allows IT administrators to apply policies, Quality of Service (QoS), and security configurations centrally. This approach ensures consistency across the entire network fabric while reducing the operational burden of managing multiple distributed switches. With centralized control, firmware upgrades, configuration changes, and troubleshooting become simpler and more uniform.

Scalability and High-Density Architecture

The B22HP is designed to support high-density server environments. As data centers expand to accommodate growing workloads, the module ensures scalability without compromising performance. Each fabric extender acts as an extension of the Nexus switch, enabling organizations to scale network connectivity in a modular fashion while preserving centralized visibility and control.

Enhanced Reliability and Redundancy

Reliability is critical in enterprise environments, and the HP 641148-001 delivers redundancy and failover capabilities to maintain network uptime. Dual fabric extenders can be deployed to provide high availability, ensuring that server connectivity is maintained even during maintenance or unexpected failures. The architecture helps enterprises avoid downtime while supporting service-level agreements (SLAs) for critical applications.

Technical Capabilities

High-Speed Connectivity

Equipped with multiple 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplink ports, the HP 641148-001 module supports high-speed communication between blade servers and the parent Nexus switch. This level of bandwidth is essential for workloads such as virtualization, big data analytics, and high-performance storage applications where throughput and low latency are paramount.

Compatibility with Cisco Nexus Switches

The B22HP Fabric Extender is compatible with Cisco Nexus 5000 and 6000 series switches. This compatibility allows organizations to deploy the extender in various Cisco-based network infrastructures without compatibility concerns, ensuring smooth interoperability between server and networking teams.

Power and Cooling Efficiency

Since the HP 641148-001 is designed for HP BladeSystem enclosures, it benefits from the chassis’ shared power and cooling infrastructure. This arrangement not only saves rack space but also reduces power consumption and cooling requirements, resulting in a more sustainable and cost-efficient data center.

Benefits of Deploying HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender

• Reduced cabling complexity inside data center racks.
• Centralized policy and QoS enforcement across blade servers.
• High-density design that scales with business growth.
• Lower operational costs through simplified management.
• High availability options with redundant extender deployments.
• Optimized performance for demanding applications and workloads.

Use Cases for the Cisco Nexus B22HP Fabric Extender

Private Cloud Deployments

For enterprises running private cloud environments on HP BladeSystem servers, the B22HP module delivers the scalable network fabric necessary to connect multiple virtual machines and cloud applications with minimal latency. Its ability to consolidate and streamline networking supports dynamic provisioning of resources, faster application delivery, and simplified orchestration.

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

In HPC environments where compute nodes must share massive amounts of data quickly, the high-speed fabric extender reduces latency and enables better data flow. Scientists, engineers, and researchers benefit from efficient workload distribution without network bottlenecks, improving the performance of simulations, modeling, and large-scale analytics.

Virtualization and Server Consolidation

Virtualized data centers with dense VM environments require consistent network performance and robust connectivity. By leveraging the HP 641148-001, IT administrators can ensure that traffic from multiple virtual workloads is properly prioritized and routed, enhancing both efficiency and stability of virtual infrastructure.

Mission-Critical Applications

Industries such as healthcare, banking, and telecommunications rely on uninterrupted services. The redundancy, performance, and centralized policy enforcement offered by the B22HP extender provide the reliability necessary to run mission-critical applications without fear of downtime or service disruption.

Comparison with Traditional Top-of-Rack Switching

Traditionally, server connectivity relied on top-of-rack (ToR) switches, requiring significant cabling, additional power, and complex management. The HP 641148-001 Cisco Nexus B22HP offers a more streamlined alternative by eliminating the need for multiple ToR switches. Instead, the extender integrates into the blade chassis, connects directly to the fabric, and extends the switch intelligence without additional overhead.

• Reduced Equipment Needs: No separate ToR switches are required for each rack.
• Centralized Management: Policies applied at the parent switch extend seamlessly to all servers.
• Lower Operational Costs: Fewer devices to manage means less maintenance and reduced total cost of ownership.
• Improved Cabling Efficiency: Minimal cabling between servers and network reduces clutter and points of failure.

Investment Protection

As organizations scale their IT operations, the HP 641148-001 module provides flexibility without requiring a complete overhaul of the network infrastructure. Existing Cisco Nexus investments remain protected while additional blade servers are seamlessly integrated into the extended fabric.