P06250-H21 HPE Infiniband HDR100 Ethernet 100GB 1-Port QSFP56 PCIE3 X16 Adapter

High-Speed Connectivity with Advanced Network Adapter

• Capable of delivering ultra-fast data transmission rates reaching up to 100 Gbps
• Engineered with a single QSFP56 interface, optimized for dense connectivity scenarios
• Built for high-throughput environments where minimal latency is critical

Brand & Model Details

• Manufacturer: HPE
• Model Number: P06250-H21
• Product Category: Network Adapter

Robust PCIe 3.0 x16 Compatibility

• Designed for PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus architecture, ensuring seamless system integration
• Maximizes bandwidth for data-intensive tasks and high-performance computing
• Stable and efficient operation within modern server infrastructure

Connector and Cable Support

• Features the high-efficiency QSFP56 interface for superior signal integrity
• Fully compatible with DAC (Direct Attach Copper) and AOC (Active Optical Cable) standards
• Supports flexible deployment across varying data center needs

Adaptable Across HPE Server Platforms

• Tailored for HPE ProLiant DL Gen10 rack-mounted servers
• Also supports BladeSystem, Synergy, and Tower models within the HPE server ecosystem
• Ensures cohesive compatibility across enterprise environments

Low Profile, High Efficiency Form Factor

• Constructed in a standup low-profile design, ideal for dense system configurations
• Compact and efficient layout enables better airflow and thermal management

Product Dimensions and Weight Details

• Lightweight build: approximately 0.509 lbs (0.23 kg), minimizing physical strain on system slots
• Dimensionally optimized: 24 x 14 x 10 in (60.96 x 35.56 x 25.4 cm) for better hardware integration

Purpose-Built for Enterprise Networking

• Streamlines high-volume data workloads in cloud, AI, and big data applications
• Ideal for businesses requiring scalable, future-proof networking performance
• Engineered to handle parallel computing and large dataset transfers with precision

Key Features at a Glance

• One high-speed port for focused data throughput
• Seamless integration into HPE server infrastructures
• Support for both copper and optical transmission mediums
• High-density, low-latency network connectivity solution

Overview of the P06250-H21 HPE Infiniband HDR100 Adapter

The P06250-H21 HPE Infiniband HDR100 Ethernet 100GB 1-Port QSFP56 PCIe3 x16 Adapter is a high-performance networking adapter engineered for data-intensive environments, providing a robust, scalable, and efficient solution for modern enterprise and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. This adapter delivers exceptional bandwidth and ultra-low latency, designed to meet the demands of today's cloud-based infrastructures and compute clusters. Leveraging HDR100 Infiniband technology, this HPE adapter helps accelerate workloads across AI, machine learning, scientific simulation, and data analytics.

Key Specifications and Features

The P06250-H21 model features a 100Gbps single-port QSFP56 interface, PCIe Gen3 x16 slot compatibility, and support for both Ethernet and Infiniband protocols. Built to enhance system throughput and reduce bottlenecks, it provides critical improvements in data movement between servers and storage systems. Key features include:

• 100Gbps data transfer rate through QSFP56 interface
• PCIe Gen3 x16 connectivity for maximum bus bandwidth utilization
• Support for HDR100 Infiniband and 100G Ethernet
• Ultra-low latency ideal for AI, ML, HPC, and data center workloads
• Advanced offloads and accelerators for RDMA, RoCE v2, and more
• Seamless integration with HPE ProLiant and Apollo servers

Understanding Infiniband HDR100 Technology

Infiniband HDR100 is the latest iteration of Infiniband networking technology, delivering 100Gbps per port. Designed by the OpenFabrics Alliance, HDR100 is tailored for environments that require high-throughput, low-latency data exchange. With native RDMA capabilities and congestion control mechanisms, it ensures efficient data transport with minimal CPU intervention.

Benefits of HDR100 for Enterprise Environments

Enterprises and cloud service providers benefit greatly from HDR100’s features, particularly in scenarios involving large-scale distributed databases, virtualization, containerization, and massive-scale computation. Benefits include:

• Reduced application latency across compute nodes
• Higher scalability with multiple network topologies
• Lower TCO through better utilization of hardware resources
• Efficient load balancing and congestion management

Compatibility with Modern Data Center Architectures

The P06250-H21 adapter integrates seamlessly with next-generation data center infrastructures. Whether deployed in hyper-converged architectures or traditional 3-tier environments, it provides the bandwidth and speed needed to support growing data demands and AI/ML model training.

Deployment Scenarios for Maximum Performance

This adapter is especially effective when deployed in environments where GPU-accelerated computing is a core component, such as in NVIDIA GPU clusters, AI research platforms, and real-time data analytics environments. The QSFP56 port allows for direct GPU-to-GPU communication with negligible latency overhead.

Technical Breakdown of the QSFP56 Interface

The QSFP56 (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable 56) form factor supports up to 200Gbps using four lanes of 50Gbps PAM4 signaling. In the P06250-H21 HPE adapter, a single port operates at 100Gbps, optimized for backward compatibility with QSFP28 and QSFP+ modules. This allows users to leverage existing network infrastructure while gradually transitioning to HDR100-capable environments.

Signal Integrity and Transmission

QSFP56 modules provide improved signal integrity and thermal efficiency compared to older versions. This translates into lower bit error rates, longer transmission distances, and better performance in high-density networking environments.

Backward Compatibility Considerations

Administrators can deploy the P06250-H21 adapter in hybrid environments using QSFP28 or QSFP+ transceivers with reduced throughput. This ensures smooth migration to HDR100 networking while preserving existing hardware investments.

PCIe Gen3 x16 Interface: Performance and Throughput

The PCIe Gen3 x16 bus provides a theoretical maximum throughput of up to 16GB/s, ensuring the 100Gbps port on the adapter can operate at full line rate without creating a bottleneck. This architecture is crucial for latency-sensitive applications and offers:

• High lane utilization for optimized I/O operations
• Stable connectivity under maximum data loads
• Compatibility with existing server motherboards and riser cards
• Plug-and-play support in HPE ProLiant and Apollo server platforms

Impact on High-Performance Applications

For workloads such as real-time financial analytics, weather modeling, seismic processing, and genome sequencing, PCIe Gen3 x16 provides the necessary data throughput to maintain consistent application performance. When paired with the HDR100 port, it ensures a balanced and efficient data flow between system memory and network interfaces.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI and ML workloads demand high-bandwidth, low-latency networks to accelerate model training and inference processes. The P06250-H21 enables rapid data exchange between nodes and GPUs, significantly reducing training time and improving model accuracy through faster iterations.

Scientific and Technical Computing

Research institutions and universities use this adapter to enhance the performance of simulation-based applications such as fluid dynamics, quantum computing, and particle physics modeling. Its RDMA capabilities help offload CPU cycles, allowing compute nodes to focus on core simulation tasks.

Cloud and Virtualized Data Centers

In cloud computing environments, the P06250-H21 delivers high-throughput network capabilities essential for virtual machine live migrations, software-defined networking (SDN), and storage virtualization. It helps optimize resource allocation and accelerates service delivery.

Storage Networking and NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF)

High-speed data access is critical for next-gen storage systems. This adapter supports NVMe-oF protocols, enabling ultra-fast access to NVMe storage across the network. It minimizes latency in transaction processing and supports high IOPS environments like OLTP databases and caching layers.

Performance and Efficiency Enhancements

Leveraging advanced offloading features, the P06250-H21 minimizes CPU overhead, allowing systems to maintain high levels of efficiency even under substantial data loads. Technologies such as RoCE v2 and RDMA reduce packet processing time and improve responsiveness.

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)

RDMA allows direct memory access from one server into another without involving the CPU, reducing latency and improving performance in clustered environments. The P06250-H21’s full RDMA support enables seamless communication between storage, compute, and networking components.

RoCE v2 and iWARP Protocol Support

RoCE v2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) enables RDMA functionality over Ethernet networks, making the adapter suitable for both Infiniband and Ethernet data center architectures. The inclusion of iWARP further broadens compatibility and deployment flexibility.

Security and Reliability in Networking

The P06250-H21 adapter includes built-in hardware-based security features to help safeguard data in transit. Support for encryption standards, secure boot, and hardware root-of-trust provides an added layer of protection for sensitive workloads and environments.

Error Detection and Correction

In mission-critical deployments, reliability is paramount. The adapter features end-to-end CRC, replay protection, and robust error detection mechanisms to maintain data integrity across high-speed links.

Thermal and Power Efficiency

Thermal performance is critical for maintaining consistent throughput. The adapter uses a low-profile heatsink design with intelligent power management features to reduce thermal output while maintaining peak performance. This ensures optimal operation in densely packed server environments.

Integration with HPE Server Ecosystems

Designed by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the P06250-H21 is fully certified for use with HPE ProLiant, Apollo, and Synergy servers. This ensures seamless deployment, BIOS-level compatibility, and integrated system management through HPE iLO and HPE OneView.

Firmware and Driver Support

HPE offers certified firmware updates and operating system drivers for leading platforms such as Windows Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES), and VMware ESXi. This ensures long-term support and easy management in enterprise IT environments.

Integration with HPE iLO and OneView

System administrators can monitor adapter health, bandwidth usage, error metrics, and firmware versions via HPE iLO or HPE OneView. This centralized management approach simplifies device provisioning and enhances fault diagnosis in large-scale deployments.

Scalability for Enterprise and HPC Environments

The scalability of the P06250-H21 makes it an ideal choice for growing organizations and research facilities. Whether deployed in a rack-level or cluster-wide scale, it enables horizontal scaling by supporting fabric-based architectures and direct inter-node communication.

Cluster Interconnects and Network Fabric Design

By supporting HDR100 Infiniband topologies such as fat-tree, dragonfly, and torus, the adapter allows data centers to design network fabrics optimized for bandwidth and resiliency. This is especially important in HPC clusters, where message-passing and workload partitioning are key.

Investment Protection and Roadmap Compatibility

The P06250-H21 provides investment protection through backward compatibility, standards compliance, and long-term support from HPE. It fits seamlessly into evolving infrastructure roadmaps, including those moving toward PCIe Gen4 and higher Infiniband speeds like HDR200 and NDR.

The P06250-H21 for Next-Gen Networking

The combination of advanced HDR100 technology, robust security features, high throughput, and compatibility with HPE server systems makes the P06250-H21 adapter an optimal choice for enterprises and institutions planning to future-proof their network infrastructure. Its support for modern data protocols, efficiency enhancements, and flexibility across both Ethernet and Infiniband environments ensures that it meets the demands of today's and tomorrow’s high-speed workloads.