P31246-H21 HPE 100GB 1Port QSFP28 Ethernet PCIe3 x16 Adapter.

Overview of the HPE P31246-H21 100Gb Ethernet Adapter

The HPE P31246-H21 is a cutting-edge, high-performance network adapter engineered for modern data centers, cloud computing environments, and enterprise networking solutions. This single-port 100Gb Ethernet adapter, with a QSFP28 interface and PCIe Gen3 x16 host connection, delivers uncompromised speed, reliability, and scalability for demanding workloads. Leveraging Mellanox ConnectX-5 technology (MCX515A-CCAT), the adapter supports the most advanced networking protocols and offload features to ensure optimal performance and efficiency across diverse use cases.

Performance and Bandwidth Capabilities

Built for speed and efficiency, the P31246-H21 provides a robust 100Gbps of bandwidth through a single QSFP28 port. This enables seamless data transfer rates for bandwidth-intensive applications like artificial intelligence, high-performance computing (HPC), machine learning, big data analytics, and hyperscale environments. The PCIe 3.0 x16 interface ensures maximum throughput to the server backplane, eliminating potential bottlenecks and ensuring low-latency packet transmission.

Low Latency Networking for Data-Critical Applications

In modern IT infrastructure, reducing latency is critical for enhancing application responsiveness and throughput. The Mellanox ConnectX-5 chipset embedded in the P31246-H21 adapter includes advanced low-latency networking technologies such as RoCE v2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet), allowing direct memory access across networked servers without CPU intervention. This improves data transfer speeds between virtual machines, containers, and bare-metal servers, significantly enhancing overall system performance.

Offload Features Enhancing Network Performance

To further reduce CPU utilization and optimize system resources, the adapter supports a comprehensive suite of hardware offloads. These include:

• TCP/IP stateless offloads (TSO, LRO, checksum offload)
• Overlay network offloads (VXLAN, NVGRE)
• Intelligent I/O virtualization (SR-IOV)
• Encapsulation offloads for SDN and NFV workloads

SmartNIC Capabilities

With SmartNIC functionality, the P31246-H21 enables programmable packet processing, inline encryption, and network telemetry. It supports Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) and Open vSwitch (OVS) acceleration, making it ideal for service providers and enterprises looking to implement software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV).

Compatibility and Integration

The P31246-H21 is validated for HPE ProLiant servers and is designed to integrate seamlessly with HPE server infrastructures, including HPE Gen10 and Gen10 Plus systems. It is compatible with a wide range of operating systems and hypervisors, ensuring deployment flexibility across physical and virtual environments.

Integration with HPE Management Tools

The adapter supports integration with HPE's management ecosystem, including HPE Integrated Lights-Out (iLO), HPE InfoSight, and HPE OneView. These tools offer predictive analytics, automated issue resolution, and full lifecycle management, reducing administrative overhead while improving reliability and service delivery.

Use Cases for P31246-H21 Ethernet Adapter

The high throughput and advanced features of the P31246-H21 make it suitable for a wide array of enterprise and data center applications. From accelerating storage access in NVMe over Fabrics environments to enabling secure, high-speed virtual machine networking, this adapter meets the performance and scalability needs of forward-looking IT deployments.

Hyperscale and Cloud Data Centers

In hyperscale and cloud-native architectures, data movement speed and resource optimization are paramount. The P31246-H21's 100Gbps link supports the high East-West traffic between servers, essential for container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes, OpenStack, and CloudStack. With its SR-IOV and RoCE support, the adapter enables efficient multi-tenant isolation and ultra-low latency networking.

High-Performance Computing (HPC) Clusters

HPC applications, such as simulations, molecular modeling, or weather forecasting, demand rapid inter-node communication. The P31246-H21 delivers the interconnect bandwidth needed for tightly coupled compute nodes. Its compatibility with InfiniBand-to-Ethernet gateways and RoCE-enabled switches allows it to bridge different cluster fabrics for hybrid deployments.

AI, ML, and Big Data Environments

AI and machine learning platforms require massive datasets to be moved quickly between GPU nodes, storage arrays, and analytic servers. The P31246-H21 ensures consistent throughput and deterministic low-latency data flows critical for training and inference workloads. Its support for GPU Direct RDMA facilitates zero-copy memory sharing between NICs and GPUs.

Security and Reliability

Data security and network reliability are at the core of the P31246-H21’s design. It offers a robust feature set that includes support for Secure Boot, Secure Firmware Update, and hardware Root of Trust. Additionally, the adapter supports out-of-band management and telemetry, providing network administrators with real-time insights into packet flows, congestion, and threats.

Failover and Load Balancing

The adapter is designed to work in conjunction with HPE’s network teaming and bonding technologies, supporting both active-active and active-passive load balancing. This ensures maximum link availability, seamless traffic rerouting in case of failure, and optimal utilization of network resources.

Firmware and Driver Reliability

Regular firmware updates are provided by HPE, and Mellanox drivers are actively maintained to ensure long-term reliability, security patching, and performance tuning. Certified drivers are available for all major operating systems and virtual environments.

Form Factor

The HPE P31246-H21 adapter is designed to fit seamlessly into standard HPE ProLiant server configurations. It comes in a low-profile form factor with an optional full-height bracket. The adapter's plug-and-play installation and hot-plug support (in supported systems) reduce deployment time and system downtime.

Mechanical and Environmental Specifications

• Form Factor: Low profile (LP) with full-height bracket option
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 55°C
• Humidity Range: 10% to 90% non-condensing
• Power Consumption: Up to 12W
• Cooling Requirements: Passive or active airflow depending on system design

Comparison with Other Ethernet Adapters

When compared to other 25Gb, 40Gb, or even legacy 10Gb Ethernet adapters, the P31246-H21 offers significantly higher throughput with fewer cables and lower port density. This allows data centers to scale efficiently while reducing power, cooling, and cabling requirements.

Upgrade Path and Backward Compatibility

Although this is a 100Gb adapter, it supports backward compatibility with 25Gb and 50Gb speeds (depending on transceiver and switch configuration). This allows data centers to future-proof their infrastructure while maintaining investment in current network environments.

Transceivers and Cabling Options

The P31246-H21 supports a variety of HPE and third-party QSFP28 transceivers and DAC/AOC cables. Supported optics include 100GBASE-SR4 for short-range and 100GBASE-LR4 for long-range deployments. DAC (Direct Attach Copper) cables are preferred for rack-level connectivity due to their lower cost and power consumption.

Interoperability with HPE and Third-Party Switches

Fully tested with HPE FlexFabric and Aruba switches, the adapter also supports interoperability with Mellanox Spectrum, Cisco Nexus, Arista, and Juniper QFX switches. This ensures deployment flexibility in both HPE and heterogeneous environments.

Ordering Information and SKUs

When ordering the HPE P31246-H21, ensure you also select compatible transceivers or cables based on your networking environment. This adapter is typically ordered under part number P31246-H21, with the embedded controller designated as MCX515A-CCAT.