HPE ProLiant BL460c Gen8 Networking Adapters
Genuine HPE FlexibleLOM and mezzanine network adapters for the HPE ProLiant BL460c Gen8, new and refurbished. Blade networking does not use PCIe cards: the blade carries one FlexibleLOM and two PCIe 3.0 mezzanine slots, and every port they provide is routed into the enclosure's interconnect module bays rather than to a socket on the blade itself.
BL460c Gen8 Networking Specifications
- FlexibleLOM: one required, in the dedicated FlexibleLOM connector; all FlexibleLOMs are dual port, with one port routed to interconnect bay 1 and the other to bay 2
- FlexibleLOMs stocked: the FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 554FLB (647586-B21) and the Flex-10 10Gb 2-port 530FLB (656590-B21)
- Mezzanine slots: two x16 PCIe 3.0 slots — slot 1 is Type A with ports to interconnect bays 3 and 4; slot 2 takes Type A or Type B cards, with ports to bays 5 and 6, or bays 5 through 8 for quad-port cards
- Mezzanine adapters stocked: the FlexFabric 10Gb 2-port 554M (647590-B21) and the Flex-10 10Gb 2-port 530M (631884-B21) and 552M (674764-B21)
- Interconnect placement: 10 Gigabit adapters connect to a 10Gb interconnect in bays 3 to 6 of a c7000 enclosure, or bays 2 to 4 of a c3000
- FlexFabric feature set: the 554 family adds Flex-10, FCoE, hardware-based accelerated iSCSI, iSCSI boot and a TCP/IP offload engine
Check the enclosure before you buy the card. The FlexibleLOM's two ports reach interconnect bays 1 and 2, mezzanine slot 1 reaches bays 3 and 4, and slot 2 reaches bays 5 and 6. A mezzanine card with no interconnect module in its bay gives you nothing, and a 10Gb adapter facing a 1Gb interconnect links at 1Gbps.
FlexibleLOM or mezzanine card?
| FlexibleLOM | Mezzanine card | |
|---|---|---|
| How many | Exactly one, and the blade requires it | Up to two, both optional |
| Interconnect bays | 1 and 2 | 3 and 4 from slot 1; 5 and 6, or 5 to 8, from slot 2 |
| Second processor needed | No | Only for slot 2 |
| Stocked here | 554FLB, 530FLB | 554M, 530M, 552M |
The FlexibleLOM is the blade's base networking and every blade has one, so replacing it is how you change what the machine does by default. A mezzanine card is an addition, and it earns its slot only when the enclosure has an interconnect module in the matching bay — a 554M in slot 1 with bays 3 and 4 empty gives you nothing.
Choosing the Right BL460c Gen8 Network Adapter
- Match the interconnect, not just the blade. A 10 Gigabit adapter facing an interconnect module with 1Gb downlinks links at 1Gbps, and both of its ports run at the same speed.
- Mezzanine slot 2 is dark without a second processor. A processor must be installed in socket 2 for that slot to work, which makes a single-processor blade a one-mezzanine machine.
- A FlexibleLOM from an older blade will not carry over. HPE states that FlexibleLOMs are not compatible with prior generation c-Class server blades.
- Budget the memory. HPE calls for a minimum of 2GB of server memory for each 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter fitted.
- FCoE is an enclosure feature as much as an adapter one. FlexFabric capability needs a Virtual Connect FlexFabric module behind it.
Complete Your BL460c Gen8 Build
Ten Gigabit adapters call for memory headroom and the second mezzanine slot calls for a second CPU — see BL460c Gen8 memory and processors alongside this page. Also available: BL460c Gen8 drives and the full BL460c Gen8 parts listing, which carries the Fibre Channel and InfiniBand mezzanine options too. Adjacent generations: BL460c Gen9 networking adapters and BL460c G7 parts, with every model indexed under HPE parts by server model.
BL460c Gen8 Networking Adapters FAQ
Does the BL460c Gen8 have onboard network ports?
It has a FlexibleLOM rather than a fixed LAN-on-motherboard. The blade requires one FlexibleLOM, which is always dual port, and its two ports are routed to interconnect module bays 1 and 2 in the enclosure.
What is the difference between a FlexibleLOM and a mezzanine card?
The FlexibleLOM sits in its own connector, is mandatory, and reaches interconnect bays 1 and 2. Mezzanine cards go in the two PCIe 3.0 expansion slots and reach bays 3 and 4, or bays 5 through 8, depending on the slot and the card.
Can I use a standard PCIe network card in a BL460c Gen8?
No. The blade has no standard PCIe card slots. Network expansion is through the FlexibleLOM connector and the two mezzanine slots, using c-Class mezzanine adapters.
Why is my second mezzanine slot not working?
A processor must be installed in processor slot 2 for expansion slot 2 to be accessible. On a single-processor blade only the first mezzanine slot is available.
Do 10GbE adapters need extra memory?
HPE documents a minimum of 2GB of server memory for each 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapter installed, so a blade with two of them assumes headroom in the memory configuration.
Why does my 10Gb adapter only link at 1Gbps?
Because of the interconnect module it faces. A 10 Gigabit adapter connected to an interconnect with 1Gb Ethernet downlinks links at 1Gbps only, and both ports on the adapter run at the same speed.
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