HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen12 Networking Adapters
Genuine HPE network adapters for the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen12, new and refurbished. This server ships with no embedded network ports: HPE lists the network ports as none and leaves the choice to you, between OCP 3.0 modules in the rear and front OCP slots and PCIe 5.0 stand-up cards in the riser slots.
DL325 Gen12 Networking Specifications
- OCP 3.0 slots: rear slot A is standard and x16; rear slot B is optional at x8 or x16 and is not hardwired to the processor, so any device in it needs one or two OCP B enablement kits depending on the bandwidth required
- Front OCP: on the SFF/EDSFF chassis only, an optional front primary OCP slot (x16, Box 3 Bay 3) and secondary slot (x16, Box 3 Bay 1); the secondary kit can only be ordered after the primary
- Shared NIC and Wake on LAN: both rear OCP slots and the front primary slot support shared-NIC (iLO sideband) and WOL; the front secondary slot supports WOL only
- PCIe slots: PCIe 5.0 x16 stand-up slots, two on the 8SFF, 4LFF and SFF/EDSFF chassis and up to six on the GPU chassis
- Ethernet listed: 1GbE 4-port BASE-T, 10GbE 2-port BASE-T and SFP+, 10/25GbE 2- and 4-port SFP28 from Broadcom, Intel and Mellanox, 10/25GbE SFP56, NVMe-oF crypto and offload adapters, and 100GbE 2-port QSFP28, QSFP56 and QSFP112 — most in both PCIe and OCP 3.0 form
- InfiniBand listed: NDR200 and NDR MCX755106 and MCX75310 adapters on PCIe5 x16, XDR CX8 crypto adapters on PCIe6 x16 and an XDR PCIe Gen6 multi-host auxiliary card with MCIO cable
- Fibre Channel listed: HPE SN1610Q 32Gb and SN1700Q 64Gb in 1- and 2-port, plus the SN1620E 32Gb and SN1720E 64Gb 2-port SecureHBAs
The DL325 Gen12 ships with no network ports at all. HPE lists the network ports as none: every port comes from an OCP 3.0 module or a PCIe 5.0 stand-up card you add. Rear OCP slot A is the only standard position; rear slot B needs one or two OCP B enablement kits before anything in it is connected to the processor, and the front OCP slots exist only on the SFF/EDSFF chassis.
OCP 3.0 module or PCIe stand-up card?
| Position | Width | Takes | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear OCP slot A (standard) | x16 | Any OCP 3.0 adapter or -o MR controller | Shares 112GB/s with PCIe slot 3 |
| Rear OCP slot B (optional) | x8 or x16 | OCP 3.0 adapter or -o MR controller | Needs one or two OCP B enablement kits; shares bandwidth with slot 5 |
| Front OCP primary / secondary | x16 each | OCP 3.0 adapters, SFF/EDSFF chassis only | Occupies front Box 3, so up to four backplanes remain; secondary has no shared NIC |
| PCIe slot 2 (default) and slot 1 (optional riser) | x16 | Stand-up Ethernet, InfiniBand, FC, controllers | Slot 1 is low profile or full height; the NS204i-u at the rear takes the low-profile riser |
HPE's storage configurations name the OCP slots first for cabled RAID controllers, so on a fully populated server the OCP adapter and the -o controller compete for the same two rear slots. The way out is the SFF/EDSFF chassis and its front OCP slots, or a PCIe stand-up card in the riser. AMD's processor limit also matters at 100GbE: HPE states a maximum of 112GB/s is shared between each of slot 3 and OCP A, slot 4 and slot 2, slot 6 and slot 1, and slot 5 and OCP B.
Choosing the Right DL325 Gen12 Network Adapter
- Count the slots before the ports. A stock non-GPU server has one usable OCP slot and one PCIe slot; the second OCP slot and slot 1 are kits, and each may already be earmarked for a controller.
- Budget the OCP B enablement kits. An x8 adapter in slot B needs one kit, an x16 adapter two. Without them the slot is not connected to the processor at all.
- Cabling affects cooling. HPE states that active optical cables have higher cooling requirements than direct-attach copper, and the networking thermal matrix marks several 100GbE and InfiniBand adapters at lower ambient limits or not supported in some slots, chassis and processor-wattage combinations.
- Shared NIC needs the right slot. If iLO is to ride the production network, use rear slot A, rear slot B or the front primary slot; the front secondary slot has no sideband.
- OCP and PCIe versions are different part numbers. The BCM57414, BCM57504, E810 and MCX631 families are all listed twice, and the OCP3 version does not fit a riser slot.
Complete Your DL325 Gen12 Build
The OCP slots are shared with the -o storage controllers — see DL325 Gen12 storage controllers before deciding where the network goes. Also available: DL325 Gen12 memory, drives, processors and power supplies, or the full DL325 Gen12 parts listing, which also carries the riser kits and OCP enablement kits. The adjacent generation is DL325 Gen11 networking adapters, with the rest of the range under HPE ProLiant DL rack server parts and every model indexed under HPE parts by server model.
DL325 Gen12 Networking Adapters FAQ
Does the DL325 Gen12 have onboard network ports?
No. HPE lists the network ports as none, with a choice of OCP 3.0 or PCIe stand-up adapters. Rear OCP slot A is standard; rear slot B and the front OCP slots on the SFF/EDSFF chassis are options.
How many OCP 3.0 slots does the DL325 Gen12 have?
Up to two at the rear (slot A standard at x16, slot B optional at x8 or x16) and, on the SFF/EDSFF chassis only, up to two more at the front. Slot B is not hardwired to the processor and needs one or two OCP B enablement kits.
What network speeds are available for the DL325 Gen12?
1GbE, 10GbE, 10/25GbE and 100GbE Ethernet in OCP 3.0 and PCIe form, NDR200, NDR and XDR InfiniBand on PCIe, and 32Gb and 64Gb Fibre Channel. The 100GbE parts use QSFP28, QSFP56 or QSFP112 cages depending on the adapter.
Which slot should the iLO shared network connection use?
Rear OCP slot A, rear OCP slot B or the front primary OCP slot. HPE states those three support the shared-NIC function; the front secondary OCP slot supports Wake on LAN only.
Can I put a 100GbE adapter in any DL325 Gen12 slot?
Physically yes, but HPE's networking thermal matrix limits several 100GbE and InfiniBand adapters to lower ambient temperatures or marks them not supported in some slots, chassis and processor-wattage combinations, and the processor shares 112GB/s between paired slots. Check the matrix for the slot you intend to use.
Does the DL325 Gen12 support Fibre Channel?
Yes. HPE lists the SN1610Q 32Gb and SN1700Q 64Gb host bus adapters in 1-port and 2-port versions, and the SN1620E 32Gb and SN1720E 64Gb 2-port SecureHBAs, all as PCIe stand-up cards.
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