HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen12 Networking

Genuine HPE network adapters for the HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen12, new and refurbished. One fact shapes every order on this server: there is no embedded network controller on the system board. Unlike earlier ProLiant generations, which shipped with onboard Gigabit ports, every data port on a DL360 Gen12 comes from an adapter you fit yourself — so a chassis without a NIC has no network connectivity at all beyond its separate iLO management port.

DL360 Gen12 Networking Specifications

• Embedded networking: none. The system board provides no network controller; connectivity comes from OCP 3.0 or PCIe adapters
• OCP slots: two rear OCP 3.0 slots — Slot 14 OCP A and Slot 15 OCP B — both with x16 PCIe 5.0 connectors
• OCP lanes: Slot 14 OCP A has x8 PCIe 5.0 lanes embedded from the system board and needs no cable; x16 operation requires the CPU1 to Rear OCP Slot A cable kit
• PCIe slots: up to three rear PCIe 5.0 slots — Slot 1 x16 full-height, Slot 2 x16 low-profile, and optional Slot 3 x16 on the secondary riser
• Two-processor requirements: the secondary riser that provides Slot 3 requires two processors, as does Slot 15 OCP B
• Ethernet speeds: 1GbE, 10GbE, 10/25GbE and 100GbE, in both OCP 3.0 and PCIe form factors
• Interfaces: BASE-T, SFP+, SFP28, SFP56, QSFP28, QSFP56, QSFP112 and OSFP
• InfiniBand: NDR200, NDR and XDR adapters are supported options on this platform
• Management: a dedicated HPE iLO 7 management port, separate from every data port
• Other: all PCIe slots support Wake-on-LAN

This server has no onboard network ports. Earlier ProLiant generations shipped with embedded Gigabit adapters; the DL360 Gen12 does not — the QuickSpecs state that no network controller is included on the system board. Every data port comes from an OCP 3.0 or PCIe card, so a network adapter is not an upgrade on this machine, it is the connection.

Which DL360 Gen12 network adapters are available?

Several controllers appear in both columns — the BCM57414, BCM57416, BCM57412, BCM5719 and Intel E810 families are sold as an OCP 3.0 card and as a stand-up PCIe card with the same silicon. The choice between them is about which slot is free rather than about performance. An OCP card occupies a dedicated rear slot and leaves all three PCIe slots available, which is why a single-NIC build usually belongs in Slot 14 OCP A: it runs from lanes embedded on the system board, so it needs no cable kit at all.

Choosing the Right DL360 Gen12 Network Adapter

• Four-port cards have placement rules. A 4-port adapter cannot be installed in Slot 2. Without the secondary riser the server takes one; with the secondary riser it takes two
• Slot 2 reverses port numbering. Its connector sits on the left side of the riser while Slots 1 and 3 have theirs on the right, so a NIC fitted in Slot 2 numbers its ports the opposite way round — worth knowing before cables are labelled
• A full-height card in Slot 3 costs you Slot 2. Installing a full-height adapter on the secondary riser removes the Slot 2 low-profile bracket
• x8 is not a bottleneck here. An x8 PCIe 5.0 connection carries up to 252 Gb/s, which is why HPE rates the embedded x8 lanes on Slot 14 OCP A as sufficient for its x16 OCP 3.0 adapters
• Match the interface, not just the speed. A 10/25GbE card may terminate in SFP28, and a 100GbE card in QSFP28, QSFP56 or QSFP112 — the optics and cables have to match the cage, not the headline rate
• High-speed optics have cooling requirements. HPE publishes separate cooling matrices for PCIe and OCP adapters carrying active optical cables or transceivers, and the fan kit fitted to the chassis is part of that calculation

Complete Your DL360 Gen12 Build

A network adapter is one part of the configuration. See also DL360 Gen12 processors, since the second processor is what enables Slot 3 and Slot 15 OCP B, along with DL360 Gen12 memory, DL360 Gen12 drives, DL360 Gen12 storage controllers and DL360 Gen12 power supplies. Everything for this server sits on the DL360 Gen12 parts page. For the 2U machine in the same family see the HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen12, and for the preceding 1U generation the HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen11.

DL360 Gen12 Networking FAQ

Does the HPE ProLiant DL360 Gen12 have onboard network ports?
No. The QuickSpecs state plainly that there is no embedded network controller on the system board. Every data port comes from an OCP 3.0 or PCIe adapter. The server does have a dedicated iLO 7 management port, but that is for out-of-band management and does not carry production traffic.

What is the difference between the OCP and PCIe versions of the same adapter?
Usually nothing but the connector. Controllers such as the Broadcom BCM57414 and the Intel E810-XXVDA2 are sold in both forms with the same silicon and the same port count. An OCP 3.0 card fits a dedicated rear OCP slot and leaves the PCIe risers free for storage controllers or other cards.

Do I need a cable kit to use an OCP network adapter?
Not for the default configuration. Slot 14 OCP A has x8 PCIe 5.0 lanes embedded from the system board and works with no cable. Running that slot at x16, or using Slot 15 OCP B, requires the corresponding CPU-to-OCP cable kit.

Is an x8 connection fast enough for a 100Gb adapter?
Yes. An x8 PCIe 5.0 link carries up to 252 Gb/s, comfortably above what a 100GbE two-port adapter can move, which is why HPE treats the embedded x8 lanes as sufficient for the x16 OCP 3.0 cards listed for this server.

How many four-port network adapters can a DL360 Gen12 take?
One if the server has only the primary riser, and two if the optional secondary riser is fitted. A four-port card cannot be installed in Slot 2 in either case, and the secondary riser itself requires two processors.

Can the DL360 Gen12 run InfiniBand?
InfiniBand NDR200, NDR and XDR adapters are listed as options for this platform. The XDR ConnectX-8 adapters reach their full rated throughput only with the auxiliary card fitted, and one auxiliary card serves a single adapter.

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