HPE ProLiant DL380a Gen12 Networking Adapters

Genuine HPE network adapters for the HPE ProLiant Compute DL380a Gen12, new and refurbished. This server has no embedded networking: HPE requires an OCP 3.0 or stand-up PCIe adapter in every configuration, and on a GPU server every rear PCIe slot given to a NIC is one not given to something else — which is why the OCP slots matter here.

DL380a Gen12 Networking Specifications

• Embedded ports: none for data; iLO has a dedicated 1Gb rear management port and a front Type-C service port
• OCP 3.0 slots: two, Slot A and Slot B; OCP adapters do not consume PCIe slots, and each slot is enabled by a cable kit — one OCPA Cable Kit gives Slot A x8, two give it x16, one OCPB Cable Kit enables Slot B
• PCIe slots: six PCIe 5.0 x16 full-height half-length slots — 1 to 3 on processor 2, 4 to 6 on processor 1 — with slots 3 and 6 fitted by default; the Rear PCIe 5-slot Cable Kit opens slots 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 for non-GPU cards on 4DW and 8DW/16SW builds, or slots 1, 3 and 6 on a 10DW build
• Ethernet listed: 1Gb 4-port BASE-T (BCM5719, E610-IT4), 10Gb 2-port BASE-T and SFP+ (BCM57416, BCM57412), 10/25Gb SFP28 (BCM57414, BCM57504, E810-XXVDA2/XXVDA4, Mellanox MCX631) and 100Gb 2-port (BCM57608, E810-CQDA2, MCX623106AS), most in both PCIe and OCP3 form
• InfiniBand: NDR200 200Gb and NDR 400Gb single-port OSFP and QSFP112 PCIe5 x16 adapters, XDR CX8 PCIe6 x16 crypto adapters at 2×400GbE and 400GbE, and the XDR Socket Direct auxiliary card
• DPUs: HPE Data Processing Unit B3220 (NDR200/200Gb, 2-port QSFP112, FHHL) and B3140H (NDR/400Gb, 1-port QSFP112, HHHL); maximum one per server, requires the Rear PCIe 5-slot Cable Kit
• Chassis: the P74461-B21 8DW server does not support the BCM57416, 57412, 57504, 5719 and 57608 adapters or the Intel E810 4-port, in either form factor; the P76706-B21 supports every adapter listed

There is no onboard Ethernet, and an OCP slot is not live without its cable kit. HPE requires an OCP 3.0 or stand-up adapter in every DL380a Gen12 configuration. One OCPA Cable Kit gives Slot A an x8 connection and two give it x16; a single OCPB Cable Kit enables Slot B. Put the primary NIC in OCP — it costs no PCIe slot — and keep the two default rear slots, or the five the 5-slot cable kit unlocks, for InfiniBand, a DPU or Fibre Channel.

OCP 3.0 or PCIe for a DL380a Gen12 NIC?

Two things catch people out. The OCP slots are not live on their own: HPE's rule is one OCPB kit or two OCPA kits for a single OCP card, and both for two. And the storage cabling has a vote — the 4NVMe Direct Attach Cable limits the OCPA kit to one and rules out OCPB, while the 4EDSFF cable for NVIDIA limits you to one OCP card.

Choosing the Right DL380a Gen12 Network Adapter

• Start with OCP 3.0. Both OCP slots are outside the PCIe slot budget, so the primary NIC belongs there and the rear slots go to InfiniBand, a DPU or Fibre Channel.
• Count the rear slots against the GPU count. Two PCIe slots are standard; the 5-slot cable kit raises that to five on a 4- or 8-GPU build but only three on 10 GPUs, and slot 4 is unavailable with 4 or 8 double-wide GPUs.
• Order the cable kit with the card. Every OCP adapter needs an OCPA or OCPB kit; the DPU needs the Rear PCIe 5-slot Cable Kit.
• Check the chassis before buying Broadcom. The BCM57416, 57412, 57504, 5719 and 57608 and the Intel E810 4-port are unsupported on the P74461-B21; the BCM57414, Intel E810 2-port and 100Gb parts and the Mellanox adapters are not on that list.

Complete Your DL380a Gen12 Build

Slots 1 to 3 hang off processor 2 and 4 to 6 off processor 1 — see DL380a Gen12 processors — and the OCP cable kits share rules with the drive cabling on DL380a Gen12 drives. The MR416i-o on DL380a Gen12 storage controllers is an OCP card too. Also available: DL380a Gen12 memory and power supplies, or the full DL380a Gen12 parts listing with the 32Gb and 64Gb Fibre Channel HBAs. Siblings: DL380 Gen12 networking adapters and DL580 Gen12 networking adapters; every model is under HPE parts by server model.

DL380a Gen12 Networking Adapters FAQ

Does the DL380a Gen12 have onboard Ethernet?
No. HPE states the DL380a Gen12 has no embedded networking and requires either an OCP 3.0 adapter or a stand-up PCIe adapter to be configured. The only built-in network port is the dedicated 1Gb iLO management port.

How many PCIe slots are available for network cards?
Two by default - slot 3 on the primary riser and slot 6 on the secondary. The Rear PCIe 5-slot Cable Kit makes five slots (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) available for non-GPU cards on 4DW and 8DW/16SW builds, or three (1, 3 and 6) on a 10DW build. All six are PCIe 5.0 x16, full height, half length.

Do OCP 3.0 adapters use a PCIe slot in the DL380a Gen12?
No. HPE states that OCP adapters do not consume PCIe slots. Each OCP slot is enabled by a cable kit: one OCPA Cable Kit gives Slot A an x8 connection and two give it x16, while a single OCPB Cable Kit enables Slot B.

What is the fastest network adapter for the DL380a Gen12?
For Ethernet, the 100Gb 2-port adapters from Broadcom (BCM57608), Intel (E810-CQDA2) and Mellanox (MCX623106AS). For InfiniBand, the 400Gb NDR single-port OSFP and QSFP112 adapters and the XDR CX8 PCIe6 x16 adapters, including a 2 x 400GbE part.

Can I install a DPU in the DL380a Gen12?
Yes, one. HPE lists the B3220 (InfiniBand NDR200/Ethernet 200Gb, 2-port) and B3140H (NDR/400Gb, 1-port) HPE Data Processing Units, allows a maximum of one DPU per server, and requires the Rear PCIe 5-slot Cable Kit with it.

Which network adapters work in the P74461-B21 chassis?
HPE lists the Broadcom BCM57416, BCM57412, BCM57504, BCM5719 and BCM57608 adapters and the Intel E810 4-port SFP28 adapter, in both PCIe and OCP3 form, as not supported on the 8DW server P74461-B21. The Intel E810 2-port and Mellanox adapters are not on that list, and every adapter is supported on the P76706-B21.

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