HPE ProLiant SL390s G7 Networking Adapters
Genuine HPE Ethernet server adapters for the HPE ProLiant SL390s G7, new and refurbished. This tray is unusually well provisioned before you add anything: two Gigabit ports, a 10GbE SFP+ port and an optional InfiniBand QSFP port are all on the system board, and an add-in card spends the tray's only general-purpose expansion slot.
SL390s G7 Networking Specifications
- Embedded Gigabit: an HPE NC362i integrated dual-port Gigabit server adapter, giving two 10/100/1000 RJ-45 ports
- Embedded 10GbE and InfiniBand: an HPE NC543i 2-port 4X QDR InfiniBand and 10Gb adapter on an x8 PCIe Gen2 interface, providing one 10GbE SFP+ port and one optional InfiniBand QSFP port
- InfiniBand rates: 4X InfiniBand at 10 Gb/s SDR, 20 Gb/s DDR and 40 Gb/s QDR through the QSFP connector, once the HPE InfiniBand Enablement Kit is fitted
- Expansion: one general-purpose PCI Express 2.0 slot per tray — low-profile x16 on the 1U, low-profile x8 on the 2U and 4U
- 10 Gigabit rules: only the low-profile versions of the 10GbE adapters are supported, no more than two 10GbE devices belong in one server, and HPE calls for a minimum of 2GB of server memory per adapter
- Cards stocked: NC112T, NC360T, NC364T, NC365T, NC375T and NC382T copper Gigabit adapters, the NC373F 1000SX fibre adapter, and the NC522SFP and NC550SFP dual-port 10GbE adapters
- Cables: direct attach copper for copper runs, or transceivers and fibre for optical ones, are bought separately from the adapter
Most of the fabric is already on the board. Every tray ships with two Gigabit RJ-45 ports from the embedded NC362i and a 10GbE SFP+ port from the embedded NC543i, plus an InfiniBand QSFP port that needs only the InfiniBand Enablement Kit — no slot required. Buy a card for port count, for fibre, or for a second 10 Gigabit or InfiniBand port, not for the first one.
Do You Need an Add-in Adapter at All?
| What you need | Answer |
|---|---|
| Two Gigabit copper ports | Already present — the embedded NC362i |
| One 10 Gigabit SFP+ port | Already present — the embedded NC543i |
| One 4X QDR InfiniBand port | Already on the board, once the InfiniBand Enablement Kit is fitted |
| More than two Gigabit ports | NC360T, NC364T, NC365T or NC375T in the one slot |
| Dual-port InfiniBand | A 4X QDR ConnectX-2 or QLogic host channel adapter in the one slot |
Most SL390s G7 network upgrades turn out not to be card purchases. This is a scale-out HPC node and HPE fitted it accordingly: the fabric ports a cluster needs are already soldered down, and the InfiniBand port is a kit away rather than a card away. Buy a card for port count beyond two Gigabit, for fibre, or for a second 10 Gigabit or InfiniBand port — and only if the slot is not already carrying a Smart Array controller.
Choosing the Right SL390s G7 Network Adapter
- Count the slot, not the slots. There is one per tray, and a storage controller wants it too. The internal x16 slots in the 2U and 4U trays are dedicated to GPUs and will not take a network card.
- Low profile only. HPE supports only the low-profile version of the 10GbE adapters on this platform, and the single standard slot is a low-profile slot in every tray.
- Budget the memory for 10GbE. HPE calls for at least 2GB of server memory per 10 Gigabit adapter, and documents no more than two 10GbE devices in one server.
- Cables and transceivers are separate. SFP+ and QSFP cards ship bare: direct attach copper for short runs, transceivers and fibre for longer ones.
- The InfiniBand Enablement Kit is not an adapter. It enables the QSFP port already on the system board, so it costs no slot at all — unlike an add-in host channel adapter.
Complete Your SL390s G7 Build
A 10 Gigabit card calls for memory headroom, so see SL390s G7 memory, and check storage controllers before assuming the slot is free. Also available: SL390s G7 hard drives, processors and the chassis-level power supplies. The InfiniBand host channel adapters and the enablement kit are on the full SL390s G7 parts listing, and every platform we carry is at HPE parts by server model.
SL390s G7 Networking Adapters FAQ
How many network ports does an SL390s G7 have as standard?
Two Gigabit RJ-45 ports from the embedded NC362i, plus one 10GbE SFP+ port and one optional InfiniBand QSFP port from the embedded NC543i. A separate dedicated port serves iLO 3 management.
Does the SL390s G7 need a card for 10 Gigabit Ethernet?
Not for the first port. The embedded NC543i adapter provides a 10GbE SFP+ port on the system board. A card is only needed for additional 10 Gigabit ports, and no more than two 10GbE devices belong in one server.
How do I turn on the InfiniBand port?
Fit the HPE InfiniBand Enablement Kit. The QSFP port is already on the system board as part of the NC543i adapter, and the kit is what enables it. It uses no expansion slot.
What InfiniBand speeds does the SL390s G7 support?
The embedded 4X adapter runs at 10 Gb/s SDR, 20 Gb/s DDR and 40 Gb/s QDR over the QSFP connector. Dual-port 4X QDR host channel adapters are also listed for the expansion slot.
Do 10GbE adapters need extra memory?
HPE documents a minimum of two gigabytes of server memory for each 10 Gigabit adapter installed, so a second card assumes headroom in the memory configuration.
Will a full-height network card fit an SL390s G7?
No. Every tray's standard slot is a low-profile slot, and HPE supports only the low-profile version of the 10GbE adapters on this platform.
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