HPE 638527-B21 Virtual Connect Flex-10/10D Expansion

Detailed Specifications

The HPE 638527-B21 Virtual Connect Flex-10/10D Module is a datacenter-grade network interconnect designed specifically for the HPE c-Class BladeSystem enclosure. It addresses the challenge of network complexity in blade environments by abstracting and pooling server-edge network connections. This module is ideal for IT administrators and network engineers managing virtualized or dense computing infrastructures who need to simplify I/O configuration and reduce cabling overhead. At its core, the module enables a "wire-once" environment. By virtualizing the network connections at the chassis level, it allows administrators to add, move, and change servers without needing to re-cable or reconfigure the upstream network switches. The Flex-10/10D technology provides the flexibility to partition each 10GbE port into multiple virtual network interface cards (vNICs), allowing for granular bandwidth allocation to meet the specific needs of different applications and virtual machines running on the blade servers. Deployment of this plug-in module occurs directly within the interconnect bays of an HPE c-Class BladeSystem chassis. Its integration simplifies infrastructure scaling, as server profiles containing MAC addresses and network settings can be managed centrally and applied to any blade. Management is handled through a command-line interface (CLI) or HTTPS, providing robust options for configuration and monitoring within the existing datacenter management framework.