Detailed Specifications
HPE 720966-001 StoreFabric SN6500B 16 Gb 96-Port/48-Active Fibre Channel Switch
Overview
The HPE 720966-001 is an enterprise-class SAN switch targeted at storage network engineers who need a high-port-density 16 Gbps Fibre Channel fabric infrastructure. It supports up to 96 autosensing Fibre Channel ports (4 / 8 / 16 Gbps) and ships in a 2 RU rack-mount chassis, enabling dense deployment in storage racks, SAN edge or aggregation layers of datacenter fabrics. The model includes "Ports-on-Demand" scalability (typically 48 active ports, with growth to 72 or 96 via licensing) so you can expand without replacing hardware. It integrates into the HPE StoreFabric ecosystem, supporting advanced SAN features such as ISL trunking, hardware zoning and in-flight encryption.
Key Features
Up to 96 autosensing Fibre Channel ports at 4/8/16 Gbps in a 2 RU chassis
Ports-on-Demand licensing allows scalable growth from 48 → 72 → 96 ports
1.70 in × 17.23 in × 17.45 in form-factor with redundant hot-swappable power and fans
Low port-to-port latency (approx. 700 ns at 16 Gbps) for flash- and virtualisation-ready fabrics
Full fabric-services support (hardware zoning, ISL Trunking, Extended Fabric) for enterprise SAN deployments
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|
| Brand | HPE |
| Part Number | 720966-001 |
| Product Type | StoreFabric SN6500B 16 Gb Fibre Channel Switch |
| Maximum Port Count | Up to 96 ports |
| Typical Active Ports | 48 ports enabled (scalable to 72/96 via PoD) |
| Supported Speeds | 4 Gbps, 8 Gbps, 16 Gbps autosensing |
| Form Factor (H × W × D) | Approx. 1.70 in × 17.23 in × 17.45 in |
| Depth | Approx. 17.45 in |
| Latency (Port-to-Port) | Approx. 700 ns at 16 Gbps |
| Power Input | 100-240 VAC autosensing |
| Redundancy | Dual hot-swappable power supplies and three fans |
| Licence Options | ISL Trunking, Extended Fabric, Fabric Vision (via Power Pack+) |
