Detailed Specifications
HPE AK859B StorageWorks 8Gb 32-Port SAN Director Blade Switch
Overview
The HPE AK859B is a director-blade Fibre Channel switch module designed for enterprise storage fabrics where high-port density and reliable SAN performance are required. It offers 32 active Fibre Channel ports at 8 Gbps each, packaged as a plug-in module suitable for compatible chassis in the HPE StorageWorks SAN director family. The module shares the chassis power, cooling and back-plane infrastructure, enabling efficient deployment in data-centre rack environments, storage-array hubs and replication sites. It integrates into the existing management and zoning tools of the SAN ecosystem, enabling streamlined fabric operations and consolidation of host-to-array connectivity. The compact blade form-factor allows storage architects to deploy dense SAN connectivity without dedicating full rack-space to switching, while retaining enterprise-class fibre-channel performance.
Key Features
32 active ports of 8 Gbps Fibre Channel
Director-blade form-factor for SAN chassis environments
Suitable for dense storage-fabric deployments
Compatible with HPE StorageWorks director-class chassis
Integrates with SAN zoning, trunking and management tools
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|
| Brand | HPE |
| Part Number | AK859B |
| Product Type | SAN Director Blade Switch - 8 Gb FC |
| Fibre Channel Ports | 32 ports at 8 Gbps |
| Supported Speeds | 8 Gbps Fibre Channel |
| Form Factor | Director-blade module |
| Compatible Chassis | HPE StorageWorks SAN director chassis |
| Slot Format | 1 module slot in compatible chassis |
| Typical Weight | ~6 lbs |
| Management Integration | Via chassis management platform |
| Auto-Negotiation | Not applicable (fixed FC speed) |
| Use Case | High-density SAN fabrics, storage arrays |
| Mounting Style | Installed as blade in director chassis |
| Warranty | Standard HPE hardware warranty |
| Port Type | SFP (mini-GBIC) fibre-channel ports |
| Licensing/Upgrade Path | Dependent on chassis and fabric OS |
