HPE 649892-001

BLC 4× FDR Managed switch InfiniBand Switch Module (34‑Port)

The HPE 649892‑001 (aka BLC 4× FDR Managed switch InfiniBand Switch, option 648312‑B21) is a high-density, low-latencyswitch blade engineered for use in HPE BladeSystem c‑Class enclosures. It delivers 34 active InfiniBand ports—16 internal rear‑plane downlink connections to server blades plus 18 external QSFP ports for inter-switch expansion. Supporting InfiniBand FDR (Fourteen Data Rate) at 56 Gbps signaling (~52 Gb/s payload) per port, this switch is ideal for HPC clusters, storage fabrics, and compute-intensive workloads. As a Managed switch it supports advanced fabric features like ISL trunking, adaptive routing, and error recovery, while relying on external subnet manager software for fabric orchestration. Its double‑wide form factor keeps chassis density high while delivering enterprise‑level interconnect performance.

Features

Installed in a double‑wide switch bay of the HPE c7000/c7000 Platinum BladeSystem enclosure, the 649892‑001 provides 16 server‑connected downlinks via midplane and 18 QSFP external ports for uplinks or fabric interconnects . Each port supports 56 Gbps FDR signaling (~52 Gb/s throughput), ensuring sub‑microsecond cut‑through forwarding with consistent low-latency performance. The module operates as a Managed switch InfiniBand switch, but does not include an onboard subnet manager; fabric management is handled externally by host-based or rack-level software like OpenSM or Mellanox UFM Fully compatible with HPE ProLiant Gen8 and Gen9 blade servers, it leverages BladeSystem’s power and cooling infrastructure for chassis-integrated operation. The switch housing and Mellanox-based architecture provide robust diagnostics, link error recovery, and fabric resiliency. Blade-level installation requires minimal rack footprint while offering high port density and scalable fabric topology—ideal for fat-tree designs, clustered compute farms, and SAN-like fabrics.

Advanced Options

This switch module is widely available as part of the refurbished HP ecosystem and is shipped tested with vendor warranty support. Its dense InfiniBand port count and compact blade form-factor make it a strategic component for building high-performance, low-latency environments within BladeSystem chassis.