HPE DL560 G11 AC 12EDSFF X4 BOX2 4P DAC - P55325-B21

HPE P55325-B21 DL560 Gen11 12EDSFF DAC Cable Kit

Overview

The HPE P55325-B21 is a factory-configured internal cable assembly designed for the ProLiant DL560 Gen11 server platform. Based on the product designation — DL560 G11 AC 12EDSFF X4 BOX2 4P DAC — this kit provides the Direct Attach Copper (DAC) interconnect wiring for a 12-bay EDSFF (Enterprise and Data Center Standard Form Factor) drive cage in Box 2, supporting four-port connectivity. It is the correct part when expanding or restoring the internal drive backplane cabling in a DL560 Gen11 chassis that uses the 1E EDSFF SSD configuration.

P55325-B21 (often searched as P55325 B21) is a platform-specific cable option — not a universal fit. Verify your DL560 Gen11 build configuration and drive cage slot assignment before ordering. The EDSFF small form factor SSD ecosystem used in the DL560 Gen11 requires matched backplane cabling; substituting a cable from a different box or bay count will not produce a working configuration.

Key Features

• Platform Specificity: Engineered for the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 — ensures correct signal routing between the EDSFF drive backplane and the system board without adapter workarounds.
• 12-Bay EDSFF Support: Wires a 12-drive EDSFF cage, enabling high-density E1.S or E3.S SSD configurations in compute nodes where NVMe density is a storage design factor.
• 4-Port DAC Topology: Four-port direct attach copper design delivers the backplane interconnect without requiring additional HBA or expander cards in supported configurations.
• Box 2 Assignment: Designated for the Box 2 drive cage position in the DL560 Gen11 chassis — critical for multi-cage builds where bay assignments are fixed by the server's backplane architecture.
• Factory-New Genuine Component: Sourced as a genuine HPE part — ensures firmware and management compatibility with HPE iLO and Smart Array controllers without third-party driver complications.

Integration & Compatibility

This cable is validated for the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 platform. It is not interchangeable with DL560 Gen10 or other ProLiant families. If your chassis uses a different drive cage configuration (e.g., LFF, SFF 2.5", or a different EDSFF box position), a different part number is required. Consult the HPE QuickSpecs for the DL560 Gen11 to confirm the correct cable kit for your specific drive bay and cage configuration before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What server platform is the P55325-B21 designed for?

A: The P55325-B21 is specifically designed for the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 server. It is not compatible with Gen10 or other ProLiant models.

Q: What does "12EDSFF X4 BOX2 4P DAC" mean in the part name?

A: This describes a 12-bay EDSFF drive cage cable assembly for Box 2, using a 4-port Direct Attach Copper (DAC) connection topology. It identifies the specific cage position and port count within the DL560 Gen11 chassis.

Q: Can this cable be used in Box 1 of the DL560 Gen11?

A: No. This part is designated for the Box 2 cage position. Using it in a different box position is not a validated configuration. HPE offers separate part numbers for other box and bay assignments.

Q: Is the P55325-B21 a genuine HPE part?

A: Yes. It is sourced as a factory-new, genuine HPE component — no grey-market or parallel imports.

Q: What drive form factor does this cable support?

A: It supports EDSFF (Enterprise and Data Center Standard Form Factor) drives — the small form factor NVMe SSD standard used in the DL560 Gen11 high-density storage configurations.

Jerry Tildsen

The P55325-B21 is one of those parts that looks simple on a spec sheet but causes real pain on the data center floor if you order the wrong one. The DL560 Gen11 uses a structured multi-box EDSFF backplane layout, and the cable kit is position-specific — Box 2, 12-bay EDSFF, 4-port DAC. Swap it with a Box 1 kit or a different port count and you won't get a working drive configuration.

Technical Highlights:

• EDSFF Form Factor: The DL560 Gen11's EDSFF drive standard (E1.S/E3.S NVMe) is not backward-compatible with 2.5" SFF cabling — this cable is purpose-built for that ecosystem and won't cross-fit older backplanes.
• 4-Port DAC Topology: Four DAC ports serve the 12-bay cage from the backplane side — this matters for bandwidth planning on NVMe-dense configurations where per-port saturation is a real concern at high queue depths.
• Box 2 Designation: In multi-cage DL560 Gen11 builds, Box 1 and Box 2 cages have distinct part numbers. Ordering by cage position rather than by generic description is mandatory — the physical connector layout differs.

Deployment Considerations:

• Always cross-reference against the HPE DL560 Gen11 QuickSpecs for your specific build before ordering — the correct cable depends on your chassis option kit and drive cage configuration.
• EDSFF cables are not field-improvised. If this part is missing or damaged during a chassis swap or drive expansion, the cage will not initialize properly — keep a spare on hand for critical compute environments.

This part is the right call for data center teams commissioning or expanding HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 nodes with high-density EDSFF NVMe storage in the Box 2 position — specifically where maintaining a genuine HPE bill of materials matters for iLO health monitoring and support contract integrity.