HPE DL560 G11 LC 12EDSFF X4 BOX2 4P DAC - P55328-B21

HPE P55328-B21 ProLiant DL560 Gen11 12x EDSFF Drive Cage — Box 2, 4-Port DAC

Overview

The HPE P55328-B21 is a low-profile 12x EDSFF (E1.S/E3.S) drive cage designed for the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11 platform, occupying the Box 2 bay position and providing four-port direct-attach connectivity (DAC) for high-density, low-latency storage configurations. If you are building a DL560 Gen11 with maximum NVMe drive density, this cage is the component that fills out the second storage box when the system's primary cage is already populated.

The P55328-B21 (also searched as P55328 B21) targets data center and enterprise deployments where the DL560 Gen11 chassis is being configured for compute-intensive or storage-dense workloads — AI inference, high-throughput databases, or virtualization stacks requiring fast local NVMe tiers. The four-port DAC interface routes drive traffic without the latency overhead of additional HBA hops, keeping NVMe access paths direct and predictable.

Key Features

• 12x EDSFF Drive Slots: Accommodates twelve E1.S or E3.S form-factor NVMe drives in a compact, low-profile cage — maximizing drive count in the DL560 Gen11 without expanding the chassis footprint beyond its standard rack profile.
• Box 2 Position: Designed specifically for the secondary drive bay of the DL560 Gen11, this cage pairs with the primary Box 1 cage to reach full per-server NVMe density. Attempting to install it in any other bay or server platform is not supported.
• 4-Port DAC Connectivity: Direct-attach cabling to the system backplane or controller keeps signal paths short and eliminates intermediate switching — a factor in latency-sensitive NVMe storage designs.
• Factory-New Genuine Component: Sourced as a genuine HPE option kit — not a refurbished pull or grey-market substitute — which matters for warranty continuity and server platform support agreements.

Integration and Compatibility

This cage is explicitly a DL560 Gen11 accessory. It is not compatible with DL560 Gen10, DL580, or other HPE ProLiant lines without HPE engineering confirmation. Verify your chassis build order against HPE's QuickSpecs for the DL560 Gen11 before purchasing — the Box 2 cage slot must be present and unpopulated in your configuration. Pair with compatible HPE EDSFF NVMe drives and ensure the system's storage controller supports the additional port count before committing to this option. For broader HPE server storage configurations, cross-reference the DL560 Gen11 QuickSpecs document available on HPE's support portal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What server platform is the P55328-B21 designed for?

A: The P55328-B21 is designed specifically for the HPE ProLiant DL560 Gen11. It occupies the Box 2 bay position in that chassis. It is not a universal HPE storage option and should not be assumed compatible with other ProLiant generations or models without HPE confirmation.

Q: How many drives does the P55328-B21 support?

A: The cage accommodates 12 EDSFF (E1.S or E3.S form factor) NVMe drives in the Box 2 position of the DL560 Gen11.

Q: What does the 4-port DAC mean in this context?

A: DAC (Direct Attach Connectivity) refers to the interface method connecting the drive cage to the system backplane or storage controller. Four ports means four direct signal lanes from the cage — keeping NVMe traffic routed without additional switching overhead.

Q: Can the P55328-B21 be installed in the Box 1 position or in a different HPE server?

A: No — this component is engineered for the Box 2 position in the DL560 Gen11 specifically. Installing it in an unsupported bay or chassis is not validated and may result in incompatibility or lack of HPE support coverage.

Karl Wilson

The P55328-B21 is a position-specific storage option — and that specificity is exactly the point. When you are configuring a DL560 Gen11 for maximum NVMe density, the Box 2 cage slot is what takes you from a partially populated chassis to a fully loaded storage configuration. This is not a component you evaluate in isolation; it belongs in a bill of materials alongside the drives, controller, and Box 1 cage as a complete storage architecture decision.

Technical Highlights:

• 12x EDSFF Capacity: Twelve E1.S or E3.S slots in a single cage means the DL560 Gen11 can reach very high per-node NVMe counts when both Box 1 and Box 2 are populated — relevant for in-memory database or AI inference nodes where local storage bandwidth matters.
• 4-Port Direct-Attach: DAC connectivity avoids an HBA hop for these drives, which keeps NVMe access latency deterministic — an important design consideration for latency-sensitive storage tiers.
• Genuine HPE Option Kit: Sourced as a factory-new HPE option, not a third-party alternative, which preserves compatibility with HPE's iLO management and support entitlement for the DL560 Gen11 platform.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm the Box 2 slot is physically present and unpopulated in your specific DL560 Gen11 chassis configuration before ordering — not all build variants include this bay pre-configured.
• The supplied evidence does not include verified power draw, weight, or detailed dimensional specs; consult HPE's official DL560 Gen11 QuickSpecs document before finalizing a rack power budget or thermal design that depends on this cage.

Best positioned for DL560 Gen11 deployments being built out for NVMe-dense workloads — AI inference, high-IOPS databases, or virtualization clusters where maximizing local flash capacity per 2U node is the design priority.