HPE E7Y68CR SN8000B 16GB32P Integrtd Reman Blade

HPE E7Y68CR SN8000B 16Gb 32-Port Fibre Channel Switch Blade (Remanufactured)

Overview

The HPE E7Y68CR is a remanufactured 16Gb, 32-port integrated blade designed for the HPE SN8000B director-class Fibre Channel switch platform. The SN8000B is a chassis-based, enterprise SAN director used in large-scale storage area networks where port density, fabric availability, and non-disruptive expansion matter. As a remanufactured unit, the E7Y68CR delivers the same port capacity and 16Gb FC throughput as a new blade at a reduced acquisition cost — the standard choice when expanding an existing SN8000B deployment without a full capital refresh. The blade ships from Germany (country of origin: DE) and carries a verified weight of 11.00 lb, consistent with the multi-port line card form factor for this chassis family.

Key Features

• 16Gb Fibre Channel, 32 Ports: At 16Gb per port, this blade supports the bandwidth headroom needed for high-throughput storage workloads — all-flash arrays, VDI farms, and backup-to-disk environments where 8Gb bottlenecks have already been felt. Thirty-two ports per blade keeps per-port expansion cost low in a dense chassis.
• Director-Class Chassis Integration: The SN8000B platform supports non-disruptive blade insertion and hot-swap operation, so adding the E7Y68CR to an existing chassis expands the fabric without a maintenance window — relevant in 24/7 data center environments where SAN downtime has direct operational cost.
• Remanufactured (Reman) Designation: HPE remanufactured blades are factory-reconditioned units — not field pulls. For budget-constrained SAN expansions or lab/DR environments, this is the practical path to genuine HPE hardware without new-unit pricing. Verify your support contract terms before deploying in production, as remanufactured units may carry different warranty and support entitlements than new.
• UNSPSC 43222612 — Fibre Channel Switches: The verified UNSPSC classification confirms this is a Fibre Channel switching component, not a converged Ethernet or FCoE device. Procurement teams sourcing against UNSPSC-coded POs can match this directly.

Integration and Compatibility

The E7Y68CR is designed as a blade module for the HPE SN8000B director chassis. Confirm chassis firmware revision and slot availability before ordering — blade compatibility in director-class platforms is tied to chassis generation and installed firmware. If you are expanding an existing HPE SAN fabric, cross-reference your chassis model and current blade inventory against HPE's compatibility matrix. For greenfield deployments, evaluate whether a Fibre Channel switch standalone or a full director chassis better fits your port-growth trajectory before committing to a blade-based expansion. Consult a storage networking pre-sales specialist if you are uncertain about slot licensing or ISL requirements for the SN8000B platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What chassis does the HPE E7Y68CR install into?

A: The E7Y68CR is an integrated blade for the HPE SN8000B director-class Fibre Channel switch platform. It is not compatible with other HPE switch chassis families. Verify slot and firmware compatibility with your existing chassis before ordering.

Q: What does 'Reman' mean for this blade?

A: 'Reman' designates a remanufactured unit — factory-reconditioned by HPE, not a field-pulled or third-party refurbished part. Remanufactured units are tested to functional specification but may carry different warranty and support terms than new units. Confirm support entitlements with your HPE support contract before deploying in a production SAN.

Q: How many Fibre Channel ports does the E7Y68CR provide?

A: The E7Y68CR provides 32 integrated 16Gb Fibre Channel ports per blade, consistent with the SN8000B high-density blade lineup.

Q: Is the E7Y68CR a new or refurbished product?

A: It is a remanufactured (Reman) unit sourced through HPE's remanufacturing program. It is not a new, unused blade. This distinction matters for support contract eligibility and expected service life planning.

James Everett

The HPE E7Y68CR comes up most often in SAN expansion conversations where the chassis is already in place — the SN8000B slots are open, the budget for new-unit pricing isn't, and the team needs 32 more 16Gb FC ports without a forklift upgrade. The remanufactured designation is the key variable to nail down before you order.

Technical Highlights:

• 32-Port 16Gb FC Blade: Thirty-two ports at 16Gb per port is a meaningful density step in an SN8000B chassis — one blade can absorb a full rack of servers or an entire all-flash array without exhausting your chassis slots.
• Chassis-Native Integration: The SN8000B's hot-swap architecture means this blade can be inserted during normal operations. No fabric downtime, no scheduled maintenance window — relevant when the SAN is feeding production databases or VDI infrastructure that can't tolerate unplanned interruptions.
• Remanufactured Unit — 11 lb Form Factor: At 11.00 lb, the blade weight is consistent with a fully populated 32-port line card. Physical handling and chassis weight loading should be accounted for if you're near the chassis weight limit in a dense rack.

Deployment Considerations:

• Remanufactured blades require careful support contract review — HPE's standard Pointnext support may not automatically extend to reman units under an existing chassis contract. Resolve this before the blade goes into production.
• Slot licensing on the SN8000B platform is port-based; confirm that your chassis license covers the full 32 ports on this blade before insertion, or budget for a port-activation license separately.

The E7Y68CR is the right call for an IT team managing an established SN8000B fabric that needs port capacity added cost-effectively — specifically DR sites, lab environments, or secondary data centers where remanufactured hardware is an accepted standard and the support entitlement has been pre-verified.