HPE S2N60A Layer 3 Managed Data Center Switch

Overview

The HPE S2N60A is a high-density, Layer 3 managed switch built for data center spine-leaf fabrics and aggregation tiers where copper 10GbE server connections meet 100G uplinks in a single chassis. With 40 x 10GBase-T RJ-45 ports, 8 x SFP+ ports, and 6 x 100GBase-X QSFP28 ports, this Comware-platform switch eliminates the need for separate top-of-rack and aggregation devices in many mid-scale deployments — collapsing two tiers into one when your port counts fit.

This is an HPE Networking Comware switch, which means it runs HPE's enterprise-grade Comware OS — the same software lineage deployed across carrier-grade and large-enterprise data centers. If your team already manages HPE Comware infrastructure, the S2N60A drops into that management context without re-training or new toolchains.

Key Features

• 40 x 10GBase-T RJ-45 Ports: Copper 10GbE connectivity means you can wire servers, storage nodes, and hyperconverged appliances with standard Cat6A cabling — no SFP transceivers required per host port. In high-density server deployments, this meaningfully reduces per-port BOM cost compared to all-fiber approaches.
• 8 x SFP+ Ports: The eight SFP+ slots give you flexible fiber or DAC connectivity for inter-switch links, storage fabric connections, or latency-sensitive workloads where copper 10GbE latency margins matter. These ports support standard SFP+ transceivers, keeping your optics choices open.
• 6 x 100GBase-X QSFP28 Ports: Six 100G uplink ports position this switch for direct connection to a 100G spine layer or high-capacity core routers. For a leaf switch feeding a 100G spine fabric, six uplinks provide substantial oversubscription headroom across 40 x 10G host ports — roughly 6:1 in aggregate before traffic shaping, which is appropriate for typical enterprise server workloads where not every host saturates its link simultaneously.
• Layer 3 Managed (Comware OS): Full Layer 3 routing capability means you can terminate VLANs, run OSPF or BGP between fabric tiers, and apply ACLs and QoS policies directly on this device. In smaller data centers, this eliminates a dedicated routing appliance at the aggregation layer.
• HPE Comware Platform: Comware's software architecture supports granular CLI control, comprehensive SNMP/NETCONF management, and integration with HPE IMC (Intelligent Management Center). If your NOC already uses IMC or an HPE-compatible NMS, this switch slots directly into your existing monitoring and provisioning workflows.
• Mixed-Media Port Profile: The combination of copper 10GbE, fiber SFP+, and 100G QSFP28 on a single device is particularly well-suited to environments transitioning from 10G access to 100G spine — you get the flexibility to run both concurrently without managing two separate switch platforms.

Integration and Compatibility

The S2N60A runs HPE's Comware operating system, which supports standard data center protocols including OSPF, BGP, MSTP, LACP, and VXLAN depending on the software license tier applied. For teams running HPE networking infrastructure across their environment, this switch integrates with HPE IMC for centralized configuration, topology visualization, and fault management.

As a managed Layer 3 data center switch, the S2N60A is appropriate for deployment in environments running standard-compliant SDN controllers, network automation toolchains (Ansible, Terraform with HPE providers), and REST API-driven orchestration. Verify specific feature support with the applicable Comware software version documentation before committing to advanced features in production.

For teams architecting a full data center switching fabric, pairing this switch with compatible HPE Networking spine-layer platforms and structured cabling infrastructure ensures consistent software management and support pathing. If you are evaluating data center switching solutions at scale, pre-sales engineering consultation is available to help validate port counts, oversubscription ratios, and software licensing requirements before purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What operating system does the HPE S2N60A run?

A: The S2N60A runs HPE Comware OS, HPE's enterprise networking software platform used across their data center and carrier-grade switch lines. It supports CLI management, SNMP, NETCONF, and integrates with HPE's Intelligent Management Center (IMC).

Q: Can the S2N60A be used as a spine switch, or is it intended for leaf/ToR deployments?

A: With six 100GBase-X QSFP28 ports, the S2N60A can serve as a leaf switch connecting to a 100G spine, or as a small spine device in a compressed two-tier fabric. Its 40 x 10GBase-T ports make it most naturally suited to leaf/top-of-rack positions feeding servers via copper 10GbE.

Q: Does the S2N60A support DAC (Direct Attach Copper) cables on the SFP+ ports?

A: SFP+ ports on HPE Comware switches typically support HPE-qualified DAC cables. Verify DAC compatibility with HPE's transceiver compatibility matrix for this specific model before purchasing third-party DAC cables.

Q: What is the UPC code for the HPE S2N60A?

A: The UPC for the S2N60A is 190017698182.

Q: What cabling is required for the 10GBase-T ports?

A: 10GBase-T at 10Gbps requires Cat6A cabling (or Cat7) with a maximum run length of 100 meters. Cat6 cable can support 10GbE but only up to 55 meters in typical conditions — verify your existing cable plant before assuming full 100m coverage.

Ted Perry

The S2N60A is a switch I'd reach for in a specific architectural moment: when you're building or expanding a data center fabric where the server tier is landing on copper 10GbE and you need 100G uplinks to spine without adding a second platform to manage. Those six QSFP28 ports are the deciding spec — they're what separates this from a pure access switch and make it viable as a leaf node in a 100G spine-leaf design.

Technical Highlights:

• 40 x 10GBase-T at scale: Forty copper 10G ports in a single chassis is a meaningful density number for server rooms where racks are wired with Cat6A. You're covering a significant portion of a mid-density rack environment from one device, which simplifies cabling runs and reduces switch count.
• 6 x 100GBase-X QSFP28 uplinks: Six 100G ports give you enough uplink bandwidth to avoid becoming a bottleneck when east-west traffic spikes. In a spine-leaf architecture feeding 40 x 10G hosts, you have up to 600Gbps of uplink capacity against 400Gbps of host-side aggregate — a conservative oversubscription ratio for typical enterprise workload profiles.
• HPE Comware OS: Comware brings carrier-tested software to this form factor. If your team runs HPE IMC for network management, this switch participates in the same topology view, config audit, and fault correlation workflow as the rest of your HPE Comware estate — no bolt-on management plane required.

Deployment Considerations:

• Confirm your Cat6A cable plant before committing to 10GBase-T at 100m runs — Cat6 at 10Gbps only reliably goes 55m, and you don't want to discover that in production post-rack.
• Software licensing on Comware platforms can gate advanced routing features. Verify the license tier included with S2N60A against your BGP, VXLAN, or segment routing requirements before finalizing the design — the hardware supports it, but the feature may require a separate license key.

This switch earns its place in a mid-scale enterprise data center or colocation environment where the team is already on HPE Comware, servers are wired with Cat6A, and the fabric is moving to 100G spine. It's a poor fit if your environment is standardized on a different NOS or if you need more than six 100G uplinks from a single leaf node.