HPE QK713DR SN8000B 16GB 32-PORT FC Reman Blade

HPE QK713DR SN8000B 16GB 32-Port Fibre Channel Blade

Overview

The HPE QK713DR is a remanufactured 16Gb Fibre Channel blade designed for the HPE SN8000B director-class chassis — a line engineered for high-density SAN environments where port scalability and fabric reliability are non-negotiable. At 10.20 lb, the blade is a substantial, enterprise-grade module built to slot into the SN8000B's modular bay architecture, adding 32 Fibre Channel ports to the director fabric in a single installation step. If your data center is expanding FC connectivity without a full-chassis replacement, the QK713DR is the targeted capacity lever to reach for.

Sourced through US distribution channels and manufactured domestically (Country of Origin: US), this remanufactured unit is positioned for organizations that need proven FC blade hardware at a reduced acquisition cost compared to new — a practical choice when the SN8000B chassis is already deployed and the priority is expanding port density, not refreshing infrastructure from scratch.

Key Features

• 16Gb Fibre Channel: The SN8000B blade family's 16Gb interface tier provides the bandwidth headroom needed for modern storage arrays and high-throughput workloads — relevant when connecting all-flash arrays or high-IOPS NVMe-over-FC targets where saturating an 8Gb uplink is a real constraint.
• 32-Port Density: Thirty-two ports per blade means a single insertion event materially grows fabric capacity. For data centers adding server HBAs or storage targets incrementally, this density reduces the number of blade swaps required over a hardware refresh cycle.
• Director-Class Chassis Integration: Blades in the SN8000B family benefit from the chassis's non-disruptive hot-swap architecture — adding this blade does not require fabric downtime, which matters in always-on storage environments where maintenance windows are constrained.
• Remanufactured Grade: Remanufactured status means the unit has been restored to operational specification — a cost-effective path for budget-conscious capacity expansions where deploying new hardware is not justified by the incremental port requirement.
• US Origin: Country of Origin: US — relevant for procurement programs with domestic sourcing requirements or TAA-aligned purchasing policies (verify TAA compliance separately for your specific contract vehicle).
• 10.20 lb Blade Weight: At 10.20 lb, the blade falls within standard enterprise blade weight ranges — confirm chassis bay weight tolerances and rail loading specs before installation if the chassis is near its maximum populated weight.

Integration and Compatibility

The QK713DR is designed for the HPE SN8000B director platform. Before procurement, verify the target chassis firmware revision supports this blade's hardware generation — HPE's SAN director blades are chassis-specific and are not cross-compatible across director families. Pair with compatible SAN switches and fabric infrastructure to maintain a consistent 16Gb fabric tier end-to-end. Consult HPE's blade compatibility matrix for the SN8000B to confirm supported HBA and storage array pairings on your specific fabric revision. For storage planning guidance, review high-density storage architecture resources relevant to your deployment scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the QK713DR a new or remanufactured unit?

A: The QK713DR is a remanufactured blade, restored to operational specification. It is not factory-new. Buyers with new-only procurement policies should verify unit condition before purchasing.

Q: What chassis does the QK713DR install into?

A: The QK713DR is designed for the HPE SN8000B director-class Fibre Channel chassis. It is not a standalone device and requires a compatible SN8000B chassis bay. Cross-chassis compatibility is not supported — confirm your chassis model before ordering.

Q: What is the port speed and port count on the QK713DR?

A: Based on the product designation, this is a 16Gb Fibre Channel blade with 32 ports. Verify the exact port specification against HPE's SN8000B blade documentation for your firmware and chassis revision.

Q: What is the weight of the QK713DR blade?

A: The QK713DR weighs 10.20 lb per the distribution feed data. Confirm chassis bay weight tolerances before installation if the chassis is near maximum populated weight.

Q: Where is the QK713DR manufactured?

A: Country of Origin is listed as US in the distribution data. Buyers with TAA or domestic sourcing requirements should independently verify TAA compliance status for their specific contract vehicle.

Marty Allison

The QK713DR is a remanufactured 16Gb, 32-port Fibre Channel blade for the HPE SN8000B director chassis — a specific piece of hardware for a specific infrastructure problem: you have an SN8000B already racked, you need more FC ports, and you don't want to buy a new chassis to get them. That's the only scenario where this blade makes sense, and within that scenario it's the right call.

Technical Highlights:

• 32-Port FC Blade: Thirty-two ports per blade insertion — meaningful density for environments adding HBAs or storage targets in batches rather than one-offs.
• 16Gb Interface Tier: Matches the bandwidth tier needed for all-flash and NVMe-over-FC arrays where older 8Gb fabrics become a chokepoint under concurrent high-IOPS workloads.
• 10.20 lb Module Weight: Substantial but within enterprise director blade norms — worth checking chassis populated weight limits if you're inserting multiple blades in the same refresh event.

Deployment Considerations:

• This is a chassis-specific blade — the SN8000B is its only supported home. Confirm chassis bay availability and firmware compatibility before the purchase order is cut, not after delivery.
• Remanufactured status is the key procurement flag: functional parity with new is the goal of remanufacturing, but buyers on maintenance contracts or with strict new-hardware policies need to clear that with their HPE account team before deploying the QK713DR in a production fabric.

Best fit for data center teams running an established SN8000B fabric who need incremental FC port capacity without a chassis forklift — particularly in storage environments where 16Gb fabric consistency across all blade slots is already the baseline requirement.