HPE QK714ER SN8000B 16GB 48-PORT FC Reman Blade

HPE QK714ER SN8000B 16GB 48-Port FC Remanufactured Blade

Overview

The HPE QK714ER is a remanufactured blade module for the HPE StoreFabric SN8000B director-class Fibre Channel switch platform. Designed for high-density SAN environments, this 48-port 16Gb FC blade slots into SN8000B chassis deployments where organizations need to expand port capacity or replace a failed blade without sourcing a new-manufacture unit. The remanufactured designation means the blade has been factory-restored to operational specification — a common procurement path in enterprise storage refresh cycles where budget constraints favor certified-refurbished over new.

With an 11 lb weight and an Ethernet management interface, the QK714ER integrates into existing SN8000B director chassis running HPE's Fabric OS environment. Country of origin is the United States, and the unit carries UNSPSC code 43222612 (network switching equipment), which simplifies procurement classification for enterprise and government purchasing workflows.

Key Features

• 48-Port 16Gb FC Blade: High-density port count means a single blade can serve a large number of storage initiators or targets — relevant in consolidating HBA connections from compute nodes to shared storage arrays without adding chassis.
• 16Gb Fibre Channel: Operates at 16Gbps per port, which delivers headroom for modern all-flash array workloads and NVMe-over-Fabrics gateway configurations that saturate older 8Gb infrastructure.
• Remanufactured Format: Purpose-built for organizations that maintain SN8000B director chassis and need blade-level replacement or expansion without a full infrastructure refresh — typically a lower acquisition cost than new manufacture.
• Ethernet Management Interface: Out-of-band management via Ethernet means the blade integrates with existing IP management networks and HPE SANnav or Fabric OS tooling without requiring a dedicated FC management path.
• US Country of Origin: Relevant for procurement programs with domestic-sourcing requirements or TAA compliance workflows — verify against your specific contract vehicle for applicability.

Integration & Compatibility

The QK714ER is designed for the HPE StoreFabric SN8000B director chassis. Confirm chassis firmware revision compatibility with HPE's compatibility matrix before ordering — blade modules in director-class FC switches are firmware-revision sensitive and a mismatch can prevent the blade from coming online. This unit is not a standalone switch; it requires an SN8000B chassis with available blade slots and appropriate power and cooling capacity. Consult the network switching category for complementary infrastructure, or review the broader HPE networking and storage line for chassis, SFPs, and cables that pair with SN8000B deployments.

Organizations evaluating SAN fabric expansion should also assess whether 32Gb FC infrastructure (available in newer HPE SN director blades) better serves a forward-looking architecture — 16Gb is proven and widely deployed but represents a prior generation for greenfield builds. See the Fibre Channel switching category for current-generation options if this is a new fabric design rather than an existing SN8000B expansion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the HPE QK714ER a standalone switch or a chassis blade?

A: The QK714ER is a blade module that installs into an HPE StoreFabric SN8000B director chassis. It is not a standalone device and requires an available SN8000B chassis with open blade slots.

Q: What does remanufactured mean for the QK714ER?

A: Remanufactured indicates the blade has been restored to operational specification. It is a common procurement option for organizations maintaining existing SN8000B chassis infrastructure where new-manufacture blades carry a significant cost premium.

Q: What Fibre Channel speed does the QK714ER support?

A: The QK714ER supports 16Gb Fibre Channel per port across 48 ports. Confirm that your HBAs and storage array ports also support 16Gb FC for full-speed operation.

Q: Does the QK714ER require a specific chassis firmware version?

A: Director-class FC blades are firmware-revision sensitive. Verify compatibility between the QK714ER and your SN8000B chassis firmware using HPE's published compatibility matrix before installation.

Q: What is the country of origin for the QK714ER?

A: The QK714ER carries a US country of origin designation per distribution feed data, which may be relevant for TAA or domestic-sourcing procurement programs — verify against your specific contract vehicle requirements.

Karl Wilson

The QK714ER slots into a very specific procurement scenario: you have an operational SN8000B director chassis, you need more 16Gb FC ports or a blade replacement, and you want to avoid the cost of a new-manufacture unit. That is the right context for this blade — not a greenfield fabric design, and not a situation where 32Gb FC would be the correct architecture going forward.

Technical Highlights:

• 48-Port Density: A full 48 FC ports per blade slot is meaningful in director chassis economics — maximizing ports per chassis slot reduces the number of chassis you need to scale initiator and target connections in a dense SAN environment.
• 16Gb FC per Port: Each of the 48 ports operates at 16Gbps, providing enough bandwidth headroom for all-flash array workloads that saturate 8Gb fabrics. For mixed-workload environments still running 8Gb HBAs, the blade auto-negotiates down.
• Ethernet Management: The out-of-band Ethernet management interface means you integrate this blade into whatever IP-based SAN management tooling you already run — HPE SANnav, Fabric OS CLI, or SNMP monitoring — without a dedicated FC management connection.

Deployment Considerations:

• This blade requires an HPE StoreFabric SN8000B chassis with available blade slots, sufficient power supply headroom, and compatible chassis firmware — confirm all three before the blade ships to site, since a firmware mismatch means the blade will not initialize.
• At 11 lb, the QK714ER is a significant weight addition to an already-heavy director chassis; verify rack load ratings and blade slot alignment with your chassis documentation before installation.

The QK714ER is the right call for an existing SN8000B environment adding port capacity for a storage consolidation project or replacing a failed blade mid-lifecycle — it is not the right call for a new fabric build where 32Gb FC infrastructure is available and future-proofs the investment.