HPE R6A99AR SN8700B 8-SLOT Swch Core Reman Blade

HPE R6A99AR SN8700B 8-Slot Switch Core Remanufactured Blade

Overview

The HPE R6A99AR is a remanufactured core blade designed for the HPE SN8700B director-class switch platform. Carrying the HPE Renew designation, this blade has been factory-reconditioned to meet original performance and reliability standards — a practical path to extending or expanding an existing SN8700B fabric without the lead time or cost of a new unit. At 15.50 lb, the R6A99AR is a substantial module; plan your rack handling and installation crew accordingly. Country of origin is Czech Republic (CZ), consistent with HPE's European manufacturing and refurbishment operations for this product line.

Key Features

• HPE Renew Remanufactured: Factory-reconditioned to original HPE specifications — not third-party refurbished. This distinction matters for environments where support contract eligibility or performance consistency is a requirement. Verify HPE support entitlement before purchasing if an active support contract must cover this blade.
• SN8700B Platform Fit: Designed for the HPE SN8700B 8-slot director-class switch chassis. If you are running a different chassis generation or slot count, confirm compatibility against your chassis part number before ordering — blade generations are not universally interchangeable across the SN8700 family.
• 15.50 lb Module Weight: At just under 16 lb, this is a two-person or tool-assisted installation in a populated chassis. Factor handling weight into your data center installation plan, particularly in high-density rack environments with limited access.

Integration and Compatibility

The R6A99AR is intended for deployment within an existing HPE SN8700B director infrastructure. Confirm your chassis firmware revision and fabric operating system version are compatible with this blade generation prior to installation. For environments running HPE's Fibre Channel fabric management stack, verify that the remanufactured blade revision aligns with your current fabric software release. No additional compatibility data is available in current evidence — consult HPE's compatibility matrix or your HPE account team for version-specific guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What does the HPE Renew designation mean for the R6A99AR?

A: HPE Renew indicates the product has been remanufactured by HPE to original performance specifications. It is factory-reconditioned, not third-party refurbished, and is intended to perform equivalently to a new unit within a supported HPE environment.

Q: Which chassis is the R6A99AR compatible with?

A: The R6A99AR is designed for the HPE SN8700B 8-slot director-class switch platform. Compatibility with other SN8700 chassis variants should be verified against HPE's official compatibility matrix before purchase.

Q: What is the weight of the R6A99AR blade?

A: The R6A99AR weighs 15.50 lb. This is relevant for installation planning in populated chassis environments where physical handling clearance may be limited.

Q: Where is the R6A99AR manufactured?

A: Country of origin is Czech Republic (CZ), consistent with HPE's European manufacturing and refurbishment operations.

Ted Perry

The R6A99AR is a remanufactured core blade for the HPE SN8700B director-class switch — at 15.50 lb, this is not a field-swap you do solo in a live rack. I want to flag that upfront because the physical handling requirements on a populated SN8700B chassis are real, and a dropped blade in a production SAN fabric is a bad day for everyone involved.

Technical Highlights:

• HPE Renew Remanufactured: Factory-reconditioned to original spec — not a third-party rebuild. That distinction affects HPE support contract eligibility, which matters in environments where the SAN fabric is under an active care pack.
• SN8700B Platform Fit: Designed specifically for the 8-slot SN8700B chassis. Blade generations within the SN8700 family are not universally interchangeable — cross-check your chassis part number and fabric OS version before you pull the trigger.
• Czech Republic Origin (CZ): Consistent with HPE's European refurbishment operations for this product line. If your procurement policy requires TAA or NDAA compliance documentation, request it explicitly — country-of-origin alone does not confirm compliance status.

Deployment Considerations:

• Verify HPE fabric OS and chassis firmware compatibility before installation. A blade revision mismatch in a director-class fabric can prevent the module from coming online cleanly and may require a firmware update under a maintenance window.
• At 15.50 lb, the R6A99AR requires two-person handling in a populated chassis — particularly if rack access is constrained by adjacent cable management or blanking panels. Staging the chassis for blade work before installation starts saves time and reduces risk.

The R6A99AR makes most sense in environments already running the HPE SN8700B fabric that need to add blade capacity or replace a failed module without sourcing a new unit — a data center expansion or SAN refresh where the chassis is already deployed and the fabric OS is current.