HPE R6B02A SN8700B 64GB 48P 32GB LW SFP28 Blade

HPE R6B02A SN8700B 48-Port 64Gb Long Wave Fibre Channel Switch Blade

Overview

The HPE R6B02A is a 48-port, 64Gb Fibre Channel switch blade designed for installation in the HPE SN8700B director-class chassis. Each of the 48 ports operates at 32Gb long-wave (LW) via SFP28 transceivers — long-wave optics support single-mode fiber runs where short-wave OM multimode links fall short in distance. At 64Gb aggregate per-port throughput, the R6B02A is sized for high-density storage fabrics connecting NVMe-oF arrays, large-scale SAN environments, or enterprise network infrastructure requiring sustained, low-latency block I/O. The blade form factor slots directly into the SN8700B chassis backplane, inheriting chassis-level management and redundancy without additional cabling overhead.

Compatibility

The R6B02A is purpose-built for the HPE SN8700B director chassis. It is not a standalone switch and cannot operate outside a compatible SN8700B enclosure. Connectivity uses SFP28 form-factor transceivers across all 48 expansion slots — long-wave SFP28 optics are required (not included); confirm transceiver compatibility against HPE's SN8700B transceiver support matrix before ordering. The blade interfaces via Ethernet and SFP at the chassis level. It is not compatible with SN6600B, SN6500C, or other HPE SN-series director chassis variants — verify your chassis model before purchasing.

Installation Notes

The R6B02A ships at 15.50 lb — blade insertion into the SN8700B chassis requires two-person handling given the unit weight and chassis depth. Nominal blade dimensions are 55.88 x 53.34 x 19.82 in (L x W x H); confirm your rack and chassis bay clearances before deployment. LW SFP28 transceivers (not included) must be sourced separately and matched to your fiber plant — single-mode LC duplex cabling is required for long-wave operation. No short-wave or direct-attach copper (DAC) substitution is supported on LW-designated ports.