HPE R6B03A SN8700B 48-Port SFP28 Switch Blade

The HPE R6B03A is a high-density switch blade designed for the SN8700B modular chassis, delivering 48 SFP28 ports in a single blade slot — the right configuration when you need to scale 25GbE port density within an existing SN8700B fabric without adding chassis footprint. At 15.50 lb, this is a substantial line card; verify chassis slot and power headroom before ordering.

Overview

The R6B03A combines Ethernet and SFP interface support in a 48-port SFP28 blade with 32GB of onboard switching memory — a configuration suited for spine-leaf fabrics, high-performance compute clusters, and dense server aggregation tiers where per-port 25GbE throughput and low-latency forwarding matter. Manufactured in the Czech Republic (CZ), it ships factory-new as a genuine HPE component sourced through US distribution channels.

Key Features

• 48 SFP28 Ports: Forty-eight 25GbE-capable SFP28 ports per blade means you can aggregate a full rack of dual-homed servers through a single line card — fewer blades, simpler cabling, lower per-port cost within the SN8700B chassis.
• 32GB Switching Memory: Onboard 32GB of switch memory supports deep packet buffers and large forwarding tables — relevant in environments with bursty east-west traffic or large-scale routing tables common in hyperconverged and AI/ML compute deployments.
• SFP28 Interface Flexibility: SFP28 is backward-compatible with SFP+ (10GbE) transceivers, so you can mix 10GbE and 25GbE connections on the same blade during phased migrations without rewiring patch panels.
• Modular Chassis Architecture: As a blade for the SN8700B, this card slots into an existing chassis — letting you add port density incrementally without a full switch replacement, which is the correct upgrade path when you've already invested in SN8700B infrastructure.

Integration and Compatibility

The R6B03A is purpose-built for the HPE SN8700B modular chassis. Verify chassis firmware compatibility and available slot count before deployment. Pair with compatible HPE network management software for fabric-wide visibility. For full chassis configuration options across the HPE networking line, review the SN8700B platform documentation directly from HPE.

This blade is classified under UNSPSC 43222612 (network switching equipment). For deployments requiring high-density network switches, confirm port-type and chassis compatibility with your infrastructure team or pre-sales engineering prior to purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What chassis is the HPE R6B03A compatible with?

A: The R6B03A is a blade designed for the HPE SN8700B modular switch chassis. Compatibility with other HPE chassis should be verified against HPE's official configuration guides before ordering.

Q: How many ports does the R6B03A provide?

A: The R6B03A provides 48 SFP28 ports per blade, supporting 25GbE (and backward-compatible 10GbE via SFP+ transceivers) connectivity.

Q: What is the onboard memory on the R6B03A?

A: The R6B03A includes 32GB of switching memory, supporting large forwarding tables and deep packet buffers for demanding fabric environments.

Q: How much does the R6B03A weigh?

A: The R6B03A weighs 15.50 lb — factor this into chassis weight and rack load calculations during physical planning.