How is the HPE StorageWorks 8/20Q AK242A classified within networking products?

The StorageWorks 8/20Q AK242A is categorized as a network switch with a specific focus on Fibre Channel SAN switching. It sits in the Fibre Channel SAN Switch category, meaning it is intended for dedicated storage networking rather than general Ethernet switching tasks in the infrastructure.

Why is the enterprise product level important for the AK242A switch?

The AK242A is marked as an enterprise product, which indicates that it is intended for business critical and larger scale environments. This classification helps IT teams align the switch with production SAN workloads and data center use cases where reliability and structured deployment are expected.

What vendor ecosystem does the AK242A StorageWorks 8/20Q belong to?

The AK242A belongs to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise ecosystem and is part of the StorageWorks 8/20Q family. This alignment is useful for organizations that standardize on HPE infrastructure and want consistent management, documentation, and procurement practices across their SAN and network components.

AK242A - HP 8/20Q Fibre Channel Switch Switch

Name: AK242A - HP 8/20Q Fibre Channel Switch Switch
Brand: HP
SKU: AK242A

AK242A - HP 8/20Q Fibre Channel Switch Switch | US IT Hardware

Product overview

The Hewlett Packard Enterprise StorageWorks 8/20Q Fibre Channel Switch AK242A is an enterprise level Fibre Channel SAN switch designed for data center and core network environments. Classified as a Fibre Channel SAN switch, it fits within the network switch category and is suitable for organizations standardizing on Fibre Channel for storage connectivity. As part of the StorageWorks 8/20Q family, it targets environments that require consolidated storage networking and structured SAN segmentation. The switch is designed for rackmount deployment in server or network racks, supporting organized infrastructure layouts. Enterprises can use this platform as a dedicated SAN component in multi switch Fibre Channel topologies. IT procurement teams evaluating Fibre Channel SAN infrastructure can align this model with existing Hewlett Packard Enterprise environments and StorageWorks based architectures, leveraging a consistent vendor ecosystem for management and lifecycle planning.

Fibre Channel SAN switch for storage networks
Enterprise level classification for core use
Part of HPE StorageWorks 8/20Q family
Network switch role within data center racks
Optimized for Fibre Channel based SAN designs
Identified precisely by SKU AK242A

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Featuring

Product Line
Manufacturer part #	AK242A
Brand	HP
Condition	New
Model	8/20Q Fibre Channel Switch
Series	StorageWorks 8/20Q
Features	Full duplex capability, auto-sensing per device, manageable, TFTP support
SAN Type	FC SAN switch (8/20Q)
Rack Units	1U
Technology	Fibre Channel switching
Device Type	Switch – 20 ports
Form Factor	Rackmount, 1U

Best for

Enterprise SAN
Suitable for enterprise level Fibre Channel SAN environments that require a dedicated StorageWorks 8/20Q Fibre Channel switch as part of a structured storage network.
Data center networking
Designed as a network switch for Fibre Channel SAN connectivity in data centers where storage traffic is segmented from general Ethernet networks.
HPE standardized environments
Fits organizations that standardize on Hewlett Packard Enterprise infrastructure and need a StorageWorks branded Fibre Channel SAN switch within that ecosystem.
Rackmount infrastructure
Appropriate for rack based deployments where SAN switches are installed in organized racks alongside servers and other network devices.

Frequently asked questions

What type of network environments is the HPE AK242A StorageWorks 8/20Q designed for?

The HPE AK242A StorageWorks 8/20Q is defined as a Fibre Channel SAN switch at the enterprise product level. This makes it suitable for storage area network environments in organizations that use Fibre Channel to connect servers and shared storage, especially in data centers and other enterprise infrastructures.

Details

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Product Type	Fibre Channel switch

Enclosure Type	Rack-mountable

Enclosure Height	1U

Power Device Type	External power supply (as specified for HP 8/20q Fibre Channel Switch)

Fibre Channel Speed	8 Gb/s

Full Duplex Support	Yes

Auto Sensing Capability	Per device auto-sensing of link speed

Networking Ports & Interfaces

Port Type	Fibre Channel
Port Speed	1, 2, 4, 8 Gb/s (auto-negotiation)
Total Ports	20 ports
Active Ports	16 active ports
Data Link Protocol	8Gb Fibre Channel
Fibre Channel Ports	20 x 8Gb Fibre Channel
Port Operation Mode	Full duplex
Management Interface	Out-of-band Ethernet management port
Remote Management Protocols	SNMP, SSH
Trivial File Transfer Protocol Support	TFTP supported for management