What port configurations are available on the HPE SN6500B?

The switch supports configurable 48, 72, or 96 Fibre Channel ports with autosensing 4, 8, 10, or 16 Gbps speeds. Ports on Demand (PoD) enables scaling from 48 to 96 ports in 24-port increments without downtime.

What is the maximum bandwidth of the SN6500B?

It delivers 2 Tbps total system bandwidth, with aggregate device bandwidth of 384-768 Gbit/sec for 48 ports and 768-1536 Gbit/sec for 96 ports. ISL Trunking supports up to 128 Gbps per trunk using eight 16 Gbps ports.

Does it support high availability features?

Yes, includes redundant hot-pluggable power supplies and fans, non-stop operations, non-disruptive software upgrades, and multi-tenancy support for reliable enterprise SAN environments.

What management software is included?

Power Pack+ bundle provides Fabric Vision, Fabric Watch, Advanced Performance Monitor, ISL Trunking, Extended Fabric, and Adaptive Networking with QoS and Traffic Isolation Zones via web-based interface.

What security features does it offer?

Features in-flight encryption for switch-to-switch links and 2:1 compression for efficient bandwidth use. Supports secure operations in virtualized and private cloud storage setups.

Is it suitable for virtualized data centers?

Yes, designed for highly virtualized environments with support for multi-tenancy, high port density up to 96 ports in 2U, and non-disruptive scaling for private cloud and SAN consolidation.

SN6500B - HPE SN6500B 16Gb 96-Port Fibre Channel SAN Switch

Name: HPE SN6500B 16Gb 96-Port Fibre Channel SAN Switch
Brand: HPE
SKU: SN6500B
Price: 3645 USD
Availability: InStock

SN6500B - HPE SN6500B 16Gb 96-Port Fibre Channel SAN Switch | US IT Hardware

Product overview

The HPE StoreFabric SN6500B 16Gb Fibre Channel Switch (SKU: SN6500B) is an enterprise-class SAN switch configurable with 48, 72, or 96 autosensing ports supporting 4, 8, 10, or 16 Gbps speeds in a compact 2U rack-mount enclosure. It provides up to 2 Tbps total system bandwidth and aggregate throughput of 384-1536 Gbit/sec depending on port count, with Ports on Demand scalability in 24-port increments. Key features include Fabric Vision management software, Adaptive Networking with QoS, Traffic Isolation Zones, in-flight encryption and compression, and non-disruptive upgrades via redundant hot-pluggable components. Designed for medium to large organizations, it supports highly virtualized environments, private cloud storage, and data center consolidation with multi-tenancy and high availability. The multi-chip switching fabric ensures minimal latency via cut-through routing, making it suitable for demanding enterprise SAN deployments requiring reliability and performance.

96-port 16Gb FC in 2U with PoD scalability
2 Tbps bandwidth, 16 Gbps autosensing ports
Fabric Vision, QoS, non-disruptive upgrades
Redundant hot-pluggable power/fans
In-flight encryption & 2:1 compression
Multi-tenancy for virtualized SANs

Expedited and overnight shipping options are available at checkout, priced by destination and service.
Purchase orders accepted from qualified institutions.
Refunds within 14 days and replacements within 30 days of delivery with an RMA (25% restocking fee on customer-initiated returns), and every part carries our Standard 30-Day Warranty - see our return policy or contact US IT Hardware.

Featuring

High Availability
Manufacturer part #	SN6500B
Brand	HPE
Condition	Refurbished
Model	SN6500B
Latency	Cut-through switching with minimal latency
Technology	16 Gbps Fibre Channel; supports 4, 8, 10, or 16 Gbps autosensing
Product Line	HPE StoreFabric B-series
Product Type	Fibre Channel SAN Switch
Target Market	Medium to large-sized organizations; enterprise SAN consolidation
Switching Fabric	Multi-chip architecture for enterprise-scale SAN requirements

Compatible systems

SN6500B integrates with HPE ProLiant B-series servers and enterprise SAN environments; OS compatibility documented in HPE SAN Design Guide

Hewlett Packard Enterprise ProLiant
Model: B-series servers with 16Gb HBA
Form factor: Rack mount
Generation: Multiple generations supported
Requires B-series HBA installed in server for Server Application Optimization (SAO)

Best for

Enterprise SAN Consolidation
Simplifies deployment with 48-96 configurable ports and 2 Tbps bandwidth, enabling scalable connectivity for medium to large organizations.
Data Center Expansion
Ports on Demand allows non-disruptive scaling from 48 to 96 ports in 24-port increments within a dense 2U chassis.
Highly Virtualized Environments
Supports multi-tenancy, non-stop operations, and virtualization with Fabric Vision and Adaptive Networking features.
Private Cloud Storage
Delivers high availability via redundant components and security with in-flight encryption and compression.

Frequently asked questions

Details

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Security Features	In-flight encryption (switch-to-switch); in-flight compression (2:1 typical); data compression at source, decompression at destination

Traffic Management	TIZ (Traffic Isolation Zones) for manual traffic flow mapping by application, priority, topology

Adaptive Networking	Quality of Service (QoS); Server Application Optimization (SAO); included by default

Management Software	Fabric Vision; Fabric Watch; Advanced Performance Monitor; ISL Trunking; Extended Fabric

Management Interface	Point-and-click user interface; web-based management

Supported Environments	Enterprise SAN; data center consolidation; highly virtualized environments

Virtualization Support	Supports highly virtualized environments and private cloud storage

Fibre Channel Performance	16 Gbps primary; backward compatible with 4, 8, 10 Gbps

Non-Disruptive Operations	Non-stop operations; non-disruptive software upgrades; redundant hot-pluggable components

Power Pack+ Software Bundle	Fabric Vision; Fabric Watch; ISL Trunking; Extended Fabric; Advanced Performance Monitoring; included with Power Pack+ models or optional

Aggregate Bandwidth	384-768 Gbit/sec (48-port); 768-1536 Gbit/sec (96-port)
Total System Bandwidth	2 Tbps

Physical Characteristics

Rack Units	2U
Form Factor	2U rack-mount enclosure
Chassis Design	Ultra-dense, optimized 2U package; port side air intake variant available
LED Indicators	One green/amber LED per fan; two Ethernet LEDs (integrated with RJ45) for speed and activity status
Switch Identification	SEEPROM for switch identification

Monitoring	Voltage and temperature monitoring; RTC with battery; fan monitoring including flow direction

Interface/Ports

Port Density	Up to 96 ports in 2U form factor
Fibre Channel Ports	Configurable 48, 72, or 96 ports; autosensing 4, 8, 10, or 16 Gbps
Ports on Demand (PoD)	Scalable from 48 to 96 ports in 24-port increments

HPE SN6500B 16Gb 96-Port Fibre Channel SAN Switch