HP StorageWorks 81E 8Gb PCIe Fibre Channel Adapter

Overview

The HP AJ762A is a StorageWorks 81E 8Gb PCIe Fibre Channel adapter designed to provide reliable and high-speed storage connectivity for servers. It delivers up to 8Gbps bandwidth through a single channel, making it well suited for virtualized hosts, database clusters, and backup servers that require consistent performance during demanding workloads. This adapter installs easily into a standard PCIe slot and integrates seamlessly with HP StorageWorks SAN environments, minimizing setup complexity and ensuring compatibility with existing infrastructure.

Key features

• Delivers 8Gbps Fibre Channel bandwidth on a single port to support high-throughput storage access.
• PCIe host interface allows quick and straightforward installation in ProLiant and other compatible servers.
• Optimized for HP StorageWorks SAN environments, ensuring smooth integration and minimal configuration.
• Provides a low latency data path that maintains predictable performance for virtualization, database operations, and backup tasks.
• Backed by HP firmware and driver support, offering reliable and consistent operation within HP hardware ecosystems.

Key specs

• Bandwidth: 8Gbps Fibre Channel
• Interface: PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
• Port count: Single port
• Compatibility: HP StorageWorks SAN environments

Connectivity and compatibility

This adapter is designed to fit into standard PCIe slots found in HP ProLiant servers and other compatible systems. It communicates natively with HP StorageWorks arrays and fabric switches, allowing it to integrate smoothly into existing SAN setups without requiring extensive reconfiguration. This makes it an excellent choice for IT teams looking to expand storage capacity, add new hosts, or upgrade from older 4Gb Fibre Channel hardware while maintaining infrastructure consistency.

Performance and reliability

The low latency path provided by the Fibre Channel connection ensures that performance remains stable even when multiple virtual machines access storage simultaneously or when large sequential data transfers occur, such as during overnight backups. This reliability is critical for environments running VMware clusters, Oracle or SQL databases, and high-throughput tape backup servers that must complete tasks within strict maintenance windows. HP’s firmware and driver support further enhance the adapter’s dependable operation.

Ideal uses and environments

This adapter is a strong choice for data centers and enterprise environments that rely on HP StorageWorks SANs and require consistent, high-speed storage connectivity. It fits well in setups involving virtualization, database management, and backup operations where predictable performance and low latency are essential. IT administrators who prioritize vendor compatibility and streamlined management will find this adapter aligns well with their infrastructure goals.