IBM EN2A PCIe3 16 Gb 2-port Fibre Channel adapter CCIN 579D 02JD564/02JD560

IBM EN2A PCIe3 16 Gb 2-Port Fibre Channel Adapter

The IBM EN2A (CCIN 579D; Part Numbers: 02JD564 / 02JD560) is a high-performance, generation 3 (Gen3) PCI Express (PCIe) x8 Host Bus Adapter (HBA). Designed primarily for enterprise-level data centers and storage area networks (SANs), it delivers dual ports of 16 Gbps Fibre Channel capability using Shortwave (SR) optics. It provides ultra-low latency and stable, scalable storage networking connectivity optimized for heavy enterprise workloads, server virtualization, and database management.

Form Factor Note: The EN2A feature code designates a short, regular-height (full-height) adapter bracket, while its low-profile sibling shares the same CCIN (579D) and base part numbers.

Key Features & Capabilities

• High Performance: Achieves up to 16 Gbps line-rate performance per port concurrently in full-duplex hardware mode.

• Auto-Negotiation: Backward compatible with legacy infrastructures, automatically negotiating link speeds down to 4 Gbps and 8 Gbps.

• Virtualization Ready: Features robust virtualization architecture supporting up to 255 Virtual Fabrics (VF), 1024 Message Signaled Interrupts Extended (MSI-X), and N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV) via Virtual I/O Server (VIOS).

• Data Integrity: Includes advanced end-to-end data path parity and Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) protection across all PCIe packets and local internal static RAM (SRAM).

• On-board Management: Handles firmware-driven link management, context management (supporting up to 8,192 FC port logins), and frame-level I/O multiplexing.

Technical Specifications