Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter — Gen 6 16/32G Fibre Channel, Dual-Port

The Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter is a high-performance Gen 6 Fibre Channel (FC) HBA designed to tackle demanding data-center workloads. Built for modern storage infrastructures that employ high-speed solid-state drives and traditional hard disks, this dual-port adapter delivers the reliability, low latency, and robust manageability required for enterprise SAN environments. Whether you’re deploying a large-scale virtualization cluster, a tiered storage solution, or a mission-critical database, the LPe31002 is engineered to maximize throughput, optimize I/O scalability, and help you achieve predictable, consistent storage performance across your fleet of servers.

• High-throughput Gen 6 Fibre Channel with dual 16/32 Gbps lanes delivers the bandwidth needed for contemporary storage fabrics, enabling fast data access, efficient backup windows, and rapid long-distance replication. This performance profile is ideal for mixed workloads that blend NVMe-over-FC, traditional SATA/SAS arrays, and high-IOPS SSD pools.
• Dual-port architecture for redundancy and path optimization—two independent FC channels provide fault tolerance and load balancing across fabric paths, helping you maintain continuous operation even in the event of a link or switch failure, while enabling multipath I/O (MPIO) strategies for maximized throughput and lower wait times.
• Gen 6 efficiency with robust reliability features—engineered for data integrity and stability, the LPe31002 leverages hardware-assisted error detection, error correction, and proactive fault isolation to protect critical workloads, minimize retransmissions, and sustain steady performance under heavy I/O storms.
• Broad operating system and virtualization compatibility—the adapter is designed to work across major server OS families and hypervisors, with vendor-supplied drivers and management utilities that simplify deployment, firmware updates, and ongoing maintenance in diverse environments from on-premises data centers to hybrid clouds.
• Storage-optimized architecture for tight data-center SLAs—optimized for both solid-state and traditional spinning disks, the LPe31002 supports large I/O queues, predictable latency, and efficient CPU utilization, helping you maintain service levels for latency-sensitive applications while sustaining high aggregate throughput for bulk data transfers.

Technical Details of Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter

• Model: Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter
• Fibre Channel speeds: Gen 6 with 16/32 Gbps capability per port
• Ports: 2 x Fibre Channel ports (dual-port design)
• Host interface: PCIe expansion interface (x8) for high-bandwidth connectivity to the server motherboard
• Form factor: Low-profile, half-height PCIe card suitable for dense server chassis
• Compatibility: Supports standard FC cabling and SFP+ transceivers (customer-supplied) as part of the SAN fabric
• Virtualization and management: NPIV, multi-path I/O support, and vendor management utilities for firmware updates and health monitoring
• Operating environment: Designed for enterprise data centers; tested for reliability across typical server deployments

How to install Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter

• Power down the server, unplug power cables, and disconnect any attached peripherals.
• Open the chassis and locate an available PCIe slot that matches the card’s form factor (half-height PCIe slot recommended).
• Gently insert the LPe31002 into the PCIe slot until it is firmly seated, then secure the card to the chassis with the mounting screw.
• Connect Fibre Channel cables from the HBA to your SAN switch or fabric, ensuring proper port alignment for each link.
• Power on the server and install the appropriate drivers and firmware using the Broadcom utilities or your operating system’s driver package. Verify driver version compatibility with your OS and kernel.
• Enter the storage or SAN management console to configure multipath settings, NPIV if required, and any fabric zoning or ALUA policies relevant to your environment.
• Run a basic I/O test against a connected LUN to validate connectivity, performance, and reliability. Monitor event logs and perform any recommended firmware upgrades to ensure optimal stability.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the Broadcom LPe31002 FC Host Bus Adapter? It is a dual-port Gen 6 Fibre Channel HBA designed for servers to connect to Fibre Channel SANs, delivering high-speed 16/32 Gbps connectivity with reliability and management features suitable for data centers and enterprise workloads.
• What environments is it suitable for? It is suited for data centers requiring high-throughput storage networking, including virtualization hosts, database servers, backup archives, and mixed SSD/HDD storage arrays, with broad OS and hypervisor compatibility.
• Does it support NPIV and multipath I/O? Yes, the LPe31002 supports NPIV (N_Port ID Virtualization) and multipath I/O to improve storage scalability and fault-tolerant access to LUNs across multiple fabric paths.
• What kind of cables and transceivers are needed? The adapter uses standard Fibre Channel cabling with SFP+ transceivers (customer-supplied) appropriate for your fabric speed and distance. Confirm your switch fabric requirements and transceiver compatibility before purchase.
• How do I manage firmware and drivers? Broadcom provides vendor utilities and drivers that can be installed within your operating system or managed via enterprise management tools. Regular firmware updates help maintain performance and reliability.
• Is this adapter suitable for NVMe over Fibre Channel (NVMe-oFC) deployments? Gen 6 FC HBAs, including the LPe31002, are commonly used in NVMe-oFC configurations when paired with compatible storage and Linux/Windows drivers that support NVMe namespaces over FC, enabling high-performance NVMe access over Fibre Channel fabrics.