HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray

The HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray is a purpose-built cooling solution designed to support high-performance SN8700B director switches in enterprise data centers. Built for reliability and ease of maintenance, this hot-swappable fan tray ensures optimal airflow, reduces thermal throttling, and helps sustain peak performance in demanding storage network environments. Designed to integrate seamlessly with HPE’s SN8700B Director chassis, it delivers quiet, consistent cooling while minimizing downtime in mission-critical operations. Whether you are expanding capacity, refreshing a legacy system, or maintaining a rigorous data center uptime objective, the SN8700B Director Fan Tray is engineered to meet the needs of modern networks, delivering airflow precision, redundancy, and serviceability that administrators demand.

• Efficient, targeted cooling for high-throughput director switches — The SN8700B Director Fan Tray is designed to maintain optimal temperatures for the director module, preventing thermal hotspots during sustained throughput and large-scale I/O workloads. By delivering focused airflow where it matters most, it protects critical components, preserves performance, and extends hardware longevity. This means fewer performance throttles and more consistent data transfer rates during peak operational windows. Ideal for data centers running demanding virtualization, large-scale databases, and dense storage environments, the fan tray helps ensure your SN8700B system operates at its full potential under load.
• Hot-swappable, zero-downtime maintenance — This fan tray is built for hot-swapping, allowing you to replace failed fans without powering down the director chassis. With tool-free access and clearly labeled slots, technicians can perform routine maintenance quickly, reducing mean time to repair (MTTR) and maintaining service continuity. The ability to replace fans without interrupting critical traffic is crucial for environments that demand 24/7 operation, such as financial services, healthcare networks, and cloud service providers. In practice, this translates to fewer maintenance windows and improved overall network availability.
• Redundant design for high availability — The fan tray is engineered with redundancy in mind to support the SN8700B’s mission-critical role in fabric consolidation and data transport. Redundant fans help eliminate single points of failure, delivering steady cooling even if one fan module is removed or temporarily offline for service. This architecture aligns with enterprise reliability standards, helping to safeguard against unexpected downtime due to thermal issues and ensuring consistent performance during peak workloads, long maintenance cycles, or environmental fluctuations in data center rooms.
• Seamless compatibility with the SN8700B family — The Director Fan Tray is designed to integrate smoothly with the SN8700B Director Switch lineup, ensuring compatibility with the chassis, power rails, and management interfaces used in HPE’s data center ecosystems. This alignment simplifies procurement, reduces compatibility risk, and supports unified lifecycle management across yourDirector-based storage networks. Whether you’re refreshing an existing SN8700B installation or deploying multiple director frames, the fan tray helps standardize cooling across your environment, contributing to predictable acoustics, airflow, and maintenance practices.
• Easy installation, monitoring, and diagnostics — Beyond straightforward physical installation, the SN8700B Director Fan Tray includes features that facilitate monitoring and proactive maintenance. Indicators and simple diagnostics help administrators quickly confirm fan health, RPM stability, and airflow performance. This visibility supports proactive service planning, supports IT teams in meeting uptime targets, and reduces the likelihood of unexpected cooling faults. With robust build quality, low power consumption, and reliable bearings, the fan tray delivers durable operation over years of continuous use in demanding data center conditions.

Technical Details of HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray

• Part Number / SKU: See the SKU on your Synnex listing for exact part identification and regional variations.
• UPC: Refer to the Synnex product page; use the SKU to locate the exact UPC associated with your region.
• Compatibility: HPE SN8700B Director Switch modules and chassis within the SN8700B family framework; designed to support typical SN8700B cooling and airflow requirements.
• Form Factor: Director fan tray designed for hot-swappable installation within the SN8700B director chassis; optimized for 19-inch rack environments as part of the director ecosystem.
• Cooling Capability: Redundant, modular fans engineered to deliver consistent airflow and temperature control for the director module under sustained load.
• Electrical & Environmental: Specified in the Synnex listing; designed to meet data center standards and integration with HPE environmental guidelines for safe operation and reliability.

how to install HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray

Installing the HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray is a straightforward process designed to minimize downtime and maintain data center uptime. Before starting, follow your organization’s standard procedure for ESD protection, and ensure you have the appropriate screwdrivers or latch tools handy for hot-swappable operations.

1) Prepare the SN8700B director chassis: Confirm that the chassis is accessible and that the affected director module is powered within normal operating parameters. If the environment supports hot-swapping, you can proceed without powering down the entire system. If uncertain, consult your data center’s change-management policy.

2) Locate the failed or due-for-service fan slot: Identify the corresponding bay on the fan tray array that services the SN8700B director module. The bay is typically clearly labeled, with indicators that help confirm the exact slot requiring maintenance.

3) Remove the faulty fan tray: Release the latch or fasteners, and carefully slide the current fan tray out of the chassis. Hold the tray by its handles to avoid touching delicate components. If the tray includes a removable cover or guard, keep it for transport and replacement.

4) Install the new fan tray: Align the new SN8700B Director Fan Tray with the guide rails and slide it into the chassis until it seats firmly. Engage any latches and verify that the tray is locked in place and the airflow path is unobstructed.

5) Verify operation: Power-on indicators or LED status should confirm healthy operation. Access the management interface or the SN8700B’s health dashboards to confirm fan RPMs are within expected ranges and that there are no fault codes related to cooling. If a fault remains, consult the RAS ( Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) logs and perform a re-check or reseat the tray as needed.

6) Document and monitor: Record the maintenance event, update inventory records, and monitor system temperatures during the next 24–72 hours to ensure thermal equilibrium. Routine checks help prevent recurrence and support proactive maintenance cycles that keep your network performing at peak efficiency.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: Is the HPE SN8700B Director Fan Tray hot-swappable?
  A: Yes. The fan tray is designed for hot-swappable installation, enabling replacement without powering down the director chassis, minimizing downtime and enabling rapid service in critical environments.
• Q: What impact does a failed fan tray have on SN8700B performance?
  A: A failed or underperforming fan tray can lead to elevated temperatures in the director module, potentially causing thermal throttling or reduced throughput. Replacing the tray promptly helps maintain optimal performance and reliability.
• Q: Can I use multiple fan trays for redundancy?
  A: Yes. Redundant fan configurations are common in high-availability deployments, providing failover protection to sustain cooling even if one fan module is offline for service.
• Q: Is professional installation required?
  A: While hot-swapping is user-friendly, it is recommended to follow your internal maintenance policies and vendor guidelines. For complex deployments or if you are unsure, engage a certified technician.
• Q: Where can I find the exact part number and compatibility?
  A: Refer to your Synnex listing using the SKU/UPC for the precise part number, region-specific compatibility notes, and warranty details.
• Q: Does replacing the fan tray void my warranty?
  A: Replacing a fan tray as specified by HPE and using approved parts generally maintains warranty coverage, provided procedures align with official guidelines and replacements are performed correctly.