United States
Q
What is the HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switch Series?
A
The HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switch Series is a family of fixed-configuration, data center access switches offering low latency, up to 1/10/40 GbE connectivity and HPE Comware 7 OS for scalable campus and enterprise networks.
Q
Which port densities and speeds are available on the HPE FlexFabric 5900?
A
Models support 24 or 48 fixed 1/10 GbE SFP+ ports, plus optional 4 × 40 GbE QSFP+ uplinks, delivering flexible line-rate performance for server and aggregation access.
Q
What stacking capabilities does the 5900 Series offer?
A
It uses HPE Intelligent Resilient Fabric (IRF) to stack up to eight switches into a single logical device with up to 1.28 Tbps of virtual backplane bandwidth.
Q
Which operating system runs on HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switches?
A
They run HPE Comware 7, a modular, carrier-grade network OS with advanced features such as VXLAN, EVPN, dynamic routing and comprehensive QoS.
Q
How do HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switches support virtualization?
A
They provide VXLAN and EVPN for multi-tenant overlay networks, plus hardware-assisted tunneling and policy enforcement for seamless VM mobility.
Q
What Layer 2 and Layer 3 features are supported?
A
Comprehensive L2/L3 feature set includes MSTP, RPVST+, Link Aggregation Control Protocol, OSPF, ISIS, BGP, VRRP, and rich multicast IGMP/MLD support.
Q
How is high availability achieved on the 5900 Series?
A
High availability is ensured via IRF stacking, redundant management modules, nonstop forwarding, graceful restart and fast convergence protocols.
Q
What management and monitoring tools are available?
A
You can manage via HPE Intelligent Management Center (IMC), Web GUI, CLI, SNMPv3, sFlow, NetFlow and telemetry for real-time visibility and automation.
Q
How is security enforced on these switches?
A
They offer 802.1X authentication, MACsec encryption, ACLs, DHCP snooping, IP source guard, dynamic ARP inspection and ACL-based threat detection.
Q
What power efficiency features do they include?
A
They feature intelligent fans, variable-speed power supplies, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) and deep-sleep modes to minimize operational costs.
Q
Can the 5900 Series integrate with HPE Synergy and Aruba solutions?
A
Yes, they interoperate seamlessly with HPE Synergy Compute Modules, Aruba wireless networks and HPE OneView orchestration for converged management.
Q
How scalable is the HPE FlexFabric 5900 for growing networks?
A
With IRF stacking up to eight units, 1.28 Tbps stack bandwidth and modular uplinks, you can expand ports and capacity on demand.
Q
What warranty and support options are offered?
A
HPE provides a limited lifetime warranty with next-business-day hardware replacement, plus optional HPE Foundation Care and Proactive Care services.
Q
How do I deploy QoS on the 5900 Series?
A
Configure hierarchical QoS policies, traffic shaping, policing and priority queuing via Comware 7 CLI or IMC to ensure SLA compliance and traffic prioritization.
Q
What are typical use cases for HPE FlexFabric 5900 Switches?
A
They excel as data center leaf/spine switches, top-of-rack aggregation, campus distribution and high-performance server access in enterprise and cloud environments.
Q
How do I upgrade firmware on HPE FlexFabric 5900?
A
Use the IMC GUI or CLI to upload Comware 7 firmware images via TFTP/FTP/HTTP, then perform an in-service PnP or rolling upgrade to minimize downtime.
