IBM - 44W4487 - Ethernet Expansion Card (CIOv) for IBM BladeCenter

Product Overview

The IBM 44W4487 is a CIOv (Common I/O Virtualization) Ethernet Expansion Card designed for IBM BladeCenter environments, providing an integrated network interface option for blade servers where mezzanine/CIOv connectivity is required. It is a practical choice for maintaining consistent Ethernet connectivity in BladeCenter chassis deployments and for extending the lifecycle of installed blade infrastructure.

In BladeCenter networks, this type of expansion card is typically used to connect blades to chassis I/O fabrics and upstream switching, supporting segmented traffic designs and predictable performance for virtualized and multi-tenant workloads. For related platform components and sourcing, see our IBM inventory, and complement your chassis networking with SWITCH and NETWORK MODULE options as needed.

Key Features

Below are the key technical characteristics and deployment-relevant features for the IBM 44W4487 CIOv Ethernet Expansion Card in BladeCenter installations.

• CIOv Ethernet expansion card design to provide blade-integrated network connectivity without using a standard PCIe adapter form factor.
• Compatibility with IBM BladeCenter blade server environments to support chassis-based networking and I/O fabric connectivity.
• Designed for use with IBM BladeCenter I/O architecture to help maintain consistent network interfaces across blade pools.
• Ethernet interface expansion capability to support additional network paths for virtualization hosts and clustered workloads.
• Support for VLAN-based segmentation (typical for enterprise Ethernet adapters) to separate management, storage, and VM/application traffic.
• QoS-aware traffic handling (typical for enterprise Ethernet adapters) to prioritise latency-sensitive services such as voice, VDI, or critical applications.
• Enterprise security and access-control features (adapter and switch dependent) to help enforce network policies in shared BladeCenter infrastructures.
• BladeCenter-focused deployment to simplify in-chassis cabling and reduce per-server external connections compared to discrete adapters.

Refurbished Quality and Warranty

This unit is refurbished hardware, cleaned and tested by technicians before entering stock to help reduce the risk of hardware defects. Refurbished components are a practical way to extend the lifecycle of existing BladeCenter environments, reduce electronic waste, and control budgets compared to buying new.

All products from Direct Hardware Supply include a one-year warranty from the date of purchase (batteries, tape drives and tape libraries include a three-month warranty). Extended warranty options are available on request. For additional expansion options in compatible platforms, consider related PCI CARD components for broader I/O upgrades.