Server Part Numbers Explained: HPE, Dell, Cisco and Lenovo

Pull a drive out of an HPE server and you may find three different numbers on its label, none of which matches the number on the purchase order that brought it in. That is normal. Server vendors number the same hardware differently depending on whether it was sold as an upgrade, shipped as a service part or built into an assembly at the factory. Knowing which number is which is the difference between finding the right replacement in a minute and ordering something that does not fit.

This guide covers the numbering used by HPE, Dell, Cisco, Lenovo and Supermicro, what the common suffixes mean, and where to look up the number of a part that is already in your server.

Why one part has several numbers

Most enterprise vendors keep at least two catalogs, and a third number lives on the part itself:

• Option or sales numbers identify a part sold as an upgrade kit. They are the numbers on quotes, price lists and configuration guides such as HPE QuickSpecs.
• Spare or service numbers identify the same hardware as a replacement part in the vendor's service catalog.
• Assembly or manufacturing numbers identify the physical build, sometimes down to the revision, and change more often than the other two.

An option number and its spare number often describe identical hardware. The differences tend to be packaging and what comes in the box: an option kit may include a drive carrier, a cable or a bracket that the spare does not. When you match a replacement, any of the numbers can lead you to the right part, as long as you know which catalog it belongs to.

HPE and HP part numbers

Option kits: -B21

HPE server options use a six-character number followed by a suffix, such as 765453-B21, a 1TB 7.2K SATA 3.5-inch drive. The -B21 suffix marks the standard option kit. The same option can also carry a regional suffix such as -421 or -291 in place of -B21; the hardware is normally the same, while power cords, documentation or packaging can differ.

Spare parts: -001 and similar

HPE's service catalog gives the same hardware a separate spare number, again six characters plus a suffix, most often -001. Spare numbers are what HPE PartSurfer returns when you enter a server's serial or product number, and the descriptions of spares there usually begin with SPS-. A spare number does not share digits with its option number, so one cannot be worked out from the other: you look the pairing up.

What is printed on the part

HPE labels vary by component. Drives and many boards show an assembly number (often marked ASSY) and a spare number (often marked SPARE). Drives also carry a model string that encodes the capacity and drive type. Memory modules show HPE's numbers next to the DRAM maker's part number. Any of these can be searched, and the spare number is usually the most dependable match.

Networking, printers and localization codes

HP and HPE networking hardware, including the ProCurve, Aruba and former 3Com and H3C lines, uses product numbers such as JD117B or J9772A. An extra R appended to one of these numbers marks an HPE Renew unit, refurbished through HPE's own program. Printers, PCs and some accessories add a localization code after a hash: #ABA is the U.S. configuration, and codes such as #ABB or #ABU mark other regions, which mostly changes power cords, keyboard layouts and documentation. For transceivers, see our SFP and QSFP optics.

Dell part numbers

DP/N: the five-character part number

Dell identifies parts with a five-character alphanumeric part number, often written with a leading zero as six characters, so 0AB12C and AB12C (an illustrative number) are the same part. Labels mark it DP/N or P/N. Dell's own systems and resellers list it both ways, so search for both.

Reading a PPID label

Most Dell components carry a PPID (Piece Part Identification) label: a long string that starts with a two-letter country code, followed by the six-character part number, a supplier code, a date code, a serial sequence and a revision. In a PPID that reads CN-0AB12C-…-A00, the part number is 0AB12C and A00 is the revision. Revisions of the same part number are usually interchangeable; a later revision generally reflects a component or firmware change, not a different fit.

Ordering SKUs and the service tag

Dell also sells parts under ordering SKUs with a three-digit prefix, such as 400-series numbers for drives and 370-series numbers for memory. They appear on quotes and order records rather than on the part itself.

Every PowerEdge server has a seven-character service tag on a pull-out information tag or on the chassis. Entering it on Dell's support site shows the configuration the server shipped with, including part numbers for its original components. Parts added later will not appear there, so check the label on the installed part when a server has been upgraded.

Cisco product IDs

Cisco hardware is identified by a product ID (PID), such as WS-C2960X-48TS-L for a switch or GLC-SX-MMD for a transceiver. Two suffixes matter when you buy:

• A trailing equals sign (=) marks the spare version of a part, ordered on its own rather than as part of a system. GLC-SX-MMD= is the spare listing of GLC-SX-MMD. The hardware is the same; the = describes how it is ordered and packaged, not its condition.
• -RF marks equipment refurbished through Cisco's own refurbished program.

On a running Cisco device, show inventory lists the PID, version ID (VID) and serial number of the chassis and every module, power supply and transceiver it can identify. It is the quickest way to get exact numbers for switches, line cards and modules and optics.

Lenovo and IBM part numbers

Lenovo, which took over IBM's x86 server line, uses three kinds of number:

• Option part numbers for upgrade kits sold through the channel.
• FRU numbers (field replaceable unit) for service parts. They are printed on many components and listed in Lenovo's service documentation.
• Machine type and model: a four-character machine type plus a model code that identifies the server itself. Lenovo's parts lookup takes the machine type and serial number and returns the FRU list for that system.

As with HPE, an option and its FRU usually describe the same hardware. Older IBM System x parts follow the same option and FRU split, so IBM-labeled parts can be matched the same way.

Supermicro model numbers

Supermicro builds its numbers around the product model. A motherboard such as the X11DPi-N is sold as MBD-X11DPi-N-O or MBD-X11DPi-N-B: MBD- marks a bare motherboard, -O the retail box with accessories and -B bulk packaging. Chassis, power supplies and add-on cards follow the same idea with CSE-, PWS- and AOC- prefixes, so the core model string is what to search for in server motherboards and other categories.

How to find the number for the part you need

1. Read the label on the installed part. It is the only record that reflects upgrades made after the server shipped.
2. Look up the system. Use HPE PartSurfer with the serial or product number, the Dell service tag, Lenovo's parts lookup with machine type and serial, or show inventory on Cisco gear.
3. Note the generation. Drive carriers, power supplies and memory change between generations of the same model line, so record whether the server is, for example, a ProLiant Gen9 or Gen10, or a PowerEdge 13th or 14th generation system. Our parts by server model pages group parts by exact model.
4. Search with every number you have. CoreRex product pages are titled with the manufacturer part number, and they list related part numbers (the same base number with a regional, packaging or revision suffix) where we carry them. Try the option number, the spare number and the model string in turn.
5. Ask when the numbers disagree. If the label, the lookup and the listing do not line up, send us the part number and the server model and ask us to check the fit before you order.

For more on sourcing parts for HPE servers specifically, see our HP ProLiant server parts buying guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is an HPE -001 spare the same as the -B21 option?

Often the hardware is identical and only the packaging and the contents of the box differ, but the two numbers are not derived from each other. Confirm the pairing in HPE PartSurfer or with your supplier before treating them as interchangeable.

Does the Cisco = suffix mean a part is used?

No. The equals sign only means the part was ordered as a spare. Condition is a separate matter: new, refurbished and used units can all carry the same product ID.

Are Dell part numbers with and without a leading zero different parts?

No. A five-character Dell part number and the same number with a leading zero refer to the same part; the zero is how the number appears inside the PPID label.