Computer Hardware
HBA
Definition
A host bus adapter (HBA) is a circuit board and/or integrated circuit adapter that provides a physical connection and input/output (I/O) processing between a host computer and a storage or network device.
Why It Matters
HBAs are specialized hardware used to connect servers to high-performance enterprise storage and networks. They offload the storage/network protocol processing from the CPU, which improves performance.
Contextual Example
A server connects to a Fibre Channel SAN using a Fibre Channel HBA. This card handles all the complexities of the Fibre Channel protocol.
Common Misunderstandings
- The term HBA is most commonly used in the context of Fibre Channel and SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) storage networks.
- A standard network card (NIC) is a type of HBA, but the term usually refers to more specialized storage adapters.