Configuring a modular storage system
First Claim
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1. An enclosure for use in a modular storage system, the enclosure comprising:
- a plurality of drive bays for disk drives;
a controller canister including first processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, and first hardware to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays;
an expansion canister including second processing components and second hardware required to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the second processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of the first processing components in the controller canister, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume than the expansion canister, wherein the controller canister and the expansion canister each have an upper end and a lower end with respect to a vertical orientation in which the controller canister and the expansion canister are stacked, wherein a printed circuit board of the controller canister is positioned at the upper end of the controller canister and a printed circuit board of the expansion canister is positioned at a lower end of the expansion canister;
a midplane connecting the drive bays to the controller and expansion canisters, wherein the controller and expansion canisters are connected to the midplane, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume of the enclosure than the expansion canister; and
at least one power supply supplying power to the controller canister and the expansion canister.
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Abstract
Provided is an enclosure for use in a modular storage system, the enclosure comprising a plurality of drive bays, a controller canister, an expansion canister, and a midplane connecting the drive bays to the canisters, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume of the enclosure than the expansion canister.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An enclosure for use in a modular storage system, the enclosure comprising:
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a plurality of drive bays for disk drives; a controller canister including first processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, and first hardware to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays; an expansion canister including second processing components and second hardware required to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the second processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of the first processing components in the controller canister, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume than the expansion canister, wherein the controller canister and the expansion canister each have an upper end and a lower end with respect to a vertical orientation in which the controller canister and the expansion canister are stacked, wherein a printed circuit board of the controller canister is positioned at the upper end of the controller canister and a printed circuit board of the expansion canister is positioned at a lower end of the expansion canister; a midplane connecting the drive bays to the controller and expansion canisters, wherein the controller and expansion canisters are connected to the midplane, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume of the enclosure than the expansion canister; and at least one power supply supplying power to the controller canister and the expansion canister. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A modular storage system comprising:
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a plurality of drive bays for disk drives; a first enclosure including; a first controller canister including first controller canister processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, and first controller canister hardware to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays and coupled to the drive bays; a first expansion canister including first expansion canister processing components, and first expansion canister hardware required to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the first expansion canister processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of the first controller canister processing components in the first controller canister, wherein the first controller canister occupies a greater volume of the first enclosure than the first expansion canister, wherein the first controller canister and the first expansion canister each have an upper end and a lower end with respect to a vertical orientation in which the first controller canister and the first expansion canister are stacked, wherein a printed circuit board of the first controller canister is positioned at the upper end of the first controller canister and a printed circuit board of the first expansion canister is positioned at a lower end of the first expansion canister; and at least one first power supply supplying power to the first controller canister and the first expansion canister; and a second enclosure including; a second controller canister including second controller canister processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, and second controller canister hardware to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays; and a second expansion canister including second expansion canister processing components and second expansion canister hardware required to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the second expansion canister processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of instances of the second controller canister processing components in the second controller canister, wherein the second controller canister occupies a greater volume of the second enclosure than the second expansion canister; and at least one second power supply supplying power to the second controller canister and the second expansion canister. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for configuring a modular storage system comprising:
inserting two enclosures into the modular storage system, each enclosure comprising a plurality of drive bays, a controller canister, an expansion canister, and a midplane connecting the drive bays to the controller and expansion canisters, wherein the controller canister includes controller canister processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, and controller canister hardware to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, and wherein the expansion canister includes expansion canister processing components and expansion canister hardware required to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the expansion canister processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of the controller canister processing components in the controller canister, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume of the enclosure than the expansion canister, wherein the controller canister and the expansion canister each have an upper end and a lower end with respect to a vertical orientation in which the controller canister and the expansion canister are stacked, wherein a printed circuit board of the controller canister is positioned at the upper end of the controller canister and a printed circuit board of the expansion canister is positioned at a lower end of the expansion canister, and wherein each of the two enclosures include at least one power supply to supply power to the controller and expansion canisters. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An enclosure for use in a modular storage system, the enclosure comprising:
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a plurality of drive bays for disk drives; a controller canister including first processing components comprising a processor, memory for use by the processor, first hardware to communicate with disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, and lanes connected to a switch to connect to a host interface to communicate with a connected host; an expansion canister including second processing components and second hardware required to communicate with the disk drives when positioned in the drive bays, wherein the second processing components comprise instances of a subset of fewer of the first processing components in the controller canister, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume than the expansion canister, and wherein the expansion canister does not include a host interface; a midplane connecting the drive bays to the controller and expansion canisters, wherein the controller and expansion canisters are connected to the midplane, wherein the controller canister occupies a greater volume of the enclosure than the expansion canister; and at least one power supply supplying power to the controller canister and the expansion canister.
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Specification