Apparatus for providing a CPU cluster via a disk I/O bus using a CPU brick which fits into a disk cavity

• US 20020112110A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Crowell, Jonathan Clark, Maruska, David William
• Granted Patent: US 6,948,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A general purpose computer apparatus including a central processing unit, a main memory and a system bus. The general purpose computer apparatus further includes means for interfacing the central processing unit to the system bus and means for interfacing the central processing unit to an I/O bus. A housing encloses the central processing unit, the main memory and the means for interfacing, with the housing having a mechanical form factor corresponding to a disk drive housing.

Claims

1. A general purpose computer apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit;

a main memory;

a system bus;

means for interfacing said central processing unit to said system bus;

means for interfacing said central processing unit to an I/O bus; and

a housing enclosing said central processing unit, said main memory and said means for interfacing, said housing having a mechanical form factor corresponding to a disk drive housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing further includes:

a control panel disposed over a portion of said housing, said control panel having at least one switch with said switch being used to reboot said central processing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for interfacing supports a bus protocol that allows communications from one CPU to a second CPU.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bus protocol is a system bus protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bus protocol is an I/O bus protocol.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said bus protocol is a Digital Storage System Interconnect protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said bus protocol is a Small Computer System Interconnect protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said bus protocol conforms to an Ethernet protocol standard.

9. A computer system comprising:

a cabinet having at least one slot for receiving a disk drive;

a first general purpose computer apparatus disposed in said cabinet, said first general purpose computer apparatus including;

a first central processing unit;

a system bus;

an I/O interface module coupled to said system bus for interfacing said system bus to an I/O bus; and

a second general purpose computer apparatus including;

a second central processing unit;

a main memory;

means for interfacing said second general purpose computer apparatus to said first general purpose computer apparatus; and

a housing enclosing said second general purpose computer apparatus, said housing having a mechanical form factor corresponding to said slot for receiving a disk drive, with said housing disposed in said slot.

10. A computer system as in claim 9 wherein said means for interfacing provides for communication between said first general purpose computer apparatus and said second general purpose computer apparatus.

11. A computer system as in claim 9 wherein said means for interfacing provides for communication between said first central processing unit and said second central processing unit.

12. A computer system as in claim 9, said means for interfacing comprising means for interfacing said second central processing unit to said I/O interface module of said first general purpose computer apparatus.

13. A computer system as in claim 9, said second general purpose computer apparatus further including:

a control panel disposed over a portion of said housing, said control panel having at least one switch.

14. A computer system as in claim 13, wherein said switch is used to reboot said second central processing unit and said first general purpose computer apparatus further including a second switch, said second switch being used to reboot said first central processing unit.

15. A computer system as in claim 9 further including:

a power supply disposed in said cabinet wherein said power supply provides power to said first general purpose computer apparatus and said second general purpose computer apparatus.

16. A computer system comprising:

a cabinet for housing said computer system, said cabinet having a panel with at least two openings in said panel of said cabinet;

a power supply disposed within said cabinet;

a first general purpose computer disposed within said cabinet further comprising;

a first central processing unit module including a central processing unit;

a main memory;

an I/O adapter interface;

a system bus coupling said first central processing unit module to said main memory and said I/O adapter interface;

a disk drive disposed in a first one of said openings in said panel of said cabinet;

a second general purpose central processing unit module disposed in a second one of said openings in said panel of said cabinet and coupled to said cabinet by said corresponding receiving means; and

a control panel having at least one switch which is used to reboot said second central processing unit module;

wherein said first central processing unit module and said second central processing unit module receive power from said power supply.