Computer module housing

• US 20030030989A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Riddiford, Martin Philip, Tosh, Andrew P., Wilson, Helenaur, Kitchen, James Robert, Ritson, Nigel Dean, Matthews, Simon James
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1425 of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19"-subrack
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence

Abstract

A rack mountable shelf supports a plurality of field replaceable units (FRUs) in the form of server cartridges, or blades. The blades are provided with an enclosure that includes a metal portion and a plastics portion. The provision of a blade enclosure for the blade can protect the components of the blade from physical damage and can also isolate them from electrical, static and other effects that could be potentially damaging to the blade components. The use of metal can provide strength and electromagnetic interference shielding with a very thin layer. The use of plastics can provide lightness, flexibilty in design, and the avoidance of metal to metal contact to facilitate insertion and removal of the blades.

Claims

1. A blade configured to be receivable as a field replaceable unit in a carrier of a blade server system, the blade comprising a blade enclosure having a first metal portion and a second plastics portion.

2. The blade of claim 1 wherein the metal portion forms at least a first face of the enclosure and the plastics portion forms at least a second face of the enclosure opposite to the first face.

3. The blade of claim 1 wherein the housing has six faces, the metal portion forming at least a first face of the enclosure and at least part of at least one of four adjacent faces, and the plastics portion forms at least a second face of the enclosure opposite to the first face and at least part of at least one of the four adjacent faces.

4. The blade of claim 1, wherein the blade enclosure has a two opposing side faces, two end faces, an upper face and a lower face, wherein:

the side faces and the upper and lower faces have substantially the same length, and the side faces are narrower than the upper and lower faces;

the end faces have a length substantially equivalent to the width of the side faces and a width substantially the same as the width of the upper and lower faces;

the metal portion forms at least a first side wall and at least part of at least one of the upper and lower faces and the end faces; and

the plastics portion forms at least the second side wall and at least part of at least one of the upper and lower faces and the end faces.

5. The blade of claim 4 wherein the plastics portion further includes a bezel forming at least one end face of the enclosure.

6. The blade of claim 5, wherein the bezel carries blade status indicators.

7. The blade of claim 5, wherein the bezel includes a pivotal mounting for an ejector lever mechanism for the blade.

8. The blade of claim 7, wherein the bezel includes a detent retaining a latch of the lever mechanism.

9. The blade of claim 4 wherein each of the end faces comprises ventilation apertures for the passage of cooling air.

10. The blade of claim 4 wherein one of the end faces carries connections for connecting the blade with the carrier.

11. The blade of claim 4, wherein the plastics portion includes an aperture in the side wall to accommodate components of the blade, the aperture being closed by a metal layer.

12. The blade of claim 1, wherein the plastics portion is provided with at least a conductive layer.

13. The blade of claim 12, wherein the plastics portion has a thin inner metallic layer.

14. The blade of claim 13, wherein the thin inner metallic layer is heat bonded to the plastics layer.

15. The blade of claim 12 wherein the plastics portion includes apertures to permit electromagnetic interference fingers to contact the thin metal layer through the plastics portion.

16. The blade of claim 1, comprising at least one processor with the blade enclosure.

17. The blade of claim 1, comprising random access memory within the blade enclosure.

18. The blade of claim 1, comprising a service controller within the blade enclosure providing system management functions.

19. The blade of claim 1, comprising a storage device within the blade enclosure.

20. The blade of claim 1, comprising connections accessible externally to the blade enclosure.

21. The blade of claim 20, wherein the connections include at least one information signal connection.

22. The blade of claim 20, wherein the connections include at least one system management signal connection.

23. The blade of claim 20, wherein the connections include at least one power connection.

24. The blade of claim 20, wherein the blade enclosure is slideably mountable in the carrier with the connectors being located on face of the blade enclosure that is inserted first into the carrier.

25. The blade of claim 1, wherein the metal portion comprises a stamped steel sheet.

26. The blade of claim 1, wherein the plastics portion comprises a plastics moulding.

27. The blade of claim 26, wherein the plastics comprises PC-ABS.

28. The blade of claim 4, wherein the plastics portion forms at least part of the upper and lower surface of the enclosure.

29. The blade of claim 28 wherein the blade is slideably insertable into the carrier and the upper and lower surfaces are provided with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a blade receiving location in the carrier.

30. The blade of claim 29, wherein the guide formations of the plastics portion comprise at least one groove.

31. The blade of claim 30, wherein a groove in one of the upper and lower faces is wider than a groove in the other of the upper and lower faces.

32. The blade of claim 30, wherein at least one groove has a wider entry portion to facilitate alignment of the blade.

33. The blade of claim 1, wherein the blade is a server blade including a processor enclosed within the enclosure.

34. A carrier for a blade server system comprising a carrier enclosure that includes at least one blade receiving location configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving location being formed with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a received blade.

35. The carrier of claim 34, wherein at least one blade receiving location guide formation is formed by a folded portion of a wall of the carrier.

36. The carrier of claim 35, wherein at least one blade receiving location guide formation comprises at least one rail that includes first and second stamped upstands from material forming a base of the carrier.

37. The carrier of claim 36, where the material is sheet metal.

38. The carrier of claim 34, wherein at least one blade receiving location guide formation comprises a sprung wire loop that projects from a wall of the carrier.

39. The carrier of claim 34, wherein the wall of the carrier is an upper wall of a blade receiving location.

40. The carrier of claim 34, where the carrier forms a rack-mountable shelf.

41. A rack mountable shelf comprising a carrier enclosure that includes at least one blade receiving location configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving location being formed with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a received blade.

42. The rack mountable shelf of claim 41, wherein each of the blades is slideably mounted in a respective receiving location in the front of the shelf.

43. The rack mountable shelf of claim 42, wherein the blades are received in respective server cartridge receiving locations arrayed side by side along the front of the shelf.

44. The rack mountable shelf of claim 43, wherein the blades are configured as thin server blades to provide a high server density.

45. A computer server system comprising at least one rack mountable shelf, the rack mountable shelf comprising a carrier enclosure that includes at least one blade receiving location configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving location being formed with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a received blade.

46. A rack mounted computer server system comprising a rack frame and, mounted in the rack frame, at least one rack mountable shelf, the rack mountable shelf comprising a carrier enclosure that includes at least one blade receiving location configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving location being formed with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a received blade.

47. A high density computer server system comprising at least one rack frame with, mounted in each rack frame, at least one rack mountable shelf, the rack mountable shelf comprising a carrier enclosure that includes at least one blade receiving location configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving location being formed with guide formations for engaging with corresponding guide formations of a received blade.

48. A method of providing high density computer services, the method comprising:

providing a rack mountable shelf providing a plurality of receiving locations, each for receiving a plurality of field replaceable units in the form of enclosed blades;

providing guide cooperating guide formations on the blades and in the receiving locations, wherein at least one of the guide formations on the blades and in the receiving locations comprises a plastics bearing surface.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the plastics bearing surface comprises a groove in a plastics portion of a housing of a blade.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the server cartridges are mounted in respective server cartridge receiving locations arrayed side by side along the front of the shelf.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the server cartridges are configured as thin server blades to provide a high server density.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the blade enclosure provides shielding and protection for components of the blade.

53. A blade configured to be receivable as a field replaceable unit in a carrier of a blade server system, the blade comprising blade enclosure means having a first metal portion and a second plastics portion.

54. A carrier for a blade server system comprising carrier enclosure means having at least one blade receiving means configured removably to receive a field replaceable and enclosed blade, the blade receiving means being formed with guide means for engaging with corresponding guide means of a received blade.