Interface standard support in modular computer systems

• US 20030033459A1
• 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: Garnett, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,013,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/100
• 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

An information processing module in the form of a blade server can communicate information signals with other modules of a modular computer system such as a high density server system under a selectable information protocol (for example Ethernet or Infrniband). The information processing module can include one or more information connections for communicating information signals. One ore more serializer/deserializers can be connected between the module processor(s) and the information connection(s). A selectable information protocol interface can be interconnected between the processors and the serializer/deserializer. A plurality of different information protocols can be used and be selectively connectable between the module processor(s) and the serializer/deserializer(s) using one or more multiplexer/demultiplexers.

Claims

1. An information processing module for a modular computer system, the information processing module comprising at least one processor operable to perform information processing, at least one module information connection for communicating information signals, at least one serializer/deserializer connected between said at least one processor and said at least one module information connection, and at least one information protocol interface connected between said at least one processor and said at least one serializer/deserializer.

2. The information processing module of claim 1, comprising a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols.

3. The information processing module of claim 2, wherein each protocol interface is connected to said at least one module information connection via a respective serializer/deserializer.

4. The information processing module of claim 3, comprising switching logic selectively connecting said serializer/deserializers to said at least one module information connection, whereby an information protocol interface for a selected information protocol is selectively connectable to at least one said module information connection via a respective serializer/deserializer and said switching logic.

5. The information processing module of claim 2, comprising switching logic selectively connecting a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols to a common serializer/deserializer, whereby an information protocol interface for a selected information protocol is selectively connectable at least one said module information connection via said switching logic and said common serializer/deserializer.

6. The information processing array of claim 2, comprising a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols implemented in one or more field programmable gate arrays.

7. The information processing module of claim 1, wherein at least one said information protocol interface is an Ethernet interface.

8. The information processing module of claim 1, wherein at least one said information protocol interface is an Infiniband interface.

9. The information processing module of claim 1, comprising a plurality of module information connections.

10. The information processing module of claim 1, comprising two module information connections, each operable to carry a selectable one of a plurality of information protocols.

11. The information processing module of claim 1, operable to determine whether it provides an information protocol interface compatible with the modular computer system, the information processing module operating with a compatible information protocol interface and terminating operation if there is no compatible information protocol interface.

12. The information processing module of claim 1, further comprising an internal storage device.

13. The information processing module of claim 1, comprising an enclosure.

14. The information processing module of claim 1, configured as a field replaceable server blade.

15. A modular computer system comprising a carrier comprising at least one module receiving location configured to receive an information processing module, the module receiving location comprising at least one carrier information connection operable to interconnect with a corresponding module information connection of a received information processing module, the carrier comprising:

at least one switch connectable to at least one carrier information connection of at least one module receiving location and operable to connect the information processing module to an external information network in accordance with a predetermined information protocols; and

at least one service processor operable to interface with a service controller of an information protocol interface to determine whether the information processing module comprises an information protocol interface compatible with a information protocol employed by the carrier.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the carrier is configured to receive a plurality of information processing modules in respective module receiving locations.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein each switch is connectable to a carrier information connection at each module receiving location and is operable selectively to connect each received information processing module to an external information network.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein each information processing module comprises two module information connections, each module receiving location comprises two carrier information connections operable to interconnect with a respective module information connection of a received information processing module and the carrier includes two switches, each connectable to a respective carrier information connection of at least one module receiving location.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein each switch is connectable to a respective carrier information connection at each module receiving location.

20. The computer system of claim 18, comprising first and second switch modules removably mountable in the carrier, each switch module comprising a respective switch.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein each switch module further comprises a respective service processor to form a combined switch and service processor module.

22. The computer system of claim 15, comprising an interconnection member, the interconnection member carrying information connectors and interconnection pathways, said interconnection pathways being configured to support a plurality of information protocols.

23. The computer system of claim 15, wherein at least one information protocol is an Ethernet protocol.

24. The computer system of claim 15, wherein at least one information protocol is an lnfiniband protocol.

25. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the carrier is a rack mountable shelf.

26. The computer system of claim 15, comprising at least one information processing module, the information processing module comprising at least one processor operable to perform information processing, at least one module information connection for communicating information signals, at least one serializer/deserializer connected between said at least one processor and said at least one module information connection, and at least one information protocol interface connected between said at least one processor and said at least one serializer/deserializer.

27. The computer system of claim 26, configured as a high density server system, wherein said at least one information processing module is a server blade.

28. A server blade for a high density computer system, the server blade comprising at least one processor operable to perform information processing, at least one information connection for communicating information signals, at least one serializer/deserializer connected to each information connection, and at least one information protocol interface connected to said at least one processor and to said at least one serializer/deserializer.

29. The server blade of claim 28, comprising a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols.

30. The server blade of claim 29, wherein each protocol interface is connected to said at least one information connection via a respective serializer/deserializer.

31. The server blade of claim 30, comprising switching logic selectively connecting at least one serializer/deserializer to said at least one information connection, whereby an information protocol interface for a selected information protocol is selectively connectable to at least one said information connection via a serializer/deserializer and said switching logic.

32. The server blade of claim 29, comprising switching logic selectively connecting a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols to a common serializer/deserializer, whereby an information protocol interface for a selected information protocol is selectively connectable at least one said information connection via said switching logic and said common serializer/deserializer.

33. The server blade of claim 30, comprising a plurality of information protocol interfaces for different information protocols implemented in one or more field programmable gate arrays.

34. The server blade of claim 28, wherein at least one said information protocol interface is an Ethernet interface.

35. The server blade of claim 28, wherein at least one said information protocol interface is an Infiniband interface.

36. The server blade of claim 28, comprising a plurality of information connections.

37. The server blade of claim 28, comprising two information connections, each operable to carry a selectable one of a plurality of information protocols.

38. The server blade of claim 28, operable to determine whether it provides an information protocol interface compatible with the high density server system, the server blade operating with a compatible information protocol interface and terminating operation if there is no compatible information protocol interface.

39. The server blade of claim 28, further comprising an internal storage device.

40. The server blade of claim 28, comprising an enclosure.

41. The server blade of claim 28, configured as a field replaceable server blade.

42. A method of interconnecting an information processing module to other components of a modular computer system wherein the information processing module includes at least one processor operable to perform information processing, the method comprising:

selecting an appropriate information protocol interface; and

said at least one processor communicating information signals via said appropriate information protocol interface and a serializer/deserializer to an information connection.

43. The method of claim 42, comprising communicating information signals via a selectable one of a plurality of information protocol interfaces supporting different information protocols.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the information processing module is a server blade and the modular computer system is a high density server system.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said information signals are passed from said information connection via a connection plane to other modules of the modular computer system.

46. The method of claim 42, comprising determining whether the information processing module supports an information protocol interface compatible with the modular computer system, and terminating operation if there is no compatible information protocol interface.

47. The method of claim 42, comprising performing a compatibility check as to whether an information processing module supports an information protocol employed for information communication between the information processing modules and other components of the modular computer system and selecting a compatible one of a plurality of information protocol interfaces provided by the information processing module.

48. An information processing module for a modular computer system, the information processing module comprising processor means for performing information processing, information connection means for communicating information signals, serializer/deserializer means connected between the processor means and the information connection means, information protocol interface means connected between the processor means and the serializer/deserializer means.

49. The information processing module of claim 48, comprising a plurality of information protocol interface means supporting different information protocols.