APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS HAVING STORAGE DEVICES IN A SIDE ACCESSIBLE DRIVE SLED

• US 20130050955A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shinsato, Macen, El-Batal, Mohamad H., Stubbs, Robert E., Stuhlsatz, Jason M., Kloeppner, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,019,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

Apparatus and systems for improved access to storage devices from the sides of sleds mounted in storage enclosures. Embodiments provide apparatus and systems for a sled in a storage enclosure that provides access to storage devices on either side of the sled when the sled is slid forward out of its enclosure. Multiple sleds may be enclosed within a single enclosure to permit access to a portion of the storage devices in the enclosure hence reducing the problems of instability of the rack if the enclosure is mounted near the top of the rack.

Claims

1. Apparatus for storage devices in an enclosure of a storage system, the enclosure having a front side opening allowing the apparatus to be inserted into the enclosure and removed from the enclosure, the apparatus comprising:

a substantially planar backplane printed circuit assembly (PCA), the backplane PCA having a first side coplanar with a second side wherein the first and second sides are substantially orthogonal to a front edge of the backplane PCA, the backplane PCA adapted to be slid into the front side opening of the enclosure when the front edge of the backplane PCA is in a substantially vertical orientation;

a first plurality of connectors coupled with the first side wherein each connector of the first plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device; and

a rear connector coupled with a rear edge of the backplane PCA wherein the rear connector is communicatively coupled with the first plurality of connectors and wherein the rear connector is adapted to communicatively couple each of the first plurality of connectors with circuits external to the apparatus,

wherein storage devices may be coupled and/or decoupled with any of the first plurality of electronic connectors when the apparatus is slid forward extending outward from the front side opening of the enclosure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1

wherein a storage device may be coupled and/or decoupled while power is applied to the storage device and to the backplane PCA.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a cage coupled with the first side of the backplane PCA, the cage having a plurality of guides adapted to receive and position each of a plurality of storage devices to couple with a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second plurality of connectors coupled with the second side wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device,

wherein the rear connector is communicatively coupled with the second plurality of connectors and wherein the rear connector is adapted to communicatively couple each of the second plurality of connectors with circuits external to the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 4

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is positioned on the backplane PCA staggered relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

6. The apparatus of claim 4

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is positioned on the backplane PCA inverted relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors whereby a storage device coupled with a connector of the second plurality of connectors is physically inverted relative to a storage device coupled to the corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a second rear connector coupled with a rear edge of the backplane PCA wherein the second rear connector is communicatively coupled with the first plurality of connectors and wherein the second rear connector is adapted to provide redundant communicative coupling of each of the first plurality of connectors with circuits external to the apparatus.

8. A storage system comprising:

a storage enclosure adapted to receive storage, the storage enclosure comprising a substantially rectangular box having substantially planar top, bottom, right, and left sides defining an interior space of the enclosure with a front opening, the enclosure further comprising a slot to receive a sled through the front opening; and

a sled adapted to slide into the slot of the enclosure through the front opening, the sled comprising;

a substantially planar backplane printed circuit assembly (PCA), the backplane PCA having a first side coplanar with a second side wherein the first and second sides are substantially orthogonal to a front edge of the backplane PCA, the backplane PCA adapted to be slid into the slot through the front opening of the enclosure when the front edge of the backplane PCA is oriented substantially parallel with the right and left sides of the enclosure;

a first plurality of connectors coupled with the first side wherein each connector of the first plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device; and

a rear connector coupled with a rear edge of the backplane PCA wherein the rear connector is communicatively coupled with the first plurality of connectors and wherein the rear connector is adapted to communicatively couple each of the first plurality of connectors with circuits within the enclosure and external to the sled,

wherein storage devices may be coupled and/or decoupled with any of the first plurality of electronic connectors when the sled is slid forward extending outward from the front opening of the enclosure.

9. The storage system of claim 8

wherein a storage device may be coupled and/or decoupled while power is applied to the storage device and to the backplane PCA.

10. The storage system of claim 8

wherein the sled further comprises:

a cage coupled with the first side of the backplane PCA, the cage having a plurality of guides adapted to receive and position each of a plurality of storage devices to couple with a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

11. The storage system of claim 8

wherein the sled further comprises:

a second plurality of connectors coupled with the second side wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device,

wherein the rear connector is communicatively coupled with the second plurality of connectors and wherein the rear connector is adapted to communicatively couple each of the second plurality of connectors with circuits within the enclosure and external to the sled.

12. The storage system of claim 11

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is positioned on the backplane PCA staggered relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

13. The storage system of claim 11

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is positioned on the backplane PCA inverted relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors whereby a storage device coupled with a connector of the second plurality of connectors is physically inverted relative to a storage device coupled to the corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors.

14. The storage system of claim 8

wherein the sled further comprises:

a second rear connector coupled with a rear edge of the backplane PCA wherein the second rear connector is communicatively coupled with the first plurality of connectors and wherein the second rear connector is adapted to provide redundant communicative coupling of each of the first plurality of connectors with circuits external to the apparatus.

15. A storage system comprising:

a storage enclosure adapted to receive storage devices, the storage enclosure comprising a substantially rectangular box having substantially planar top, bottom, right, and left sides defining an interior space of the enclosure with a front opening, the enclosure further comprising a plurality of slots, each slot adapted to receive a sled through the front opening; and

a plurality of sleds, each sled adapted to slide into a slot of the enclosure through the front opening, each sled comprising;

a substantially planar backplane printed circuit assembly (PCA), the backplane PCA having a first side coplanar with a second side wherein the first and second sides are substantially orthogonal to a front edge of the backplane PCA, the backplane PCA adapted to be slid into a slot of the enclosure through the front opening of the enclosure when the front edge of the backplane PCA is oriented substantially parallel with the right and left sides of the enclosure;

a first plurality of connectors coupled with the first side wherein each connector of the first plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device;

a second plurality of connectors coupled with the second side wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors is adapted to receive a mated connector of a storage device to communicatively couple the PCA backplane to the storage device; and

a rear connector coupled with a rear edge of the backplane PCA wherein the rear connector is communicatively coupled with the first and second plurality of connectors and wherein the rear connector is adapted to communicatively couple each of the first and second plurality of connectors with circuits within the enclosure and external to the sled,

wherein storage devices may be coupled and/or decoupled with any of the first or second plurality of electronic connectors of a sled when the sled is slid forward extending outward from the front opening of the enclosure.

16. The storage system of claim 15

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors of a sled is positioned on the backplane PCA of the sled staggered relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors of the sled.

17. The storage system of claim 15

wherein each connector of the second plurality of connectors of a sled is positioned on the backplane PCA of the sled inverted relative to a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors of the sled whereby a storage device coupled with a connector of the second plurality of connectors of the sled is physically inverted relative to a storage device coupled to the corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors of the sled.

18. The storage system of claim 15

wherein each sled further comprises:

a first cage coupled with the first side of the backplane PCA, the first cage having a plurality of guides adapted to receive and position each of a plurality of storage devices to couple with a corresponding connector of the first plurality of connectors; and

a second cage coupled with the second side of the backplane PCA, the second cage having a plurality of guides adapted to receive and position each of a plurality of storage devices to couple with a corresponding connector of the second plurality of connectors.