Fault tolerant modular subsystems for computers

• US 4,754,397 A
• Filed: 04/18/1986
• Issued: 06/28/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tandem Computers Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ng, David S., Pauker, Armando, Varaiya, Rooshabh, Ferchau, Joerg U.
• Primary Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/853,537
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 360/55, 360/137, 360/98, 360/99, 360/86, 360/133, 360/97, 369/34, 369/36, 369/75.1, 369/292, 369/12, 364/200, 364/900, 364/708
• US Class Current: 361/679.39
• 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 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/125 the apparatus comprising a plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. modular arrangements, arrays of disc drives
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/128 of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis

Abstract

A fault tolerant computing facility is disclosed. The facility includes a housing array for containing a plurality of hardware element modules such as disk drives, a plurality of modularized power supplies and plural power distribution modules, each being connected to a separate source of primary facility power. Each module is self aligning and blind-mateable with the housing and may be installed and removed without tools, without disturbing the electrical cabling within the cabinet, and automatically by a maintenance robot. The logical identity of each module is established by programming at a control panel and by corresponding physical location of installation of each module within the housing array.

Claims

1. A fault tolerant computing facility comprising at least one housing array including:

a plurality of modules, each containing a hardware element of said computing facility,

a plurality of modularized hardware element power supplies, there being a separate power supply module electrically associated with each said hardware element module,

at least two separate power distribution modules, one power distribution module for distributing primary power from a first primary source connection to primary modules and power supply modules associated with primary modules, and a second primary source connection to back up mirror modules and power supply modules associated with back up mirror modules,

interconnect means in said array enabling said hardware element modules and said power supply modules to become automatically disconnected and reconnected when said modules are removed and inserted therein.

2. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least two separate cooling means for cooling said hardware element modules and said power supply modules, and wherein said one power distribution module connects to one of said cooling means and wherein said second power distribution module connects to said other of said cooling means.

3. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 further comprising electrical configuration means, in said array and cooperatively associated with said interconnect means for enabling said array to be alternatively configured without physical modification of internal cabling as one of:

a single string of hardware element modules; and

, multiple strings of hardware element modules.

4. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein each said hardware element module includes alignment means complementary with said array for mechanically aligning said module with said array so that said module is blind-mateable with said array and said interconnect means thereof.

5. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 further comprising control panel means for indicating conditions of hardware element modules and power supply modules installed in said array.

6. The computing facility set forth in claim 5 wherein said control panel means includes separate indicating means for indicating condition of a particular module with which it is associated.

7. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing array and said interconnect means automatically provide power, control and data signals and cooling for each said hardware element module upon installation into said array.

8. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said hardware element modules may be installed and removed from said array without tools.

9. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein, said hardware element modules, power supply modules and interconnect means externally connecting to said array may be installed and removed automatically by robot.

10. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing array comprises internally an arrangement of shelves and wherein each said hardware element module is of dimensions compatible with a said shelf and comprises a carrier drawer for slidably engaging the said shelf of said array and including connecting means for connecting the hardware element of said module said with said interconnect means associated with the said shelf at a single location of connection.

11. The computing facility set forth in claim 5 wherein the logical identity of a said module is determined by programmable identification means on said control panel and by position of placement of each said module within said array.

12. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said array further comprises a data cable connector plane accessible directly from the outside for enabling data connection cables to be attached to said array, said data cable connector plane including a plurality of data jacks in electrical connection with module positions of said cabinet associated therewith.

13. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of modules includes at least one primary module and at least one back up mirror module for containing the same data as is stored in a said primary drive associated therewith.

14. The computing facility set forth in claim 1 wherein said array comprises a rotating fixed disk data storage subsystem and wherein each module thereof is associated with a disk drive.

15. A fault tolerant multiple disk data storage subsystem comprising a cabinet including:

a plurality of disk drive modules, each containing a rotating disk data storage device,

a plurality of modularized disk drive power supplies, there being a separate power supply module electrically associated with each said disk drive module,

at least two separate power distribution modules, one power distribution module for distributing primary power from a first primary source connection to primary drive modules and power supply modules associated with primary drive modules, and a second primary source connection to back up mirror drive modules and power supply modules associated with back up mirror drive modules,

interconnected means in said cabinet enabling said disk drive modules and said power supply modules to become automatically disconnected and reconnected when said modules are removed and inserted therein.

16. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 further comprising at least two separate cooling means for cooling said disk drive modules and said power supply modules, and wherein said one power distribution module connects to one of said cooling means and wherein said second power distribution module connects to said other of said cooling means.

17. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 further comprising electrical configuration means in said cabinet and cooperatively associated with said interconnect means for enabling said subsystem to be alternatively configured as a single string of daisy-chained disk drive modules and as two separate strings of daisy-chained disk drive modules without physical modification of internal cabling.

18. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein each said disk drive module includes alignment means complementary with said cabinet for mechanically aligning said module with said cabinet so that said module is blind-mateable with said cabinet and said interconnect means thereof.

19. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 18 further comprising control panel means for indicating conditions of drive modules and power supply modules installed in said cabinet.

20. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 19 wherein said control panel means includes separate indicating means for indicating condition of a particular drive module with which it is associated.

21. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein said cabinet and said interconnect means automatically provide power, control and data signals and cooling for each said disk drive module upon installation into said cabinet.

22. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein said drive modules may be installed and removed from said cabinet without tools.

23. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein said cabinet comprises internally an array of uniformly dimensioned shelves and wherein each said disk drive module is of uniform dimension and comprises a carrier drawer for slidably engaging said cabinet and including connecting means for connecting said drive with said interconnect means associated with a said shelf at a single location of connection.

24. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 18 wherein the logical identity of a said disk drive module is determined by programmable identification means on said control panel and by position of placement of each said drive within said cabinet.

25. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein said cabinet further comprises a data cable connector plane accessible directly from the outside for enabling data connection cables to be attached to said cabinet, said data cable connector plane including a plurality of data jacks in electrical connection with disk drive positions of said cabinet associated therewith.

26. The data storage subsystem set forth in claim 15 wherein said plurality of disk drive modules includes at least one primary drive module and at least one back up mirror disk drive module for containing the same data as is stored in a said primary drive associated therewith.

27. A fault tolerant computing facility comprising at least one housing array including:

a plurality of modules uniformly aligned in the array, each module containing a hardware element of said computing facility, and at least one spare hardware element module,

interconnect means in said array enabling said hardware element modules to become automatically disconnected and reconnected within said facility when said modules are removed and inserted therein,

robot means within said facility having direct access for removal a said module and replacement thereof with said spare hardware element module within said array under automatic control of a facility maintenance computing element of said facility.