Partitionable cabinet

• US 6,078,503 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Gallagher, Brian, Teachout, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US08/885,383
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 361/724, 361/725, 361/728, 361/738, 361/686, 361/685, 361/727, 211/41.17, 211/26, 211/135, 211/184, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 108/60, 108/61
• US Class Current: 361/725
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/18 Packaging or power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/185 Mounting of expansion boards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/186 Securing of expansion boards in correspondence to slots provided at the computer enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A data server having a plurality of hot replaceable processing unit modules. Each module includes a motherboard having plugged therein: a CPU; a main memory; an I/O adapter card, and an interconnect printed board, electrically connected to the motherboard. A backplane has a first connector adapted for coupling to a DC power supply. The interconnect printed circuit board has a DC to DC converter connected to a second connector adapted to mate with the first connector to enable the processing unit module to be hot plugged into, or removed from, the backplane. The backplane has formed thereon a strip transmission line adapted to provide an Ethernet bus for interconnecting a plurality of the modules. A cable management system for a cabinet used to house the module includes at least one vertically extending channel disposed in the cabinet and a fastener adapted to open and enable the a cable to be inserted into the channel and close to retain such cable within the channel. A chassis having a plurality of shelves for supporting electrical modules with a partitioning member adapted for removable insertion onto one of the shelves to accommodate modules with different widths. An I/O adapter card mounting plate, with captive hardware, adapted for securing an array of I/O adapted cards, and honey-combed I/O adapter card filler plate to a case. A method for booting operating system software into a main memory of a processing unit.

Claims

1. A cabinet adapted to store a plurality of modules, each one of such modules having a locking member adapted to lock such module to the cabinet when such locking member engages a locking member receptacle, such cabinet comprising:

a chassis having a plurality of shelves and sidewall panels disposed at opposing ends of each one of the shelves, one of the panels having the lock mechanism receptacle adapted to receive the locking member of one of the modules on one of the shelves to lock such module to the cabinet;

a partitioning member having fasteners affixed thereto to enable such partitioning member to fastened to, or removed from, each one of the shelves;

wherein each one of the shelves has a pair of slots adapted to receive, and lock to the cabinet, a pair of a first type of such modules when the partitioning member is fastened to the shelf; and

wherein such one of the shelves has a single slot adapted to receive, and lock to the cabinet, a second, larger type of such modules having a width greater than the width of one of the pair of the first type module when the partitioning member is removed from the shelf.

2. The cabinet recited in claim 1 including the plurality of modules and wherein each one of the modules is a processing unit module, comprising:

motherboard having plugged therein;

a central processing unit; and

,

a main memory;

an interconnect printed circuit board, electrically connected to the motherboard, such interconnect printed circuit board having a second connector; and

wherein such second connector is adapted to enable the processing unit to be hot plugged into, or removed from, the backplane.

3. The cabinet recited in claim 5 including the plurality of modules and wherein each one of the locking member of each one of the modules comprises an arm pivotally mounted top a case of the module, such arm having an end-portion, such end-portion extending beyond a side member of the case when such arm is pivoted to a first position and such end-portion being positioned within the-case when such arm is pivoted to a second position, such module being configured to slide within the slot when the arm is pivoted to the second position and such end-portion engaging the locking receptacle of the sidewall panel when such arm is pivoted to the first position after such module is slide within the slot to lock the module within the slot.

4. The cabinet recited in claim 7 wherein the lock mechanism receptacle comprises a slot provided in the sidewall panel.