Fault tolerant computer system

• US 6,175,490 B1
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Shiro, Don, Amdahl, Carlton G., Smith, Dennis H., Papa, Stephen E. J., Agneta, Don, Henderson, Michael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEA EDMONDS, LISA S
• Application Number:
  US08/942,194
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 361/653, 361/687, 361/686, 361/724, 361/725, 361/727, 361/683, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/679.48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A network server includes removable network interface modules mounted in a chassis. The network interface modules connect to a CPU through an interconnection assembly module. The network interface modules may comprise removable canisters containing a plurality of interface cards.

Claims

1. A network server, comprising:

a chassis;

an interconnection assembly module mounted on said chassis, said interconnect assembly module including at least one backplane printed circuit board and a plurality of connectors;

a central processing unit (CPU) module mounted on said chassis, said CPU module connected to said interconnection assembly module; and

a plurality of network interface modules, at least one of which is removably mounted on said chassis, said at least one network interface module including a plurality of interface cards removably mounted in said network interface module and removable therefrom when said network interface module is removed from said chassis, said network interface module including a connector which electrically connects said network interface module to said interconnection assembly module when said network interface module is mounted on said chassis, wherein said backplane printed circuit board comprises electrical hardware that is configured to provide electrical termination and isolation where any of said plurality of network interface modules has been removed.

2. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein said backplane printed circuit board comprises an I/O bus and electrical hardware to provide arbitered access and speed matching along said I/O bus.

3. A network server as defined in claim 2 wherein said I/O bus comprises a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.

4. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein a network interface module of said plurality of network interface modules comprises a printed circuit board inside said network interface module, interface card slots on said printed circuit board, and a plurality of interface cards mounted in said interface card slots.

5. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein a network interface module of said plurality of network interface modules may be removed from said chassis and disconnected electrically from said CPU module, or mounted on said chassis and connected electrically to said CPU module, without powering down said CPU module.

6. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein a network interface module of said plurality of network interface modules comprises electrical hardware that electrically isolates and powers down said network interface module including said plurality of interface cards.

7. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein an interface card of said plurality of interface cards comprises a local area network (LAN) card, with a corresponding NIC cable connected to said NIC.

8. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein an interface card of said plurality of interface cards comprises a small computer system interface (SCSI) controller card with a corresponding SCSI controller card cable connected to said SCSI controller card.

9. A network server as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of network interface modules extends beyond said chassis back and includes in the portion thereof which extends beyond said chassis back, a pair of separately removable fans.

10. A network server as defined in claim 9 wherein said pair of separately removable fans are positioned with one separately removable fan behind the other separately removable fan.

11. A network server as defined in claim 9 wherein said pair of separately removable fans run at reduced power and reduced speed unless one of the separately removable fans fails, in which case, the remaining working separately removable fan runs at increased power and increased speed to compensate for the failed separately removable fan.

12. A network server as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of power modules, removably mounted on said chassis, each power module of said plurality of power modules having a front which is positioned proximate said chassis front, said power module including a power supply connector which electrically connects said power module to said backplane printed circuit board when said power module is removably mounted on said chassis.

13. A network server as defined in claim 12 wherein a power module of said plurality of power modules comprises a power supply and power supply connector connecting said power supply to the front of said backplane printed circuit board.

14. A network server as defined in claim 12 wherein at least one power module of said plurality of power modules is redundant and may be removed and replaced from said chassis without powering down said network server or said CPU module.

15. A network server as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of data storage modules, removably mounted on said network server, each data storage module of said plurality of data storage modules having a front positioned proximate the plane containing said chassis front, and each said data storage module connected by cable to its corresponding general interface card of said plural general interface cards.

16. A network interface module for connection to a network server, comprising:

a canister;

a printed circuit board secured inside said canister comprising an I/O bus, electrical hardware attached to said I/O bus, a plurality of interface card slots attached to said I/O bus, and a connector attached to said I/O bus extending externally from said canister and configured to electrically communicate to a central processor, wherein said electrical hardware is configured to electrically terminate and isolate the printed circuit board from a host bus; and

a plurality of interface cards mounted in said interface card slots, said interface cards being removable from said canister when said canister is opened.

17. A network interface module as defined in claim 19 wherein said I/O bus comprises a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.

18. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein said printed circuit board may power down said network interface module including said plurality of interface cards therein.

19. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein an interface card of said plural interface cards comprises a network interface card (NIC), said NIC connected to a corresponding NIC cable.

20. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein an interface card of said plural interface cards comprises a small computer system interface (SCSI) controller card, said SCSI controller card connected to a corresponding SCSI controller card cable.

21. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein said canister includes a rear extension which includes a plurality of separately removable fans.

22. A network interface module as defined in claim 21 wherein said pair of separately removable fans are positioned with one separately removable fan of said pair of separately removable fans behind the other.

23. A network interface module as defined in claim 21 wherein said pair of separately removable fans runs at reduced power and reduced speed unless one separately removable fan of said pair of separately removable fans fails, in which case, the remaining working separately removable fan runs at increased power and increased speed to compensate for the failed separately removable fan.

24. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein said canister comprises sufficient sets of perforations in such patterns on said canister front, back, sides, top and bottom to assist in cooling said canister.

25. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein said connector comprises is positioned on said canister back.

26. A network interface module as defined in claim 16 wherein said canister comprises a plurality of windows on the front of said canister, said plurality of windows corresponding with said plurality of interface cards.

27. An interconnection assembly module, comprising:

a backplane printed circuit board, having a front and back, mounted on the back of a chassis of a network server, said chassis having a front, back, sides, top and bottom;

a plurality of connectors on said backplane printed circuit board front for connecting to a CPU module and a plurality of network interface modules of said network server;

a plurality of connectors on said backplane printed circuit board front for connecting a plurality of power modules of said network server;

an I/O bus on said backplane printed circuit board back connected to said plurality of high density connectors; and

electrical hardware on said backplane printed circuit board back, said electrical hardware providing arbitered access and speed matching along said I/O bus and further providing electrical termination and isolation where a network interface module of said plural network interface modules has been removed.

28. An interconnection assembly module as defined in claim 27 wherein said plurality of connectors comprise a plurality of 180 pin female connectors on said backplane printed circuit board front, a 180 pin female connector of said plurality of 180 pin female connectors connecting with a 180 pin male connector on a network interface module of said plurality of network interface modules when said network interface module is mounted on said chassis, and a 360 pin female connector on said backplane printed circuit board front connecting with a 360 pin male connector on said CPU module when said CPU module is mounted on said chassis.

29. An interconnection assembly module as defined in claim 27 wherein a connector of said plurality of connectors includes a plurality of guiding pegs protruding from said backplane printed circuit board front.

30. An interconnection assembly module as defined in claim 27 wherein said I/O bus comprises a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.

31. An interconnection assembly module as defined in claim 27 wherein said backplane printed circuit board comprises a plurality of sets of perforations sufficient in number and in such patterns so as to assist with the cooling of each of said plurality of power modules connected to said backplane printed circuit board.

32. A network server comprising:

a central processing unit;

one or more data storage devices connected to said central processing unit so as to be read from and written to by said central processing unit;

at least one removable canister having at least one network interface board and a plurality of fans mounted therein; and

an interconnection module comprising a printed circuit board having a first connector coupled to said central processing unit, and a second connector configured to couple an I/O bus routed from said first connector, onto said printed circuit board, and to said at least one removable canister, wherein said second connector receives said I/O bus through a bus adapter so as to provide electrical isolation and termination for said I/O bus when said canister is removed.