Data storage system having dummy printed circuit boards with jumpers

• US 6,907,483 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• 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, Castel, Daniel, Thibault, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Fritz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sorrell, Eron J
• Application Number:
  US10/109,583
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 710/2, 710/8, 710/13, 710/62, 710/74, 710/301, 709/203, 709/213, 711/147
• US Class Current: 710/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/201 between storage system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality

Abstract

A method and system for producing a data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface. The system interface has a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, and a global memory. The method includes: providing a backplane having slots adapted to have plugged therein a plurality of printed circuit board. The printed circuit boards include: a plurality of first director boards having the first directors; a plurality of second printed circuit boards having the second directors; a plurality of memory printed circuit boards providing the global memory; a plurality of dummy first director boards having first jumpers; a plurality of dummy second director boards having second jumpers; a plurality of dummy memory boards having third jumpers. The method includes wiring the backplane to effect a connection among the first, second and third jumpers to interconnect the first plurality of director to the host computer/server, the plurality of second plurality of directors to the bank of disk drives and the global memory to the first plurality of directors and to the second plurality of director. The method and system allows the same wired backplane to be used with systems having a different number of memory and director boards and still enable dual-write and redundancy to the global memory.

Claims

1. A method for providing a data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface, such system interface having a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, and a global memory, comprising:

providing a backplane having slots adapted to have plugged therein a plurality of printed circuit boards, such printed circuit boards comprising;

a plurality of first printed circuit boards having the first directors;

a plurality of second printed circuit boards having the second directors;

a plurality of memory printed circuit boards providing the global memory;

a plurality of dummy first director boards having first jumpers;

a plurality of dummy second director boards having second jumpers,

a plurality of dummy memory boards having third jumpers;

wiring the backplane to effect a connection among the first, second and third jumpers to interconnect the first directors to the host computer/server, the second directors to the bank of disk drives, and the global memory;

to the first directors and to the second directors;

wherein the wiring connects the plurality of memory printed circuit boards to the first directors and the second directors to enable each one of the first directors and the second directors access to the global memory; and

wherein the wiring connects the plurality of first printed circuit boards to the memory printed circuit boards in a point-to-point configuration and connects the second printed circuit boards plurality of director boards to the memory printed circuit boards in a point-to-point configuration.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the wiring and the jumpers enables each one of the first directors and each one of the second directors to be connected to different portions of the global memory.

3. The method recited in claim 2 wherein the wiring and the jumpers enables each one of the first printed circuit boards to be connected to different ones of the plurality of memory printed circuit boards and each one of the second printed circuit boards to be connected to different ones of the plurality of memory printed circuit boards.

4. A data storage system for transferring data between a host computer/server and a bank of disk drives through a system interface, such system interface having a plurality of first directors, a plurality of second directors, and a global memory, comprising:

a backplane having slots adapted to have plugged therein a plurality of printed circuit boards, such printed circuit boards comprising;

a plurality of first printed circuit boards having the first directors;

a plurality of second printed circuit boards having the second directors;

a plurality of memory printed circuit boards providing the global memory;

a plurality of dummy first director boards having first jumpers;

a plurality of dummy second director boards having second jumpers;

a plurality of dummy memory boards having third jumpers; and

wherein the backplane is wired to effect a connection among the first, second and third jumpers to interconnect the first directors to the host computer/server, the second directors to the bank of disk drives'"'"' and the global memory to the first directors and to the second directors, the wiring connecting the plurality of memory printed circuit boards to the first directors and the second directors to enable each one of the first directors and the second directors access to the global memory and,

wherein the wiring connects the first plurality of first director boards to the memory printed circuit boards in a point-to-point configuration and connects the plurality of second printed circuit boards to the memory printed circuit boards in a point-to-point configuration.

5. The system recited in claim 4 wherein the wiring and the jumpers connect each one of the first directors and each one of the second directors to be connected to different portions of the global memory.

6. The system recited in claim 5 wherein the wiring and the jumpers connect each one of the first printed circuit boards to be connected to different ones of the plurality of memory printed circuit boards and each one of the second printed circuit boards to be connected to different ones of the plurality of memory printed circuit boards.

7. The system recited in claim 6 wherein the first printed circuit boards, the second printed circuit boards, the memory printed circuit boards, the dummy first director boards, the dummy second director boards, the dummy memory printed circuit boards are disposed in a side-by-side array in the backplane.