Unified management system and method for multi-cabinet data storage complexes
First Claim
1. A device for positioning on a shelf of a multi-cabinet data storage cabinet in a mass storage system, comprising:
- a first interface providing a communication link with a data path to a control device external to the device;
a second interface providing a communication link with a cabinet bus contained in the cabinet; and
a processor for creating and at least periodically broadcasting environmental messages comprising status information for the device over the cabinet bus via the second interface and for collecting environmental messages broadcast by other ones of the devices over the cabinet bus and providing at least a portion the collected environmental messages to the control device over the communication link via the first interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-cabinet mass storage system with unified management features. The system includes a first reporting group and a second reporting group each having enclosure with processors, such as an environmental monitoring units (EMUs), for generating and transmitting environmental messages pertaining to the particular enclosures. The enclosures are positioned on shelves within cabinets. A bus or cabinet cable links each enclosure to facilitate broadcasting the environmental messages. The environmental messages identify the sending device'"'"'s reporting group and its physical location within the system. Additional enclosures are included in this reporting group with enclosures of each reporting group located all in one cabinet, in two or more cabinets, and each cabinet may house one, two, or more reporting groups. A network links all of the cabinets to concurrently broadcast the environmental messages throughout the system and allows enclosures in a single reporting group to be positioned in differing cabinets.
44 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A device for positioning on a shelf of a multi-cabinet data storage cabinet in a mass storage system, comprising:
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a first interface providing a communication link with a data path to a control device external to the device; a second interface providing a communication link with a cabinet bus contained in the cabinet; and a processor for creating and at least periodically broadcasting environmental messages comprising status information for the device over the cabinet bus via the second interface and for collecting environmental messages broadcast by other ones of the devices over the cabinet bus and providing at least a portion the collected environmental messages to the control device over the communication link via the first interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A mass storage system for providing unified system management, comprising:
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a first reporting group comprising an enclosure having an enclosure processor for generating and transmitting an environmental message for the first reporting group enclosure; a second reporting group comprising an enclosure having an enclosure processor for generating and transmitting an environmental message for the second reporting group enclosure; and a bus communicatively linked to the first reporting group enclosure and to the second reporting group enclosure for carrying the environmental messages, wherein the environmental messages includes information for identifying whether the environmental message was sent from an enclosure in the first or second reporting group and information for identifying a physical location of the sending enclosure. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A data storage system, comprising:
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a plurality of cabinets each having a plurality of shelves for receiving and linking computing devices and a cabinet bus linked to the shelves for communicatively linking computing devices inserted in the shelves; a first set of enclosure devices assigned to a first reporting group positioned on the shelves in the cabinets and linked to at least one of the cabinet busses; and a second set of enclosure devices assigned to a second reporting group positioned on the shelves in the cabinets and linked to at least one of the cabinet busses; wherein each of the enclosure devices in the first and second reporting group includes an enclosure processor adapted for transmitting an enclosure environmental message over the linked cabinet bus. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification