Disk array device

• US 7,120,016 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagaiwa, Yoshinori, Muraoka, Kenji, Sato, Masahiko, Ishikawa, Takamasa, Yokoyama, Nobuhiro, Kimura, Koichi, Suzuki, Katsuyoshi, Iwasaki, Hidehiko, Tateyama, Kenichi, Takamoto, Kenichi, Takahashi, Kiyotaka, Matsunami, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US11/184,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679, 361683-687, 361/695
• US Class Current: 361/679.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/142 by air cooling

Abstract

A disk array device comprises: a hard disk drive module including a disk for recording information thereon and having one side that has a length substantially equal to the diameter of the disk; a battery module; an operation module; a fan module having at least one cooling fan; a controller module having a controller; a power supply module provided for supplying power to the modules; a circuit board to which the above-mentioned modules are connected via electrical connectors; and a substantially box-shaped chassis in which the modules and the circuit board are housed. A front surface and a rear surface of the chassis are opened in a rectangular shape. A length of one side of the opened front surface of the chassis is substantially the same length as the one side of the hard disk drive module.

Claims

1. A disk array device comprising:

a plurality of hard disk drive modules each having a disk drive for recording data;

a controller module having a controller that sends/receives data to/from an external information processing device and controls writing/reading data into/from the disk drives;

a power supply module that supplies power to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and the controller module;

a plurality of fan modules having respective fans that cool the plurality of hard disk drive modules, the controller module, and the power supply module;

a circuit board connected via connecters provided on one surface thereof to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and connected via connecters provided on an other surface thereof to the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules; and

a casing-like chassis having at least four surfaces and housing the circuit board, the plurality of hard disk drive modules provided on the one surface'"'"'s side of the circuit board, and the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules provided on the other surface'"'"'s side of the circuit board,

wherein the controller module and the power supply module are provided in between the fan modules, and

wherein the power supply module has first air holes used to allow cooling air to flow in directions toward the fan modules.

2. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the fan modules are the same in shape, and of the fan modules, one fan module is placed upside down with respect to an other fan module.

3. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and wherein the plurality of fans suck cooling air from the controller module and the power supply module through air holes provided in the controller module and the power supply module and discharge the cooling air to outside through second air holes provided on the opposite side of the plurality of fan modules from the circuit board.

4. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the opposite side of the controller module and the power supply module from the circuit board is closed by a wall without an air hole for the cooling air.

5. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the controller modules are provided, and third air holes are provided between each of the fan modules and said power supply module adjacent to the each fan module, the third air holes being used to allow cooling air to flow in directions toward the fan modules.

6. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein fourth air holes are provided between one of the fan modules and the controller module, the fourth air holes being used to allow cooling air to flow in directions toward the fan modules.

7. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein formed in the circuit board are fifth air holes used to allow cooling air which has been used to cool the plurality of hard disk drive modules to flow into the controller module and the power supply module.

8. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply module has no fan therein, and cooling air flowing into the power supply module is discharged by sucking by the fan modules from the power supply module through the first air holes of the power supply module.

9. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the controller modules are provided, and each of the plurality of controller modules comprises an enclosure which, when connected to an other disk array device having a plurality of hard disk drive modules, manages the other disk array device.

10. A disk array device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and the plurality of fans suck cooling air from the power supply module through the first air holes, and discharge the cooling air to outside through second air holes provided on the opposite side of the plurality of fan modules from the circuit board, and

wherein an outlet of a first one of the plurality of fans is placed so as to avoid a second fan of the plurality of fans blocking a path for air discharged through the outlet.

11. A disk array device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and the plurality of fans suck cooling air from the power supply module through the first air holes, and discharge the cooling air to outside through second air holes provided on the opposite side of the plurality of fan modules from the circuit board, and

wherein an outlet of a first one of the plurality of fans is placed such that a path for air discharged through the outlet is different from a path for air discharged through an outlet of a second fan of the plurality of fans.

12. A disk array device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and the plurality of fans suck cooling air from the power supply module through the first air holes, and discharge the cooling air to outside through second air holes provided on the opposite side of the plurality of fan modules from the circuit board, and

wherein an outlet of a first one of the plurality of fans is placed such that the outlet of the first one is different, in distance from an inner side surface of the chassis, from an outlet of a second fan of the plurality of fans.

13. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein a pair of opposite surfaces of the at least four surfaces of the chassis are connected to each other by at least one plate on a side of the chassis on which the one surface of the circuit board exists.

14. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein a height of the chassis is equal to or less than 3 U defined by an EIA STANDARD EIA-310-D.

15. A disk array device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hard disk drive modules comprise 14 hard disk drive modules provided on a side of the chassis on which the one surface of the circuit board exists.

16. A disk array device comprising:

a plurality of hard disk drive modules each having a disk drive for recording data;

a controller module having a controller that sends/receives data to/from an external information processing device and controls writing/reading data into/from the disk drives;

a power supply module that supplies power to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and the controller module;

a plurality of fan modules having respective fans that cool the plurality of hard disk drive modules, the controller module, and the power supply module;

a circuit board having first and second surfaces which is connected via connecters provided on the first surface to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and connected via connecters provided on the second surface to the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules; and

a chassis housing the circuit board, the plurality of hard disk drive modules provided on the first surface'"'"'s side of the circuit board, and the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules provided on the second surface'"'"'s side of the circuit board,

wherein the chassis has the plurality of hard disk drive modules inserted in a direction facing the first surface, and has the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules inserted in a direction facing the second surface,

wherein the controller module and the power supply module are placed in between the plurality of fan modules, and

wherein the power supply module has first air holes used to allow air to flow in side directions toward the plurality of fan modules.

17. A disk array device comprising:

a plurality of hard disk drive modules each having a disk drive for recording data;

a controller module having a controller that sends/receives data to/from an external information processing device and controls writing/reading data into/from the disk drives;

a power supply module that supplies power to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and the controller module;

a plurality of fan modules having respective fans that cool the plurality of hard disk drive modules, the controller module, and the power supply module;

a chassis housing the plurality of hard disk drive modules provided on a front side thereof, and the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules provided on a back side thereof; and

a circuit board, in the chassis, connected via connecters provided on a surface thereof on the front side to the plurality of hard disk drive modules and connected via connecters provided on another surface thereof on the back side to the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules;

wherein the chassis has the plurality of hard disk drive modules inserted from the front, and has the controller module, the power supply module, and the plurality of fan modules inserted from the back,

wherein the controller module and the power supply module are placed between the plurality of fan modules, and

wherein the power supply module has first air holes used to allow air to flow in side directions toward the plurality of fan modules.

18. A disk array device according to claim 17, wherein the fan modules are the same in shape, and of the fan modules, one fan module is placed upside down with respect to an other fan module.

19. A disk array device according to claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and wherein the plurality of fans suck air from the controller module and the power supply module through air holes provided in the controller module and the power supply module and discharge the air to outside through second air holes provided in the back of the plurality of fan modules.

20. A disk array device according to claim 17,

wherein each of the plurality of fan modules has a plurality of fans therein, and the plurality of fans suck air from the power supply module through the first air holes, and discharge the air to outside through second air holes provided in the back of the plurality of fan modules, and

wherein an outlet of a first one of the plurality of fans is placed such that the outlet of the first one is different, in distance from an inner side surface of the chassis, from an outlet of a second fan of the plurality of fans.