Wireless storage enterprise connectivity

• US 7,260,417 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: El-Batal, Mohamad H., Richardson, Thomas E., Premji, Zahirudeen
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/838,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20050250533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/41.1, 455/557, 455/572, 455/502, 455/66.1, 455/41.2, 455/514, 455/412.1, 455/522, 710/58, 709/249, 711/114, 235/492, 340/988, 725/131, 320/104
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A storage enterprise comprising multiple storage enterprise components coupled to exchange signals via respective wireless interfaces. The signals exchanged may include power signals and/or information signals. Power signals may be exchanged by an inductive coupling (wireless) between a first component and a second component. Information signals may include command/status and data signals exchanged between a first component and a second component. Any of several hierarchies of the connections in a storage enterprise may utilize such wireless connections. Exemplary wireless connection may include: storage controller to storage device or storage enclosure, storage enclosure to storage device, SAN appliance to storage device or storage enclosure or storage controller, computing node to storage device or storage enclosure or storage controller or SAN appliance.

Claims

1. A storage enterprise comprising:

a first storage enterprise component including a first wireless interface; and

a second storage enterprise component including a second wireless interface wherein said first storage enterprise component and said second storage enterprise component exchange signals via said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface, respectively,

wherein the exchanged signals include power signals such that the first storage enterprise component supplies power to the second storage enterprise component via the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, respectively, and

wherein the wireless exchange of power signals further comprises an inductive coupling to an AC power signal,

wherein the second storage enterprise component includes a rectifier structure to generate DC power for the second storage component from the inductive coupling to the AC power signal wherein the generated DC power provides wireless power to operate the second storage enterprise component,

wherein the storage enterprise includes among the first and second storage enterprise components a plurality of storage related components interconnected with one another and connected to one or more related workstations and server computing nodes, and

wherein the plurality of storage related components include one or more of;

individual storage devices, collections of storage devices housed within a common storage enclosure, collections of storage enclosures aggregated into a storage subsystem, storage controllers, collections of storage controllers operating cooperatively with regard to a storage devices or storage enclosures, power supplies for powering other components, and environmental components to sense and control the ambient environment.

2. The storage enterprise of claim 1 wherein information signals are exchanged between said first storage enterprise component and said second storage enterprise component via said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface, respectively.

3. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage controller, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

4. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage controller, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

5. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

6. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage area network appliance, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

7. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage area network appliance, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

8. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

9. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

10. The storage enterprise of claim 2

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage subsystem including multiple storage devices and one or more storage controllers.

11. A system comprising:

a computing system having a wireless interface; and

a storage subsystem having a wireless interface,

wherein said computing system exchanges information signals with said storage subsystem using the wireless interfaces in the computing system and in the storage subsystem,

wherein the storage subsystem further comprises a power supply source,

wherein the storage subsystem further comprises one or more storage components within the storage subsystem that each includes a wireless coupling to the power supply source to derive operating power therefrom wherein the one or more storage components include one or more of;

individual storage devices, collections of storage devices housed within a common storage enclosure, collections of storage enclosures, storage controllers, collections of storage controllers operating cooperatively with regard to a storage devices or storage enclosures, and environmental components to sense and control the ambient environment,

wherein the wireless coupling to the power supply source further comprises an AC power signal, and

wherein the each other component wirelessly coupled to the AC power signal includes a rectifier structure to generate DC power for therefrom wherein the generated DC power provides wireless power to operate said each other component.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a network appliance intermediate the computing system and the storage subsystem, the network appliance further comprising;

a first wireless interface wirelessly coupled to the wireless interface of the computing system; and

a second wireless interface wirelessly coupled to the wireless interface of the storage subsystem,

wherein the network appliance serves as a repeater to forward information signals between the computing system and the storage subsystem.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the storage subsystem further comprises:

a storage controller having a wireless interface; and

a storage enclosure having a wireless interface,

wherein said storage controller exchanges information signals with said storage enclosure using the wireless interfaces in the storage controller and in the storage enclosure.

14. The system of claim 13

wherein the storage enclosure is inductively coupled to the AC power signal and includes a rectifier structure to generate DC power therefrom.