High density array system having multiple storage units with active movable media drawers

• US 7,583,507 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Inventors: Carter, Joshua Daniel, Figaro, Micheal Edward, Wong, Walter, Ninesling, Matthew John, Bacom, Scott Edward, Starr, Matthew Thomas, Duren, Ronald Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi; Jayprakash N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/688,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 361/725, 361/727
• US Class Current: 361/727
• 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

Abstract

A storage system is provided having at least one primary storage unit, the primary storage unit having a power source, a server mother board, an expander device connected to a second data storage unit and a plurality of retractable media drawers wherein each of the retractable media drawers comprise a plurality of data storage elements. Each of the retractable media drawers maintain connectivity to the power source, the server mother board and the expander device when each of the media drawers is between a first position that is extended partially away from the primary data storage unit and a second position that is at least partially retracted from the first position towards the primary data storage unit.

Claims

1. A primary data storage unit comprising:

a power source;

at least one server mother board;

at least one expander device connected to a second data storage unit;

a plurality of retractable media drawers wherein each of said retractable media drawers comprise a plurality of data storage elements wherein each of said data storage elements are retained by a locking mechanism that at least partially ejects said data storage element when disengaged, and wherein each of said retractable media drawers possesses a fan device,

each of said retractable media drawers maintaining connectivity to said power source via a conductive cable supported by a flexible tangle inhibiting mechanism that is capable of providing uninterrupted power to said data storage elements and said fan device, said at least one server mother board and said at least one expander device when each of said media drawers is between a first position that is extended partially away from said primary data storage unit and a second position that is at least partially retracted from said first position towards said primary data storage unit.

2. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 further comprising a communication source that is linked to said plurality of data storage elements wherein each of said retractable media drawers maintain connectivity when between said first and second positions, said communication source communicatively linked with a host.

3. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein each of said retractable media drawers are moveable from between said first position and said second position in a drawer like motion.

4. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said primary data storage unit and said second data storage units are stackable.

5. The primary data storage unit of claim 4 further comprising a third data storage unit.

6. The primary data storage unit of claim 5 further comprising at least a second expander device associated with said second data storage unit and at least a third expander device associated with said third data storage unit wherein said primary data storage unit, said second data storage unit and said third data storage unit are interconnected via said respective associated expander devices.

7. The primary data storage unit of claim 6 further comprising at least a second server mother board associated with said second data storage unit and at least a third server mother board associated with said third data storage unit wherein said primary data storage unit, said second data storage unit and said third data storage unit are interconnected via said respective associated mother boards.

8. The primary data storage unit of claim 5 wherein either said storage unit, said second storage unit or said third storage unit is switchable to be a master storage unit.

9. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said second data storage unit comprises just a bunch of data storage elements.

10. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said second data storage unit is substantially like said primary data storage unit.

11. The storage unit of claim 1 wherein said data storage elements are selected from one of a group consisting of:

disc drives, solid state memory, compact discs, magneto-optical drives, floppy disc drives, and holographic drives.

12. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said flexible tangle inhibiting mechanism comprises a linking device that has at least four linkages.

13. The primary data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said data storage elements are disc drives and wherein a first disc drive possesses a first disc that rotates in a direction opposite to a second disc possessed by a second opposing disc drive.

14. A method of operating a first data storage unit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing said first data storage unit with at least one server mother board, at least one expander device and at least one power source and a plurality of retractable media drawers wherein each of said plurality of retractable media drawers comprise a plurality of data storage elements, a fan device, and a locking mechanism associated with each of said plurality of data storage devices that retains each of said data storage devices;

receiving a first data package from a host;

storing said first data package to at least one of said plurality of data storage elements;

extending one of said plurality of retractable media drawers at least partially from said first data storage unit;

removing one of data storage elements from said extended retractable media drawer by disengaging said locking mechanism that upon disengaging causes an ejection system to at least partially eject said data storage element from said extended retractable media drawer;

receiving a second data package from said host; and

storing said second data package to at least one of a plurality of additional data storage elements associated with a second data storage unit that is connected to said first data storage unit via said at least one expander device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising maintaining connectivity between said one of said plurality of retractable media drawers and said at least one server mother board, said at least one expander device and said at least one power source during said extending step.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a third data package by said second data storage unit and transmitting said third data package from said second data storage unit to said first data storage unit.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising switching functionality associated with any of said at least at least one server mother board, said at least one expander device and said at least one power source associated with said first data storage unit to at least a back-up server mother board, back-up expander device or back-up power source associated with said second data storage unit.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said first and said second data storage units are disposed in a data storage system cabinet in a stacked arrangement.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said storing step includes creating a retrievable version of said first data package should any portion of said first data package become lost.

20. A primary data storage unit comprising:

a power source;

a communication source;

a plurality of retractable media drawers wherein each of said retractable media drawers comprise a plurality of data storage elements, said plurality of data storage elements adapted to store data received from said communication source, each of said data storage elements are retained by a locking mechanism that at least partially ejects said data storage element when disengaged, and wherein each of said retractable media drawers possesses a fan device;

each of said retractable media drawers maintaining connectivity to said power source and said communication source via a conducting cable when each of said media drawers is between a first position that is extended partially away from said primary data storage unit and a second position that is retracted from said first position towards said primary data storage unit;

means for preventing said conducting cable from becoming tangled;

means for connecting at least a second data storage unit with said primary data storage unit.