Midplane-independent implementations of data storage system enclosures

• US 7,603,515 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2007
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Felton, Mickey S., King, Joseph P. Jr., Frangioso, Ralph C. Jr., Beinor, Albert F. Jr., Peeke, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chace; Christian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rutz; Jared I
• Application Number:
  US11/839,897
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 710/74, 361/728
• US Class Current: 711/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches

Abstract

Described is a midplane-less storage system comprising an enclosure including a control board having an electrical connector attached thereto and a processing unit. The enclosure also includes a disk drive module with a disk drive for storing data and an adapter board electrically connected to the disk drive. The adapter board has a controller and an electrical connector that is mated to the electrical connector of the control board. A communication bus extends from the control board to the disk drive module through the mated electrical connectors. The processing unit of the control board communicates with the controller of the adapter board over the communication bus in accordance with a communication protocol in order to control operation of the disk drive.

Claims

1. A midplane-less storage system comprising an enclosure including:

a control board having an electrical connector attached thereto and a processing unit;

a disk drive module including an adapter board and a disk drive, the disk drive having memory for storing data and an electrical connector, the adapter board having a first electrical connector that is directly electrically connected to the electrical connector of the disk drive, the adapter board having a controller and a second electrical connector that is mated to the electrical connector of the control board; and

a communication bus extending from the control board to the disk drive module through the second electrical connector of the adapter board mated to the electrical connector of the control board and through the first electrical connector of the adapter board directly electrically connected to the electrical connector of the disk drive, the processing unit of the control board communicating with the controller of the adapter board over the communication bus in accordance with a communication protocol in order to control operation of the disk drive.

2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive is a first disk drive and the disk drive module includes a second disk drive, the first and second disk drives each being electrically connected to the adapter board by at least one electrical signal path.

3. The storage system of claim 2, wherein a length of each electrical signal path connecting the first disk drive to the adapter board is substantially equal to a length of each electrical signal path connecting the second disk drive to the adapter board.

4. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive module is a first disk drive module and further comprising a second disk drive module, the second disk drive module having a second disk drive and an adapter board in electrical communication with the second disk drive, the adapter board of the first disk drive module and the adapter board of the second disk drive module each being in electrical communication with the control board by at least one electrical signal path, a length of each electrical signal path connecting the control board to the adapter board of the first disk drive module being substantially equal to a length of each electrical signal path connecting the control board to adapter board of the second disk drive module.

5. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive is a Fibre Channel disk drive.

6. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive is an Advanced Technology Attachment disk drive.

7. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive is a Serial Attached SCSI disk drive.

8. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the disk drive is in electrical communication with the control board over a serial low-voltage differential signaling communication path.

9. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the communication bus is an I2C bus.

10. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the communication bus is RS232 bus.