Integrated RAID controller and SAS switch

• US 7,765,331 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vojnovich, Theodore Brian, Lucas, Gregg Steven, Islam, Rezaul Shah Mohammad, Schneebeli, Kenneth Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US11/554,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/253
• US Class Current: 709/253
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A blade server system includes a plurality of blade slots, a management module, and a plurality of switch modules. The switch modules provide connectivity to a plurality of communications fabrics. At least one switch module includes an integrated redundant array of independent disks (RAID) controller. A storage enclosure may be connected to the switch with the integrated RAID controller without having to include a stand-alone RAID controller, such as in one of the blade slots, and without having to include a RAID controller within the storage enclosure.

Claims

1. A blade server system, comprising:

a plurality of blade slots within a chassis of the blade server system;

at least one switch module within the chassis of the blade server system, wherein the at least one switch module provides connectivity to a communications fabric and is connected to the plurality of blade slots via an internal fabric within the blade server system, wherein a given switch module within the at least one switch module has a redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module;

a processor blade in a given blade slot within the plurality of blade slots,

wherein the given switch module is connected to a storage enclosure, wherein the processor blade connects to the storage enclosure via the internal fabric, the given switch module, and the communications fabric, wherein the processor blade accesses the storage enclosure using the redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module, and wherein the storage enclosure comprises one or more storage devices; and

a management module that monitors components within the blade server system.

2. The blade server system of claim 1, wherein the given switch module is a serial attached small computer systems interface switch module and wherein the communications fabric is a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.

3. The blade server system of claim 1, wherein the storage enclosure is an external storage enclosure.

4. The blade server system of claim 1, wherein the storage enclosure is an internal storage enclosure that is located within a chassis of the blade server system.

5. The blade server system of claim 4, wherein the storage enclosure is a blade in one of the plurality of blade slots.

6. The blade server system of claim 1, wherein the storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard disk drives.

7. The blade server system of claim 1, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an InfiniBand fabric, an Ethernet fabric, or a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.

8. A blade server system, comprising:

a plurality of blade slots within a chassis of the blade server system;

at least one switch module within the chassis of the blade server system, wherein the at least one switch module provides connectivity to a communications fabric and is connected to the plurality of blade slots via an internal fabric, wherein a given switch module within the at least one switch module has a redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module;

a processor blade in a first blade slot within the plurality of blade slots;

a storage blade in a second blade slot within the plurality of blade slots, wherein the storage blade is located within a chassis of the blade server system and comprises a plurality of storage devices,

wherein the processor blade accesses the plurality of storage devices via the given switch module and the redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module; and

a management module that monitors components within the blade server system.

9. The blade server system of claim 8, wherein the given switch module is a serial attached small computer systems interface switch module and wherein the communications fabric is a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.

10. The blade server system of claim 8, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an InfiniBand fabric.

11. The blade server system of claim 10, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an Ethernet fabric.

12. A method for providing a blade server system, the method comprising:

providing a blade server system with a plurality of blade slots within a chassis of the blade server system;

providing a management module within the chassis of the blade server system wherein the management module monitors components within the blade server system;

providing at least one switch module within the chassis of the blade server system, wherein the at least one switch module provides connectivity to a communications fabric and is connected to the plurality of blade slots via an internal fabric within the blade server system, wherein a given switch module within the at least one switch module has a redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module;

installing a processor blade in a given blade slot within the plurality of blade slots; and

connecting the given switch module to a storage enclosure, wherein the processor blade connects to the storage enclosure via the given switch module and the communications fabric, wherein the processor blade accesses the storage enclosure using the redundant array of independent disks controller integrated within the given switch module, and wherein the storage enclosure comprises one or more storage devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the given switch module is a serial attached small computer systems interface switch module and wherein the communications fabric is a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage enclosure is an external storage enclosure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage enclosure is an internal storage enclosure that is located within a chassis of the blade server system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage enclosure is a blade in one of the plurality of blade slots.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard disk drives.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an InfiniBand fabric, an Ethernet fabric, or a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.