Wireless data storage chassis

• US 9,753,671 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rubrik, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Igneous Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Timothy Rex, Hughes, Jeffrey Douglas, Bhageshpur, Kiran V.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAYA, TEJIS A
• Application Number:
  US15/173,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4027 using bus bridges G06F13/4022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to a data storage chassis for storing a plurality of non-specific storage drives, corresponding wireless controllers, and one or more radio adapters. The storage drives are operative to communicate with another network device over a network. A storage drive wirelessly communicates with other storage drives of the chassis, as well as one or more radio adapters of the chassis. The wireless controller corresponding to a storage drive is operative to wirelessly communicate with other wireless controllers corresponding to other storage drives and also with one or more radio adapters via wireless waveguides of the chassis. The one or more radio adapters are operative to communicate with other network devices external to the chassis and serve as access points to the chassis. Because the storage drives, the corresponding controllers, and the radio adapters communicate via wireless signals transmitted along waveguides, the chassis is a wireless chassis.

Claims

1. A housing for storing a plurality of storage drives, wherein each of the plurality of storage drives are operative to communicate over a network, wherein the housing comprises:

one or more radio adapters that perform one or more actions, comprising communicating wireless signals in an airspace between the one or more radio adapters and one or more wireless controllers, wherein each storage drive includes one or more wireless controllers; and

one or more separate mechanical waveguides that are coupled along at least a portion of a dimension of the housing, and wherein the one or more separate mechanical waveguides include one or more internal cavities that provide the airspace for transmission of the one or more wireless signals between the one or more wireless controllers and the one or more radio adapters.

2. The housing of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio adapters include one or more wireless interfaces and one or more external communication interfaces.

3. The housing of claim 1, wherein the one or more radio adapters perform further actions, comprising one or more of:

multiplexing frequencies of wireless signals communicated, in the airspace, between the one or more radio adapters and the one or more wireless controllers;

or

multiplexing wireless signals communicated, in the airspace, between the one or more radio adapters and the one or more wireless controllers based on one or more characteristics of the airspace.

4. The housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more remote communication interfaces that provide communication over the network with one or more remotely located network computers.

5. The housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more characteristics of the airspace that are based on one or more non-uniform surfaces positioned within the one or more internal cavities.

6. The housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

two or more antennas for the one or more wireless controllers to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals;

or

two or more antennas for the one or more radio adapters to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals.

7. The housing of claim 1, further comprising:

a first waveguide that guides transmission of the one or more wireless signals between a first portion of the one or more wireless controllers and a first portion of the one or more radio adapters; and

a second waveguide that guides transmission of the one or more wireless signals between a second portion of the one or more wireless controllers and a second portion of the one or more radio adapters.

8. A storage drive that communicates over a network and is positioned in a housing, wherein the storage drive performs actions comprising:

communicating wireless signals in an airspace in the housing between one or more radio adapters and one or more wireless controllers, wherein each storage drive in the housing includes one or more wireless controllers; and

wherein the housing includes one or more separate mechanical waveguides that are coupled along at least a portion of a dimension of the housing, and wherein the one or more separate mechanical waveguides include one or more internal cavities that provide the airspace for transmission of the one or more wireless signals between the one or more wireless controllers and the one or more radio adapters.

9. The storage drive of claim 8, wherein the one or more radio adapters include one or more wireless interfaces and one or more external communication interfaces.

10. The storage drive of claim 8, wherein the one or more radio adapters perform further actions, comprising one or more of:

multiplexing frequencies of wireless signals communicated, in the airspace, between the one or more radio adapters and the one or more wireless controllers;

or

multiplexing wireless signals communicated, in the airspace, between the one or more radio adapters and the one or more wireless controllers based on one or more characteristics of the airspace.

11. The storage drive of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises one or more remote communication interfaces that provide communication over the network with one or more remotely located network computers.

12. The storage drive of claim 8, wherein the airspace further comprises one or more characteristics of the airspace that are based on one or more non-uniform surfaces positioned within the one or more internal cavities.

13. The storage drive of claim 8, further comprising one or more of:

two or more antennas for the one or more wireless controllers to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals;

or

two or more antennas for the one or more radio adapters to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals.

14. The storage drive of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprises:

a first waveguide that guides transmission of the one or more wireless signals between a first portion of the one or more wireless controllers and a first portion of the one or more radio adapters; and

a second waveguide that guides transmission of the one or more wireless signals between a second portion of the one or more wireless controllers and a second portion of the one or more radio adapters.

15. A radio adapter that communicates over a network and is positioned in a housing, wherein the radio adapter performs actions comprising:

communicating wireless signals in an airspace, in the housing, with one or more wireless controllers, wherein each of a plurality of storage drives in the housing include one or more wireless controllers; and

wherein the housing includes one or more separate mechanical waveguides that are coupled along at least a portion of a dimension of the housing, and wherein the one or more separate mechanical waveguides include one or more internal cavities that provide the airspace for transmission of the one or more wireless signals between the one or more wireless controllers and the radio adapter.

16. The radio adapter of claim 15, wherein the radio adapter includes one or more wireless interfaces and one or more external communication interfaces.

17. The radio adapter of claim 15, wherein the radio adapter performs further actions, comprising one or more of:

multiplexing frequencies of wireless signals communicated in the airspace between the radio adapter and the one or more wireless controllers;

or

multiplexing wireless signals communicated in the airspace between the radio adapter and the one or more wireless controllers based on one or more characteristics of the airspace.

18. The radio adapter of claim 15, wherein the housing further comprises one or more remote communication interfaces that provide communication over the network with one or more remotely located network computers.

19. The radio adapter of claim 15, wherein the airspace further comprises one or more characteristics of the airspace that are based on one or more non-uniform surfaces positioned within the one or more internal cavities.

20. The radio adapter of claim 15, further comprising one or more of:

two or more antennas for the one or more wireless controllers to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals;

or

two or more antennas for the one or more radio adapters to provide multipath communication of the one or more wireless signals.