Midplane-independent implementations of data storage system enclosures

• US 20040193791A1
• Filed: 03/28/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 storage system comprising a communication bus, a disk drive, a control board having a processing unit connected to the communication bus, and an adapter board in electrical communication with the disk drive. The adapter board has a controller connected to the communication bus. The controller receives instructions over the communication bus from the processing unit and communicates with the disk drive in response to the instructions. Optionally, the storage system has a midplane having a first connector connected to an electrical connector of the control board and a second connector connected to an electrical connector of the adapter board. Attached to opposite sides of the midplane, the first and second connectors are aligned with and electrically connected to each other through the midplane. An electrical signal transmitted between the control board and the adapter board passes directly through the midplane through the first and second midplane connectors.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

a control board having an electrical connector attached thereto;

a disk drive module having a disk drive for storing data and an adapter board electrically connected to the disk drive, the adapter board having an electrical connector attached thereto;

a midplane having a first connector connected to the electrical connector of the control board and a second connector connected to the electrical connector of the adapter board, the first and second connectors of the midplane being attached to opposite sides of the midplane in alignment with and electrically connected to each other through the midplane such that an electrical signal transmitted between the control board and the adapter board passes directly through the midplane through the first and second connectors.

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 the at least one electrical signal path connecting the first disk drive to the adapter board is substantially equal in length to the at least one 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, the at least one electrical signal path connecting the control board to the adapter board of the first disk drive module being substantially equal in length to the at least one 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 selected from one of a Fibre Channel disk drive, an ATA disk drive, and a Serial Attached SCSI disk drive.

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

7. A storage system comprising an enclosure including a control board having an electrical connector attached thereto and a disk drive module, the disk drive module having a disk drive for storing data and an adapter board electrically connected to the disk drive, the adapter board having an electrical connector mated to the electrical connector of the control board, the control board communicating with the disk drive through the adapter board by sending and receiving signals through the mated electrical connectors.

8. The storage system of claim 7, 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.

9. The storage system of claim 8, wherein the at least one electrical signal path connecting the first disk drive to the adapter board is substantially equal in length to the at least one electrical signal path connecting the second disk drive to the adapter board.

10. The storage system of claim 7, 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, the at least one electrical signal path connecting the control board to the adapter board of the first disk drive module being substantially equal in length to the at least one electrical signal path connecting the control board to adapter board of the second disk drive module.

11. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the disk drive is selected from one of a Fibre Channel disk drive, an Advanced Technology Attachment disk drive, and a Serial Attached SCSI disk drive.

12. The storage system of claim 7, wherein the disk drive is in electrical communication with the control board over a serial low-voltage differential signaling communication path.

13. A storage system comprising:

a communication bus;

a disk drive for storing data;

a control board having a processing unit connected to the communication bus; and

an adapter board in electrical communication with the disk drive, the adapter board having a controller connected to the communication bus, the controller receiving commands over the communication bus from the processing unit of the control board and communicating with the disk drive in response to the commands.

14. The storage system of claim 13, wherein the communication bus is one of an I²C bus and an RS232 bus.

15. The storage system of claim 13, wherein the disk drive is selected from one of a Fibre Channel disk drive, an Advanced Technology Attachment disk drive, and a Serial Attached SCSI.

16. The storage system of claim 13, wherein the disk drive is in electrical communication with the control board over a serial low-voltage differential signaling communication path.

17. A method of verifying loop identification and address information sent to first and second control boards of an enclosure over a Fibre Channel loop, the method comprising

storing the information received by the first control board in a first register and the information received by the second control board in a second register;

sending by the first control board a command over a communication bus to the second register to read the information stored therein;

comparing by the first control board the information read from the second register with the information stored in the first register to determine if the first and second control boards received the same information over the Fibre Channel loop.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising triggering an alarm if comparing the information in the first and second registers determines that the first and second control boards received different information.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the information includes enclosure address information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the information includes loop identification information.