Wireless storage enterprise connectivity

• US 20050250533A1
• Filed: 05/04/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: El-Batal, Mohamad H., Richardson, Thomas E., Premji, Zahirudeen
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0626 Reducing size or complexity of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A storage enterprise comprising multiple storage enterprise components coupled to exchange signals via respective wireless interfaces. The signals exchanged may include power signals and/or information signals. Power signals may be exchanged by an inductive coupling (wireless) between a first component and a second component. Information signals may include command/status and data signals exchanged between a first component and a second component. Any of several hierarchies of the connections in a storage enterprise may utilize such wireless connections. Exemplary wireless connection may include: storage controller to storage device or storage enclosure, storage enclosure to storage device, SAN appliance to storage device or storage enclosure or storage controller, computing node to storage device or storage enclosure or storage controller or SAN appliance.

Claims

1. A storage enterprise comprising:

a first storage enterprise component including a first wireless interface; and

a second storage enterprise component including a second wireless interface wherein said first storage enterprise component and said second storage enterprise component exchange signals via said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface, respectively.

2. The storage enterprise of claim 1 wherein the exchanged signals are power signals such that the first storage enterprise component supplies power to the second storage enterprise component via the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface, respectively.

3. The storage enterprise of claim 1 wherein information signals are exchanged between said first storage enterprise component and said second storage enterprise component via said first wireless interface and said second wireless interface, respectively.

4. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage controller, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

5. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage controller, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

6. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

7. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage area network appliance, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

8. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a storage area network appliance, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

9. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage enclosure.

10. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage device.

11. The storage enterprise of claim 3

wherein said first storage enterprise component further comprises a computing node, and

wherein said second storage enterprise component further comprises a storage subsystem including multiple storage devices and one or more storage controllers.

12. A system comprising:

a computing system having a wireless interface; and

a storage subsystem having a wireless interface,

wherein said computing system exchanges information signals with said storage subsystem using the wireless interfaces in the computing system and in the storage subsystem.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the storage subsystem further comprises:

a storage controller having a wireless interface; and

a storage enclosure having a wireless interface,

wherein said storage controller exchanges information signals with said storage enclosure using the wireless interfaces in the storage controller and in the storage enclosure.

15. The system of claim 14

wherein the storage subsystem further comprises a power supply source,

wherein the storage enclosure further comprises a wireless coupling to the power supply source to derive operating power therefrom.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the wireless coupling is an inductive coupling.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the storage controller further comprises:

a power supply source; and

a plurality of devices each having a wireless coupling to the power supply source to derive operating power therefrom.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the wireless coupling is an inductive coupling.

13. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a network appliance intermediate the computing system and the storage subsystem, the network appliance further comprising;

a first wireless interface wirelessly coupled to the wireless interface of the computing system; and

a second wireless interface wirelessly coupled to the wireless interface of the storage subsystem,

wherein the network appliance serves as a repeater to forward information signals between the computing system and the storage subsystem.