Integrated RAID Controller and SAS Switch

• US 20080147844A1
• Filed: 10/30/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lucas, Gregg Steven, Islam, Rezaul Shah Mohammad, Vojnovich, Theodore Brian, Schneebeli, Kenneth Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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;

at least one processor blade in a given blade slot;

at least one switch module that provides connectivity to a communications fabric and is connected to the at least one processor blade via an internal fabric, wherein a given switch module within the at least one switch module has an integrated redundant array of independent disks controller,

wherein the given switch module is connected to a storage enclosure.

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. The blade server system of claim 1, further comprising:

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

9. A blade server system, comprising:

a plurality of blade slots;

a processor blade in a first blade slot;

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

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

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

10. The blade server system of claim 9, 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.

11. The blade server system of claim 9, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an InfiniBand fabric.

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

13. The blade server system of claim 9, further comprising:

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

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

providing a blade server system with a plurality of blade slots;

providing at least one processor blade in a given blade slot;

providing at least one switch module that provides connectivity to a communications fabric, wherein a given switch module within the at least one switch module has an integrated redundant array of independent disks controller; and

connecting the given switch module to a storage enclosure.

15. The method of claim 14, 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.

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

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the storage enclosure is an internal storage enclosure that is located within a chassis of the blade server system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the storage enclosure is a blade in one of the plurality of blade slots.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the storage enclosure includes a plurality of hard disk drives.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch module provides connectivity to an InfiniBand fabric, an Ethernet fabric, or a serial attached small computer systems interface fabric.