Modular server design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11051422-B2
Application number	US-201816131441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A modular compute platform including an enclosure, a first module including an application specific integrated circuit, the first module being disposed in the enclosure, a second module including an input/output device, the second module being disposed in the enclosure, the input/output device connected to the first module through a first cable, and a third module including a media device disposed in the enclosure, the media device connected to the first module through a second cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular compute platform comprising:
an enclosure;
a first module including an application specific integrated circuit, the first module being disposed in the enclosure;
a second module including an input/output device, the second module being disposed in the enclosure, the input/output device connected to the first module through a first cable, wherein the second module further includes an optical connector connected to an optical transceiver via an optical cable, wherein the optical connector is disposed on an outer edge of the second module or the enclosure; and
a third module comprising a media device disposed in the enclosure, the media device connected to the first module through a second cable;
wherein the optical transceiver is connected to the first module via an electrical connector, wherein the optical transceiver is disposed adjacent to the first module and proximate to one or more fans of the compute platform for dissipating heat from the optical transceiver.

2. The modular compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the first module is interchangeable with a fourth module, the fourth module comprising a second application specific integrated circuit.

3. The module compute platform of claim 2 , wherein the first module and the fourth module have at least one common connection location.

4. The modular compute platform of claim 2 , wherein the fourth module is connectable to the second module through the first cable and the third module through the second cable.

5. The modular compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the input/output device comprises at least one peripheral component interconnect express device connected to the first module through a third cable.

6. The modular compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the second module is physically separated from the first module.

7. The module compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the first module further comprises a processor.

8. The modular compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, and third modules are disposed adjacent to one another along a length of the enclosure.

9. The modular compute platform of claim 1 , wherein the optical connector is disposed on an exterior surface of the enclosure.

10. A method of modularly exchanging compute platform components, the method comprising:
selecting a first module disposed in an enclosure, the first module comprising an application specific integrated circuit;
disconnecting a first cable connecting the first module to a component of a second module disposed in the enclosure, wherein the second module includes an optical connector connected to an optical transceiver via an optical cable, wherein the optical connector is disposed on an outer edge of the second module or the enclosure;
removing the first module from the enclosure;
selecting a third module, the third module comprising a second application specific integrated circuit;
inserting the third module into the enclosure;
connecting the third module to the second module with the first cable;
connecting the third module to a fourth module with a second cable, the fourth module comprising a media device disposed in the enclosure; and
connecting the optical transceiver to the third module via an electrical connector, wherein the optical transceiver is disposed adjacent to the first module and proximate to one or more fans of the compute platform for dissipating heat from the optical transceiver.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising disconnecting the second cable connecting the first module to the fourth module.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removing the component from the second module and replacing the component with a second component.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical connector is disposed on an exterior surface of the enclosure.

14. A method of optimizing modular compute platforms, the method comprising:
selecting a modular compute platform comprising a first module having an application specific integrated circuit, a second module having an input/output device, and a third module having a media device, wherein the second module further includes an optical connector connected to the optical transceiver via an optical cable, and wherein the optical transceiver is connected to the first module via an electrical connector, and wherein the optical connector is disposed on an outer edge of the second module or an enclosure;
determining at least one of the first module, the second module, and the third module requires modification based on an optimization parameter;
inserting at least one of a fourth module having a second application specific integrated circuit to replace the first module, a new component in the second module to replace an old component in the second module, and new component in the third module to replace an old component in the third module;
determining whether the modular compute platform is optimized based on the optimization parameter and at least partially on data received through an optical transceiver connected to the first module, wherein the optical transceiver is disposed adjacent to the first module and proximate to one or more fans of the compute platform for dissipating heat from the optical transceiver; and
simulating the modular compute platform with at least one of the fourth module, the new component in the second module, and the new component in the third module, generating simulation data based on the simulating, and comparing the simulation data to an original modular compute platform functionality data.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optimization parameter comprises at least one of a signal speed, a processing speed, a signal loss, a power factor, a heat factor, a technology factor, an efficiency factor, a reliability factor, a cost factor, a reuse factor, and an environmental factor.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising removing at least one of the first module, the old component in the second module, and the old component in the third module.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first module is disposed in the enclosure, the second module is disposed in the enclosure and connected to the first module through a first cable, and the third module is disposed in the enclosure and connected to the first module through a second cable.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical connector is disposed on an exterior surface of the enclosure.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Norton John
• Engler David W
• Wienchol Hermann

Classifications

• G06F1/183 Primary

  Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards · CPC title

• G02B6/4278

  related to pluggable or demountable opto-electronic or electronic elements · CPC title

• H05K7/1489 Primary

  characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays (H05K7/1491 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/185 Primary

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• H05K7/1498

  Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location (thermal management H05K7/20836) · CPC title