Dual-sided rackmount storage assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9653124-B2
Application number	US-201514846431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2015
Priority date	Sep 4, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and assemblies for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage assembly is presented. The data storage assembly includes a midplane assembly configured to electrically couple on a first side to storage modules and compute modules, electrically couple on a second side to communication modules and one or more power supply modules. The data storage assembly includes a chassis configured to mechanically house and structurally support each of the storage modules, the compute modules, the communication modules, and the one or more power supply modules when coupled to the midplane assembly to form the data storage assembly and allow installation of the data storage assembly into a rackmount environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data storage assembly, comprising: a midplane assembly comprising at least two circuit boards and configured to: electrically couple via a first circuit board on a first side of the midplane assembly to a plurality of storage modules; electrically couple via the first circuit board on the first side of the midplane assembly to a plurality of compute modules, wherein first ones of the plurality of communication modules comprise external communication interfacing modules and second ones of the plurality of communication modules comprise cross-coupling modules which span between the first circuit board and a second circuit board; electrically couple via the second circuit board on a second side of the midplane assembly opposite the first side to a plurality of communication modules; electrically interconnect ones of the plurality of storage modules, the plurality of compute modules, and the plurality of communication modules; receive power from one or more power supply modules and distribute the power to the plurality of storage modules, the plurality of compute modules, and the plurality of communication modules; one or more fan modules mounted between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the one or more fan modules configured to: provide airflow to the data storage assembly through at least a plurality of apertures in the first circuit board and the second circuit board; and a chassis configured to: mechanically house and structurally support each of the plurality of storage modules, the plurality of compute modules, the plurality of communication modules, and the one or more power supply modules when coupled to the midplane assembly to form the data storage assembly and allow installation of the data storage assembly into a rackmount environment.

2. The data storage assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
the plurality of storage modules comprising storage sleds arranged into at least one octet, the octet comprising a carrier that houses and structurally supports up to eight removable ones of the storage sleds and the octet configured to be insertable into a front-side bay type of the data storage assembly.

3. The data storage assembly of claim 2 , comprising:
the plurality of compute modules configured to be interchangeable with the octet into the front side bay type of the data storage assembly.

4. The data storage assembly of claim 2 , comprising:
the octet coupled to an interposer board which communicatively couples each of the eight removable ones of the storage sleds of the octet to the midplane assembly.

5. The data storage assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
the plurality of compute modules each comprising a deformable latch mechanism to provide insertion force for an associated compute module into at least one corresponding connector on the midplane assembly for an associated bay of the data storage assembly.

6. The data storage assembly of claim 5 , comprising:
the deformable latch mechanism comprising a two-layer configuration with an upper member and a lower member, the lower member configured to deform in relation to the upper member during insertion of the associated compute module into the at least one corresponding connector, and the lower member comprising a first feature to interfere with a second feature of the upper member when the lower member has deformed a predetermined amount with respect to the upper member.

7. The data storage assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
when in a compute-centric configuration, the data storage assembly configured to house a greater number of the plurality of compute modules into front bays of the data storage assembly than the plurality of storage modules; and
when in a storage-centric configuration, the data storage assembly configured to house a greater number of the plurality of storage modules into the front bays than the plurality of compute modules;
wherein the front bays comprise universal bays that can house any of the plurality of compute modules and the plurality of storage modules.

8. The data storage assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
the plurality of compute modules each comprising two processing systems that each comprise at least one central processing unit (CPU).

9. A data storage assembly, comprising: a plurality of front-side modules insertable into associated front-side bays of the data storage assembly that, when inserted, couple by associated electrical connectors to a front portion of a midplane assembly; a plurality of rear-side modules insertable into associated rear-side bays of the data storage assembly that, when inserted, couple by associated electrical connectors to a rear portion of the midplane assembly, wherein one or more of the rear-side modules comprise cross-coupling modules configured to span between and electrical couple using associated connectors both the front portion of the midplane assembly and the rear portion of the midplane assembly; and the front portion of the midplane assembly and the rear portion of the midplane assembly spaced apart to provide volume for one or more fan modules inserted into the volume between the front portion of the midplane assembly and the rear portion of the midplane assembly.

10. The data storage assembly of claim 9 , comprising:
ones of the plurality of front-side modules and ones of the plurality of rear-side modules each comprising at least one deformable latch mechanism to provide insertion force for an associated module into at least one corresponding connector on the midplane assembly for an associated bay of the data storage assembly.

11. The data storage assembly of claim 10 , comprising:
the deformable latch mechanism comprising a two-layer configuration with an upper member and a lower member, the lower member configured to deform in relation to the upper member during insertion of the associated compute module into the at least one corresponding connector, and the lower member comprising a first feature to interfere with a second feature of the upper member when the lower member has deformed a predetermined amount with respect to the upper member.

12. A method of operating a data storage assembly, the method comprising:
housing in the data storage assembly one or more compute modules into front bays of the data storage assembly;
housing in the data storage assembly one or more data storage octet modules into the front bays of the data storage assembly;
housing in the data storage assembly one or more communication modules into rear bays of the data storage assembly;
coupling electrical signaling associated with both the front bays through a front circuit board of a midplane assembly;
coupling electrical signaling associated with both the rear bays through a rear circuit board of the midplane assembly;
coupling electrical signaling between the front circuit board and the rear circuit board of the midplane assembly using one or more cross-connect modules inserted into the rear bays that span the front circuit board and the rear circuit board;
providing a volume between the front circuit board and the rear circuit board of the midplane assembly into which one or more fan modules can be inserted to provide airflow to the data storage assembly through a plurality of apertures in the front circuit board and the rear circuit board of the midplane assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
when in a compute-centric configuration, housing in the data storage assembly a greater number of compute modules into the front bays of the data storage assembly than data storage octet modules in the front bays; and
when in a storage-centric configuration, housing in the data stora

Assignees

• Liqid Inc

Inventors

• Heyd Andrew Rudolph
• Walsh Seth
• Rust Brenden Michael
• Long Christopher R
• Breakstone Jason

Classifications

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• G11B33/128 Primary

  of the plurality of recording/reproducing devices, e.g. disk drives, onto a chassis · CPC title

• G06F1/185 Primary

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• G06F1/20

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K7/1457

  Power distribution arrangements · CPC title