HIGH DENSITY ARRAY SYSTEM WITH ACTIVE MOVABLE MEDIA DRAWERS

Abstract

A storage system is provided having at least one storage unit, the storage unit including an electrical power source, a communication source and a cover that defines, at least in part an interior space. The storage system operates with a media blade that comprises a plurality of data storage elements, said media blade moveable in a drawer like motion though a cooperating opening in said cover. The storage system further includes a motion accommodating conductor apparatus connecting said plurality of data storage elements to said electrical power source and said communication source such that power from said electrical power source and communication from said communication source may be provided to said media blade without interruption when said media blade is moved in said drawer like motion outward from at least partially within said interior space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a data storage arrangement constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B shows a commercial embodiment of a High Density Array (HDA) unit consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1C is a side view of the HDA unit illustrating one embodiment of a means to provide uninterrupted power and communication to a storage media blade when the storage media blade is moved between a retracted and extended position.

FIG. 1D is a side view of the HDA unit illustrating an alternative embodiment of a means to provide uninterrupted power and communication to a storage media blade when the storage media blade is moved between a retracted and extended position.

FIG. 1E is a side view of the HDA unit illustrating yet another alternative embodiment of a means to provide uninterrupted power and communication to a storage media blade when the storage media blade is moved between a retracted and extended position.

FIG. 2A is one commercial configuration of a storage media blade populated with ten disk drives consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2B shows a back view of the storage media blade populated with nine disk drives consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2C shows the back side of a bezel module consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows the storage media blade of FIG. 2A without disk drives consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment consistent with the present invention of a retaining mechanism of the illustrative commercial HDA embodiment in more detail.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment consistent with the present invention of a top view of a blade plate board of the illustrative commercial HDA embodiment in more detail.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment consistent with the present invention of an illustration of a blade board schematic layout of the blade plate board of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an illustrative embodiment of one optional configuration of an HDA unit schematic layout consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8A is an illustration of an interconnected multi-HDA system schematic layout consistent with embodiments of the present invention,

FIG. 8B is an illustration of a master HDA and add-on storage media unit layout consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8C is an illustration of a looped connected multi-HDA system schematic layout consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows the commercial embodiment of an HDA unit with the back surface presented consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows the commercial embodiment of an HDA unit with the back surface presented without the removable panel and a server module partially removed consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a top view of the HDA unit without the cover and removable panel consistent with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a method of operation of an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A data storage unit comprising: an electrical power source;a cover that defines at least in part an interior space, said cover having a first opening;a media blade comprising a plurality of data storage elements and a connector apparatus connecting to said plurality of data storage elements; anda motion accommodating conductor apparatus connecting said connector apparatus to said electrical power source, said electrical power source supplying power without interruption to said media blade when said media blade is moved via said first opening from between a first position that is substantially in said interior space and a second position that is less than substantially in said interior space.

2. The data storage unit of claim 1 further comprising a communication source that is linked to said data storage elements via said connector apparatus, said communication source communicatively linked with a host.

3. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said motion accommodating conductor apparatus is selected from the group of tangling prevention conductor systems consisting of: brush and conductive lead system, spring loaded spindle and conductive wire system, conductive wire and flex chain linkage system.

4. The data storage unit of claim 3 wherein said motion accommodating conductor apparatus comprises a communication conductor that links a communication source associated with said data storage unit with said data storage elements via said connector apparatus.

5. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade comprises a board with communication conductive lines and power conductive lines linking each of said plurality of data storage elements with said connector apparatus.

6. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade comprises a mid-plane frame with a first side and a second side wherein said data storage elements are accommodate by at least one of said sides.

7. The data storage unit of claim 6 wherein said data storage elements are disk drives that comprise disks that rotate when operable, any of said disk drives associated with said first side are arranged such that said disks rotate in an opposite direction as said disks associated with any of said disk drives associated with said second side.

8. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade comprises a means for indicating at least one functional status state of each data storage element.

9. The data storage unit of claim 8 wherein said means for indicating said at least one functional status state includes a light element disposed in proximity to said data storage element.

10. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade further comprises a means for cooling said data storage units.

11. The data storage unit of claim 1 further comprising a second media blade accessible via a second opening in said cover.

12. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade further comprises a bezel module, said bezel module comprising a handle for moving said media blade between said first position to said second position.

13. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said media blade is moved from between said first position and said second position in a drawer like motion.

14. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said first opening cooperates with said media blade to provide at least part of a guided pathway through which said media blade is moved from between said first and second positions.

15. The data storage unit of claim 1 wherein said first opening is tailored for moving of said media blade between said first and second positions.

16. The storage unit of claim 1 wherein said data storage elements are selected from one of the group consisting of: disk drives, solid state memory, compact disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy disk drives, and holographic drives.

17. The storage unit of claim 1 wherein said data storage elements are selected from one of the group consisting of: at least two different storage capacities, at least two different form factors, and disk drives comprising at least two different disk rotation speeds.

18. The storage unit of claim 1 wherein said storage media blade further comprises a latch mechanism capable of locking said storage element to said blade.

19. A method of operating a data storage unit wherein the data storage unit comprises a cover that defines at least in part an interior space, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first data package from a host;storing said first data package on at least one of a plurality of data storage elements associated with a first media blade;moving said first media blade in a drawer like motion, via an accommodating opening in said cover, from between a first position, that is substantially within said interior space, and a second position, that is less than substantially within said interior space, while the storing step is being performed and without interrupting said storing step.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising transmitting said first data package from a communication source disposed in said data storage unit to said data storage elements via a motion accommodating conductor apparatus that is tangle inhibiting.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising swapping one of said data storage elements with a different data storage element when said media blade is in said second position.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein said receiving and storing steps occur before said moving step.

23. A data storage unit comprising: an electrical power source;a communication source;a cover that defines at least in part an interior space, the cover having a cooperating opening;a media blade comprising a plurality of data storage elements, said media blade moveable in a drawer like motion though the cooperating opening in said cover; anda motion accommodating conductor apparatus connecting said plurality of data storage elements to said electrical power source and said communication source such that power from said electrical power source and communication from said communication source may be provided to said media blade without interruption when said media blade is moved in said drawer like motion outward from at least partially within said interior space.