Modular solid-state storage system

1. A system comprising:

a chassis;

a hardware module bay disposed in a front portion of the chassis,

wherein the hardware module bay is configured to accommodate at least a first horizontally oriented hardware module and a second horizontally oriented hardware module,

wherein the first horizontally oriented hardware module is slidably insertable into a center location of the hardware module bay,

wherein the second horizontally oriented hardware module is slidably insertable into one selected from a group consisting of a top location and a bottom location, of the hardware module bay;

a main printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a chipset for communication with a hardware module inserted into the hardware module bay; and

a midplane disposed between the main PCB and the hardware module bay,

wherein the midplane is configured to electrically interface at least the first and second horizontally oriented hardware modules, inserted into the hardware module bay, with the main PCB upon insertion of at least the first and second horizontally oriented hardware modules,

wherein the midplane comprises:

a center midplane PCB disposed coplanar to the first horizontally oriented hardware module; and

one selected from a group consisting of a top midplane PCB and a bottom midplane PCB, disposed coplanar to the second horizontally oriented hardware module,

wherein the center midplane PCB electrically interfaces with the main PCB through a first board-to-board connector and is configured to provide an electrical interface between the main PCB and the first horizontally oriented hardware module,

wherein the one selected from the group consisting of the top midplane PCB and the bottom midplane PCB, electrically interfaces with the center midplane PCB through a second board-to-board connector and is configured to provide an electrical interface between the center midplane PCB and the second horizontally oriented hardware module.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chassis is a rack-mount chassis.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the rack-mount chassis is one rack unit high.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the midplane electrical interface comprises a power and a data interface.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fan module, wherein the fan module is disposed in a rear portion of the chassis.

6. The system of claim 5 ,

wherein the hardware module bay is further configured to accommodate the at least one horizontally oriented hardware module such that gaps are provided above and below the at least one hardware module, and

wherein an airflow generated by the fan module passes along the upper and lower horizontal surfaces of the at least one hardware module, through the gaps.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a power supply configured to power at least one selected from a group consisting of the first horizontally oriented hardware module and the second horizontally oriented hardware module.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a hardware module bay disposed in a rear portion of the chassis.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a removable front fan module, disposed in front of the hardware module bay disposed in the front portion of the chassis; and

a removable rear fan module disposed behind the hardware module bay disposed in the rear portion of the chassis.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the removable front fan module and the removable rear fan module redundantly generate an airflow through the chassis.