Hot-swappable adapter system for non-hot-swappable expansion cards
An adapter assembly includes an adapter board. A first connector assembly is coupled to the adapter board and is configured to releasably electrically couple the adapter board to a high-availability IT component. A second connector assembly is coupled to the adapter board and is configured to releasably couple the adapter board to a non-hot-swappable industry standard expansion card. The adapter board includes hot swap logic configured to enable the non-hot-swappable industry standard expansion card to function as a hot-swappable industry standard expansion card.
1. An adapter assembly comprising:
an adapter board;
a first connector assembly coupled to the adapter board and configured to releasably electrically couple the adapter board to a high-availability Information Technology (IT) component; and
a second connector assembly coupled to the adapter board and configured to releasably couple the adapter board to a non-hot-swappable expansion card;
wherein the adapter board includes hot swap logic configured to enable the non-hot-swappable expansion card to function as a hot-swappable industry standard expansion card, the hot swap logic including:
start-stop technology that allows the high-availability IT component to power up and power down the non-hot-swappable expansion card, and
softstart technology that limits the amount of current that the non-hot-swappable expansion card can draw upon being powered up so that the current draw of the non-hot-swappable expansion card is not enough to interfere with the operation of other components of the high-availability IT component.
2. The adapter assembly of claim 1 wherein the high-availability IT component is a portion of a data array.
3. The adapter assembly of claim 1 wherein the non-hot-swappable expansion card is a host bus adapter card.
4. The adapter assembly of claim 1 wherein the adapter assembly is configured to be positioned within an enclosure of a hot swappable IT carrier assembly.
5. A hot swappable Information Technology (IT) carrier assembly comprising:
an enclosure; and
an adapter assembly configured to be positioned within an enclosure, the adapter assembly including:
an adapter board;
a first connector assembly coupled to the adapter board and configured to releasably electrically couple the adapter board to a high-availability IT component; and
a second connector assembly coupled to the adapter board and configured to releasably couple the adapter board to a non-hot-swappable expansion card;
wherein the adapter board includes hot swap logic configured to enable the non-hot-swappable expansion card to function as a hot-swappable expansion card, wherein the hot-swap logic includes:
start-stop technology that allows the high-availability IT component to power up and power down the non-hot-swappable expansion card,
softstart technology that limits the amount of current that the non-hot-swappable expansion card can draw upon being powered up so that the current draw of the non-hot-swappable expansion card is not enough to interfere with the operation of other components of the high-availability IT component.
6. The hot swappable IT carrier assembly of claim 5 wherein the non-hot-swappable expansion card is a host bus adapter card.