Apparatus, system, and method for enabling multiple storage-system configurations

1. A configurable storage-system drawer comprising:

a chassis;

a slide assembly coupled to a side of the chassis, the slide assembly being configured to enable the chassis to be temporarily pulled out of a data-center rack; and

a passive drive-plane board housed within the chassis and configured to enable multiple storage-system configurations of the storage-system drawer, the passive drive-plane board comprising:

first storage-drive connectors;

a first storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with a first storage-controller module that controls access to first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;

first electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first storage-drive connectors to the first storage-controller-module connector;

second storage-drive connectors;

a second storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with a second storage-controller module that controls access to second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;

second electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second storage-drive connectors to the second storage-controller-module connector;

a first compute-module connector configured to detachably mate with a first compute module comprising a first central processing unit;

third electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the first storage-controller-module connector;

a second compute-module connector configured to detachably mate with a second compute module comprising a second central processing unit; and

fourth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second compute-module connector to the second storage-controller-module connector.

2. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 1 , wherein the multiple storage-system configurations of the storage-system drawer comprise at least two of:

a single-server configuration, wherein the first compute module is mated to the first compute-module connector and the second compute-module connector is empty;

a dual-server configuration, wherein the first compute module is mated to the first compute-module connector and the second compute module is mated to the second compute-module connector; or

a just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration, wherein the first compute-module connector and the second compute-module connector are empty.

3. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises a first type of input/output module;

the dual-server configuration comprises a second type of input/output module; and

the passive drive-plane board further comprises:

an input/output-module connector configured to accept an input/output module of the first type and an input/output module of the second type; and

fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the input/output-module connector.

4. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises a first type of storage-controller module;

the dual-server configuration comprises a second type of storage-controller module;

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration comprises a third type of storage-controller module; and

the storage-controller-module connector is configured to accept:

a storage-controller module of the first type;

a storage-controller module of the second type; and

a storage-controller module of the third type.

5. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , wherein the multiple storage-system configurations of the storage-system drawer comprise:

the single-server configuration;

the dual-server configuration; and

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration.

6. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 5 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises:

a first type of input/output module;

one compute module; and

a first type of storage-controller module;

the dual-server configuration comprises:

a second type of input/output module;

two compute modules; and

a second type of storage-controller module;

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration comprises:

no input/output modules;

no compute modules; and

a third type of storage-controller module;

the storage-controller-module connector is configured to accept:

a storage-controller module of the first type;

a storage-controller module of the second type; and

a storage-controller module of the third type; and

the passive drive-plane board further comprises

an input/output-module connector configured to accept an input/output module of the first type and an any input/output module of the second type.

7. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 1 , wherein the first compute-module connector is configured to enable hot-swapping of compute modules.

8. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 1 , wherein:

the chassis comprises a front through which air is able to pass and a rear through which air is able to pass; and

the configurable storage-system drawer further comprises:

a fan coupled to a rear of the chassis, the fan being configured to pull an airflow rearward through the chassis; and

airflow-retaining members that are configured to cause substantially all of the airflow to enter the chassis through the front of the chassis when the configurable storage-system drawer is pulled out of the data-center rack.

9. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 8 , wherein:

the passive drive-plane board further comprises:

an input/output-module connector configured to accept an input/output module having a heatsink; and

fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the input/output-module connector; and

one of the airflow-retaining members comprises an opening that is configured to enable a portion of the airflow to bypass the front of the chassis and instead pass from under the configurable storage-system drawer across the heatsink.

10. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 1 , wherein the slide assembly comprises:

a first dampening member configured to reduce a shock applied to the chassis when the configurable storage-system drawer is pulled out of the data-center rack; and

a second dampening member configured to reduce a shock applied to the chassis when the configurable storage-system drawer is pushed into the data-center rack.

11. A storage-system drawer comprising:

first of storage drives;

second storage drives;

a first storage-controller module that comprises first storage-controller components necessary for controlling access to the first storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in a first configuration;

a second storage-controller module that comprises second storage-controller components necessary for controlling access to the second storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in the first configuration;

a chassis;

a slide assembly coupled to a side of the chassis, the slide assembly being configured to enable the chassis to be temporarily pulled out of a data-center rack; and

a passive drive-plane board housed within the chassis and configured to enable the storage-system drawer to be changed from the first configuration to a second configuration, the passive drive-plane board comprising:

first storage-drive connectors mated to the first storage drives;

a first storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with the first storage-controller module;

first electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first storage-drive connectors to the first storage-controller-module connector;

second storage-drive connectors mated to the second storage drives;

a second storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with the second storage-controller module;

second electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second storage-drive connectors to the second storage-controller-module connector;

a first compute-module connector configured to detachably mate with a first compute module comprising a first central processing unit;

third electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the first storage-controller-module connector;

a second compute-module connector configured to detachably mate with a second compute module comprising a second central processing unit; and

fourth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second compute-module connector to the second storage-controller-module connector.

12. The storage-system drawer of claim 11 , wherein the first configuration and the second configuration comprise two of:

a single-server configuration, wherein the first compute module is mated to the first compute-module connector and the second compute-module connector is empty;

a dual-server configuration, wherein the first compute module is mated to the first compute-module connector and the second compute module is mated to the second compute-module connector; or

a just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration, wherein the first compute-module connector and the second compute-module connector are empty.

13. The storage-system drawer of claim 12 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises a first type of storage-controller module;

the dual-server configuration comprises a second type of storage-controller module;

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration comprises a third type of storage-controller module; and

the first storage-controller-module connector and the second storage-controller-module connector are configured to accept:

a storage-controller module of the first type;

a storage-controller module of the second type; and

a storage-controller module of the third type.

14. The storage-system drawer of claim 12 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises a first type of input/output module;

the dual-server configuration comprises a second type of input/output module;

the passive drive-plane board further comprises two input/output-module connectors; and

the two input/output-module connectors are configured to accept:

an input/output module of the first type; and

an input/output module of the second type.

15. The storage-system drawer of claim 12 , wherein configurations of the storage-system drawer comprise:

the single-server configuration;

the dual-server configuration; and

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration.

16. The storage-system drawer of claim 15 , wherein:

the single-server configuration comprises:

a first type of input/output module;

one compute module; and

a first type of storage-controller module;

the dual-server configuration comprises:

a second type of input/output module;

two compute modules; and

a second type of storage-controller module; and

the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration comprises:

no input/output modules;

no compute modules; and

a third type of storage-controller module.

17. The storage-system drawer of claim 16 , wherein:

the storage-system drawer has the single-server configuration;

the first storage-controller module and the second storage-controller module are of the first type of storage-controller module; and

the passive drive-plane board further comprises two input/output-module connectors;

the storage-system drawer further comprises:

an input/output module of the first type of input/output module coupled to one of the two input/output-module connectors; and

the first compute module coupled to the first compute-module connector.

18. The storage-system drawer of claim 16 , wherein:

the storage-system drawer has the dual-server configuration;

the first storage-controller module and the second storage-controller module are of the second type of storage-controller module; and

the passive drive-plane board further comprises two input/output-module connectors;

the storage-system drawer further comprises:

two input/output modules of the second type of input/output module coupled to the two input/output-module connectors;

the first compute module coupled to the first compute-module connector; and

the second compute module coupled to the second compute-module connector.

19. The storage-system drawer of claim 16 , wherein:

the storage-system drawer has the just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration;

the first storage-controller module and the second storage-controller module are of the third type of storage-controller module;

the passive drive-plane board further comprises two input/output-module connectors;

the two input/output-module connectors are empty; and

the first compute-module connector and the second compute-module connector are empty.

20. A method comprising:

pulling out a storage-system drawer capable of a first storage-system configuration and a second storage-system configuration from a data-center rack, the storage-system drawer comprising:

a chassis;

a slide assembly coupled to a side of the chassis, the slide assembly being configured to enable the chassis to be temporarily pulled out of the data-center rack;

a first storage-controller module that comprises first components necessary for controlling first storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in the first storage-system configuration;

a second storage-controller module that comprises second components necessary for controlling second storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in the first storage-system configuration; and

a passive drive-plane board housed within the chassis and configured to enable active storage-controller modules that differ between the first storage-system configuration and the second storage-system configuration to be interchanged, the passive drive-plane board comprising:

first storage-drive connectors;

a first storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with the first storage-controller module;

first electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first storage-drive connectors to the first storage-controller-module connector;

second storage-drive connectors;

a second storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with the second storage-controller module; and

second electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second storage-drive connectors to the first storage-controller-module connector;

removing the first storage-controller module from the first storage-controller-module connector;

inserting a third storage-controller module into the first storage-controller-module connector, the third storage-controller module comprising third components necessary for controlling access to the first storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in the second storage-system configuration;

removing the second storage-controller module from the second storage-controller-module connector;

inserting a fourth storage-controller module into the second storage-controller-module connector, the fourth storage-controller module comprising fourth components necessary for controlling access to the second storage drives when the storage-system drawer is in the second storage-system configuration; and

pushing the storage-system drawer back into the data-center rack.