Removeable drive-plane apparatus, system, and method
A removeable drive-plane board may include (1) keyhole openings that are configured to interlock with keyhole fasteners of a retaining member of a storage-system chassis, (2) storage-drive connectors, (3) a storage-system module connector, and (4) electrical interconnects that electrically couple the storage-drive connectors to the storage-system module connector. In some examples, the keyhole fasteners of the retaining member may be oriented downward relative to the storage-system chassis. Various other removeable drive-plane apparatus, systems, and methods are also disclosed.
1. A removeable drive-plane board comprising:
a plurality of storage-drive connectors;
a storage-system module connector electrically coupled to the plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a plurality of keyhole openings that are configured to interlock with a plurality of keyhole fasteners of a storage-drive retaining member of a storage-system chassis, wherein:
the storage-system chassis comprises an open bottom;
the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member are oriented downward relative to the open bottom of the storage-system chassis;
the storage-drive retaining member is configured to retain a plurality of storage drives within the storage-system chassis after the plurality of storage drives are unseated from the plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
the plurality of keyhole openings are oriented to enable the removeable drive-plane board to be removed from the open bottom of the storage-system chassis while the plurality of storage drives are retained within the storage-system chassis.
2. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 1 , wherein
the removeable drive-plane board further comprises an opening configured to accept a fastener, the fastener being configured to secure the removable drive-plane board to the storage-drive retaining member when the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are interlocked with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
3. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 2 , wherein
the fastener comprises a screw having a hand knob.
4. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are oriented to enable:
rearward disengagement of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board from the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member; and
forward engagement of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
5. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front drive section located on a top side of the removable drive-plane board, the front drive section comprising a front portion of the plurality of storage-drive connectors;
a rear drive section located on the top side of the removable drive-plane board, the rear drive section comprising a rear portion of the plurality of storage-drive connectors;
an opening located between the front drive section and the rear drive section that allows air to flow from below the removable drive-plane board to above the removable drive-plane board; and
an air baffle configured to direct a portion of an airflow through the opening from below the removable drive-plane board to above the removable drive-plane board.
6. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 5 , wherein the air baffle comprises two or more fingerholds that enable a technician to grasp and remove the removable drive-plane board from the storage-system chassis by sliding the removable drive-plane board backward such that the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board disengage from the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
7. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 5 , further comprising:
a front printed circuit board that comprises the front drive section; and
a rear printed circuit board coupled to the front printed circuit board, the rear printed circuit board comprising the rear drive section; wherein:
the opening is a gap located between the front printed circuit board and the rear printed circuit board; and
the air baffle is:
composed of rigid plastic;
coupled to the front printed circuit board and the rear printed circuit board; and
configured to rigidly tie the front printed circuit board to the rear printed circuit board.
8. The removeable drive-plane board of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of storage drives comprises a plurality of carrierless storage drives; and
the storage-drive retaining member comprises a multi-purpose storage-system partition configured to retain the plurality of carrierless storage drives within the storage-system chassis.
9. A storage-system drawer comprising:
a chassis having a front, a left side, a right side, a rear, and an open bottom;
a storage-drive retaining member comprising a plurality of keyhole fasteners that are oriented downward relative to the open bottom of the chassis, wherein the storage-drive retaining member is configured to retain a plurality of storage drives within the chassis after the plurality of storage drives are unseated from a plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a removeable drive-plane board comprising:
a plurality of keyhole openings that are configured to interlock with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member, wherein the plurality of keyhole openings are oriented to enable the removeable drive-plane board to be removed from the open bottom of the chassis while the plurality of storage drives are retained within the chassis;
the plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a storage-system module connector electrically coupled to the plurality of storage-drive connectors.
10. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein
the storage-system drawer further comprises a fastener configured to secure the removable drive-plane board to the storage-drive retaining member when the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are interlocked with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
11. The storage-system drawer of claim 10 , wherein
the fastener comprises a screw having a hand knob.
12. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are oriented to enable:
rearward disengagement of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board from the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member; and
forward engagement of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
13. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein the rear of the chassis comprises an additional retaining member configured to retain a rear edge of the removable drive-plane board when the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are disengaged from the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
14. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein the rear of the chassis comprises an additional retaining member configured to position a rear edge of the removable drive-plane board such that the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board can receive the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the storage-drive retaining member.
15. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein:
the plurality of storage drives comprises a plurality of carrierless storage drives; and
the storage-drive retaining member comprises a multi-purpose storage-system partition configured to retain the plurality of carrierless storage drives within the chassis.
16. The storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein the removable drive-plane board comprises:
a front drive section located on a top side of the removable drive-plane board, the front drive section comprising a front portion of the plurality of storage-drive connectors; and
a rear drive section located on the top side of the removable drive-plane board, the rear drive section comprising a rear portion of the plurality of storage-drive connectors;
an opening located between the front drive section and the rear drive section that allows air to flow from below the removable drive-plane board to above the removable drive-plane board;
an air baffle configured to direct a portion of an airflow through the opening from below the removable drive-plane board to above the removable drive-plane board.
17. The storage-system drawer of claim 16 , wherein:
the removable drive-plane board comprises:
a front printed circuit board that comprises the front drive section; and
a rear printed circuit board coupled to the front printed circuit board, the rear printed circuit board comprising the rear drive section;
the opening is a gap located between the front printed circuit board and the rear printed circuit board; and
the air baffle is:
composed of rigid plastic;
coupled to the front printed circuit board and the rear printed circuit board; and
configured to rigidly tie the front printed circuit board to the rear printed circuit board.
18. A method comprising:
pulling out a storage-system drawer from a data-center rack, the storage-system drawer comprising:
a chassis having a front, a left side, a right side, and a rear;
a retaining member coupled to the chassis comprising
a plurality of keyhole fasteners that are oriented downward relative to the chassis; and
a removeable drive-plane board comprising:
a plurality of keyhole openings that are interlocked with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member;
a storage-drive connector that connects a storage drive to the removeable drive-plane board;
a storage-system module connector that connects a storage-system module to the removeable drive-plane board; and
an opening through which a screw having a hand knob is removably engaging the retaining member and securing the removable drive-plane board to the retaining member;
unseating the storage drive from the storage-drive connector;
unseating the storage-system module from the storage-system module connector;
toollessly unscrewing the screw from the retaining member;
sliding the removable drive-plane board so that each of the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member disengages each of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board; and
removing the removable drive-plane board from the chassis.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the rear of the chassis comprises an additional retaining member configured to retain a rear edge of the removable drive-plane board when the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board are disengaged from the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member;
sliding the removable drive-plane board comprises sliding the removable drive-plane board rearward relative to the chassis until the rear edge of the removable drive-plane board contacts the additional retaining member;
removing the removable drive-plane board from the chassis comprises lowering a front edge of the removable drive-plane board until the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member are clear of the plurality of keyhole openings of the removable drive-plane board.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
aligning a plurality of keyhole openings of a replacement drive-plane board with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member;
lifting the replacement drive-plane board until the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member are inserted into the plurality of keyhole openings of the replacement drive-plane board;
sliding the replacement drive-plane board forward relative to the chassis until the plurality of keyhole openings of the replacement drive-plane board are interlocked with the plurality of keyhole fasteners of the retaining member;
screwing the screw into the retaining member;
seating the storage drive to a storage-drive connector of the replacement drive-plane board;
seating the storage-system module to a storage-system module connector of the replacement drive-plane board; and
pushing the storage-system drawer back into the data-center rack.