Apparatus, system, and method for enabling multiple storage-system configurations
A configurable storage-system drawer may include (1) a chassis, (2) a slide assembly coupled to a side of the chassis that is configured to enable the chassis to be temporarily pulled out of a data-center rack, and (3) a passive drive-plane board housed within the chassis and configured to enable storage-system modules that differ between two or more storage-system configurations of the storage-system drawer to be interchanged. In some examples, the passive drive-plane board may include (1) storage-drive connectors that are each configured to detachably mate with a storage drive, (2) a storage-system-module connector configured to detachably mate with a storage-system module that includes one or more components necessary for one of the two or more storage-system configurations, and (3) electrical interconnects that electrically couple the storage-drive connectors to the storage-system-module connector. Various other apparatus, systems, and methods for enabling multiple storage-system configurations are also disclosed.
1. A configurable storage-system drawer comprising:
a chassis;
a passive drive-plane board comprising:
first storage-drive connectors;
a first storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with two or more of a first type of storage-controller module, a second type of storage-controller module, and a third type of storage-controller module, wherein:
the first type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a single-server configuration;
the second type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a dual-server configuration; and
the third type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration;
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 first type, the second type, and the third type of storage-controller modules;
second electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second storage-drive connectors to the second storage-controller-module connector.
2. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 1 , wherein the passive drive-plane board further comprises:
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.
3. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , further comprising:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
the first compute module mated to the first compute-module connector;
a first storage-controller module of the first type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first input/output controller electrically coupled to the compute module via the third electrical interconnects;
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a first connector electrically coupled to a second connector of a second storage-controller module of the first type via a cable; and
the second storage-controller module mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a second input/output controller electrically decoupled from any compute module via the fourth electrical interconnects;
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects; and
the second connector electrically coupled to the first connector of the first storage-controller module via the cable.
4. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 3 , wherein:
the first and second input/output controllers are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface controllers;
the first and second expanders are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface expanders; and
the first and second connectors are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface ports.
5. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 3 , wherein:
the passive drive-plane board further comprises:
an input/output-module connector configured to accept an input/output module; and
fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the input/output-module connector;
the configurable storage-system drawer further comprises the input/output module; and
the input/output module comprises:
a third connector accessible via a front of the chassis;
a third input/output controller electrically coupled to the third connector.
6. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , further comprising:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
the first compute module mated to the first compute-module connector;
the second compute module mated to the second compute-module connector;
a first storage-controller module of the second type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first input/output controller electrically coupled to the first compute module via the third electrical interconnects; and
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a second storage-controller module of the second type mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a second input/output controller electrically coupled to the second compute module via the fourth electrical interconnects; and
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects.
7. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 5 , wherein:
the first and second input/output controllers are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface controllers; and
the first and second expanders are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface expanders.
8. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 6 , wherein:
the passive drive-plane board further comprises:
a first input/output-module connector configured to accept a first input/output module;
fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the first input/output-module connector;
a second input/output-module connector configured to accept a second input/output module; and
sixth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second compute-module connector to the second input/output-module connector;
the configurable storage-system drawer further comprises the first and second input/output modules;
the first input/output module comprises:
a third connector accessible via a front of the chassis; and
a third input/output controller electrically coupled to the third connector; and
the second input/output module comprises:
a fourth connector accessible via the front of the chassis; and
a fourth input/output controller electrically coupled to the fourth connector.
9. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 2 , further comprising:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
a first storage-controller module of the third type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first connector electrically coupled, via a first cable, to a second connector accessible from a front of the chassis; and
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a second storage-controller module of the third type mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a third connector electrically coupled, via a second cable, to a fourth connector accessible from the front of the chassis; and
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects.
10. The configurable storage-system drawer of claim 9 , wherein:
the first and second expanders are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface expanders; and
the first, second, third, and fourth connectors are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface ports.
11. A configurable data-center rack comprising:
a first configurable storage-system drawer; and
a second configurable storage-system drawer comprising:
a first chassis;
a first passive drive-plane board comprising:
first storage-drive connectors;
a first storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with two or more of a first type of storage-controller module, a second type of storage-controller module, and a third type of storage-controller module, wherein:
the first type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a single-server configuration of the second configurable storage-system drawer;
the second type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a dual-server configuration of the second configurable storage-system drawer; and
the third type of storage-controller module comprises one or more storage-controller components necessary for a just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration of the second configurable storage-system drawer;
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 first type, the second type, and the third type of storage-controller modules;
second electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second storage-drive connectors to the second storage-controller-module connector.
12. The configurable data-center rack of claim 11 , wherein the first passive drive-plane board further comprises:
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.
13. The configurable data-center rack of claim 12 , wherein:
the second configurable storage-system drawer further comprises:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
the first compute module mated to the first compute-module connector;
a first storage-controller module of the first type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first input/output controller electrically coupled to the compute module via the third electrical interconnects;
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a first connector electrically coupled to a second connector of a second storage-controller module of the first type via a cable; and
the second storage-controller module mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a second input/output controller electrically decoupled from any compute module via the fourth electrical interconnects;
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects; and
the second connector electrically coupled to the first connector of the first storage-controller module via the cable.
14. The configurable data-center rack of claim 13 , wherein:
the first and second input/output controllers are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface controllers;
the first and second expanders are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface expanders; and
the first and second connectors are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface ports.
15. The configurable data-center rack of claim 13 , wherein:
the passive drive-plane board further comprises:
an input/output-module connector configured to accept an input/output module; and
fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the input/output-module connector;
the second configurable storage-system drawer further comprises the input/output module; and
the input/output module comprises:
a third connector accessible via a front of the chassis;
a third input/output controller electrically coupled to the third connector.
16. The configurable data-center rack of claim 12 , wherein:
the second configurable storage-system drawer further comprises:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
the first compute module mated to the first compute-module connector;
the second compute module mated to the second compute-module connector;
a first storage-controller module of the second type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first input/output controller electrically coupled to the first compute module via the third electrical interconnects; and
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a second storage-controller module of the second type mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a second input/output controller electrically coupled to the second compute module via the fourth electrical interconnects; and
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects.
17. The configurable data-center rack of claim 16 , wherein:
the first and second input/output controllers are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface controllers; and
the first and second expanders are serial-attached small-computer-system-interface expanders.
18. The configurable data-center rack of claim 16 , wherein:
the passive drive-plane board further comprises:
a first input/output-module connector configured to accept a first input/output module;
fifth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the first compute-module connector to the first input/output-module connector;
a second input/output-module connector configured to accept a second input/output module; and
sixth electrical interconnects that electrically couple the second compute-module connector to the second input/output-module connector;
the second configurable storage-system drawer further comprises the first and second input/output modules;
the first input/output module comprises:
a third connector accessible via a front of the chassis; and
a third input/output controller electrically coupled to the third connector; and
the second input/output module comprises:
a fourth connector accessible via the front of the chassis; and
a fourth input/output controller electrically coupled to the fourth connector.
19. The configurable data-center rack of claim 12 , wherein:
the second configurable storage-system drawer further comprises:
first storage drives mated to the first storage-drive connectors;
second storage drives mated to the second storage-drive connectors;
a first storage-controller module of the third type mated to the first storage-controller-module connector, the first storage-controller module comprising:
a first connector electrically coupled, via a first cable, to a second connector accessible from a front of the chassis; and
a first expander electrically coupled to the first storage drives via the first electrical interconnects; and
a second storage-controller module of the third type mated to the second storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-controller module comprising:
a third connector electrically coupled, via a second cable, to a fourth connector accessible from the front of the chassis; and
a second expander electrically coupled to the second storage drives via the second electrical interconnects.
20. A method comprising:
pulling out, from a data-center rack, a configurable storage-system drawer capable of a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein:
the first and second configurations are each a different one of:
a single-server configuration;
a dual-server configuration; or
a just-a-bunch-of-drives configuration; and
the configurable storage-system drawer comprises:
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-system module that comprises one or more components necessary for the first configuration; and
a passive drive-plane board configured to enable storage-system modules that differ between the first configuration and the second configuration to be interchanged, the passive drive-plane board comprising:
a plurality of storage-drive connectors, each of the plurality of storage-drive connectors configured to detachably mate with a storage drive;
a storage-controller-module connector configured to detachably mate with the first storage-system module; and
a plurality of electrical interconnects that electrically couple the plurality of storage-drive connectors to the storage-controller-module connector;
removing the first storage-system module from the storage-controller-module connector;
inserting a second storage-system module into the storage-controller-module connector, the second storage-system module comprising one or more components necessary for the second configuration; and
pushing the configurable storage-system drawer back into the data-center rack.