# US 10,372,360 B2 · Apparatus, system, and method for reconfigurable media-agnostic storage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,360 B2 - Document ID: US10372360B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/694,068 - Filed: 2017-09-01 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-01 - Assignees: Facebook, Inc. - Applicants: Facebook, Inc. - Inventors: Jason David Adrian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372360B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0629: {Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems} - G06F 3/0613: {in relation to throughput} - G06F 3/0685: {Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays} - G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A storage-media-agnostic chassis apparatus may include a media-agnostic storage bay that (1) is adapted to house media storage devices of a plurality of different media storage device types with different physical dimensions, (2) is reconfigurable via removing at least one media storage device of a media storage device type from the media-agnostic storage bay and inserting at least one media storage device of an additional media storage device type, (3) is dimensioned to simultaneously store a plurality of media storage devices, and (4) comprises a plurality of connectors adapted to simultaneously connect to the media storage devices. The apparatus may also include a storage controller card, a compute module that is separate from but removably attached to the media-agnostic storage bay, and a backplane that facilitates communication between the media storage device and the compute module. Various other methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a media-agnostic storage bay that: is adapted to house media storage devices of a plurality of different media storage device types with different physical dimensions; is reconfigurable via removing at least one media storage device of a media storage device type from the media-agnostic storage bay and inserting at least one media storage device of an additional media storage device type into the media-agnostic storage bay; is dimensioned to simultaneously store a plurality of media storage devices; and is adapted to house a plurality of different types of connectors adapted to simultaneously connect to the plurality of media storage devices; a storage controller card adapted to control at least one media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay; a compute module that is separate from but removably attached to the media-agnostic storage bay and that is connected to the storage controller card; and a backplane that connects to the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay and to the compute module via at least one connector that facilitates communication between the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay and the compute module. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media-agnostic storage bay is adapted to simultaneously house media storage devices of a plurality of different media storage device types with different physical dimensions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a device-holding module that is adapted to hold a plurality of media storage devices in a predetermined configuration within the media-agnostic storage bay. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the device-holding module is adapted to hold media storage devices of a specific media storage device type within the plurality of different media storage device types. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the device-holding module contains a non-conductive fluid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the device-holding module comprises at least one latch adapted to hold a single media storage device in place when closed and enable removal of the single media storage device when open. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input/output module adapted to manage at least one configuration of media storage devices held within the media-agnostic storage bay. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage controller card is configured to control a specific type of media storage device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media-agnostic storage bay is adapted to enable the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay to be removed from the media-agnostic storage bay without the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay being powered down. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay comprises a flash storage device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one drive plane board connected to the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay, the storage controller card, the compute module, and at least one fan module. ### Claim 12 A system comprising: a storage-media-agnostic chassis that comprises: a media-agnostic storage bay that: is adapted to house media storage devices of a plurality of different media storage device types with different physical dimensions; is reconfigurable via removing at least one media storage device of a media storage device type from the media-agnostic storage bay and inserting at least one media storage device of an additional media storage device type into the media-agnostic storage bay; is dimensioned to simultaneously store a plurality of media storage devices; and is adapted to house a plurality of different types of connectors adapted to simultaneously connect to the plurality of media storage devices; a storage controller card adapted to control at least one media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay; a compute module that is separate from but removably attached to the media-agnostic storage bay and that is connected to the storage controller card; and a backplane that connects to the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay and to the compute module via at least one connector that facilitates communication between the media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay and the compute module; a rack adapted to house the storage-media-agnostic chassis; and at least one cable adapted to provide at least one of power or network connectivity to the storage-media-agnostic chassis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising a device-holding module that is adapted to: hold a plurality of media storage devices in a predetermined configuration within the media-agnostic storage bay; and interface with the media-agnostic storage bay such that each media storage device held by the device-holding module is connected to the backplane via at least one connector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising an input/output module that comprises the storage controller card and the compute module. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: assembling a storage-media-agnostic chassis by attaching, to a drive plane board: a media-agnostic storage bay that: is adapted to house media storage devices of a plurality of different media storage device types with different physical dimensions; is reconfigurable via removing at least one media storage device of a media storage device type from the media-agnostic storage bay and inserting at least one media storage device of an additional media storage device type into the media-agnostic storage bay; is dimensioned to simultaneously store a plurality of media storage devices; and is adapted to house a plurality of different types of connectors adapted to simultaneously connect to the plurality of media storage devices; a storage controller card adapted to control at least one media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay; and a compute module that is separate from the media-agnostic storage bay; and connecting the compute module to the storage controller card. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising reconfiguring the media-agnostic storage bay by removing at least one media storage device of a media storage device type from the media-agnostic storage bay and inserting at least one media storage device of an additional media storage device type into the media-agnostic storage bay. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein reconfiguring the media-agnostic storage bay comprises: removing a device-holding module that holds the at least one media storage device of the media storage device type in a predefined configuration; and inserting an additional device-holding module that holds the at least one media storage device of the additional media storage device type in an additional predefined configuration. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein reconfiguring the media-agnostic storage bay comprises: configuring a device-holding module to hold a set of media storage devices in a predefined physical arrangement; inserting the set of media storage devices into the device-holding module in the predefined physical arrangement; and inserting the device-holding module into the media-agnostic storage bay. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein reconfiguring the media-agnostic storage bay comprises reconfiguring a storage controller card adapted to control at least one media storage device housed in the media-agnostic storage bay to control the media storage device of the additional media storage device type. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein reconfiguring the media-agnostic storage bay comprises reconfiguring an input/output module to manage a configuration of media storage devices held within the media-agnostic storage bay that comprises the media storage device of the additional media storage device type.