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US 12,688,099 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for node-pair enclosure replacement
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsEarl Medeiros, Julie Zhivich, Jerome Cartmell, James Guyer, Ramesh Doddaiah
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for online replacement of a node enclosure are provided. A storage array system includes a node-pair housed in a node enclosure. Each node of the node-pair are be linked to a network and further linked to each other by external interconnects, independent of the enclosure. The interconnects couple the first storage node to the second storage node externally of the node enclosure. The node-pairs are configured to communicate independently of the node enclosure and the enclosure is replaceable without disruption of communication over the network.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a first enclosure having a first storage node coupled to a second storage node by a first node-to-node interconnect externally of the first enclosure, wherein the first storage node and the second storage node communicate independently of the first enclosure;
- providing a second enclosure having a third storage node coupled to a fourth storage node by a second node-to-node interconnect externally of the second enclosure, wherein the third storage node and the fourth storage node communicate independently of the second enclosure;
- providing a network coupling each of the first storage node and the second storage node of the first enclosure to the third storage node and the fourth storage node of the second enclosure;
- monitoring, by a storage array system, the first enclosure for a fault condition;
- detecting, based on the monitoring, a node enclosure fault of the first enclosure;
- and
- responsive to detecting the node enclosure fault,
- replacing the first enclosure without interrupting communication between the first storage node and the second storage node.
5 more elements
A system comprising:
- a first node enclosure housing a first storage node and a second storage node;
- a second node enclosure coupled to the first node enclosure by a network;
- a first node-to-node interconnect coupling the first storage node to the second storage node externally of the first node enclosure;
- a memory;
- and
- at least one processor that is operatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to perform the operations of:
- monitoring the first enclosure for a fault condition;
- detecting, based on the monitoring, a node enclosure fault of the first enclosure,
- wherein the first storage node and second storage node are configured to communicate independently of the first node enclosure and the first node enclosure, upon detection of the node enclosure fault, is replaceable without disruption of communication over the network.
6 more elements
A storage system comprising:
- a first node enclosure housing a first storage node and a second storage node;
- a first node-to-node interconnect coupling the first storage node to the second storage node externally of the first node enclosure;
- a second node enclosure housing a third storage node and a fourth storage node;
- a second node-to-node interconnect coupling the third storage node to the fourth storage node externally of the second node enclosure;
- an unswitched network coupling the first storage node to the third storage node and the fourth storage node and coupling the second storage node to the third storage node and fourth storage node;
- a memory;
- and
- at least one processor that is operatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured to perform the operations of:
- monitoring the first enclosure and the second enclosure for a fault condition;
- detecting, based on the monitoring, a node enclosure fault of one of the first enclosure and the second enclosure,
- wherein the first storage node is configured to communicate with the second storage node independently of the first node enclosure, the third storage node is configured to communicate with the fourth storage node independently of the second node enclosure, and one of the first node enclosure or the second node enclosure, upon detection of the node enclosure fault, is replaceable without disruption of communication over the unswitched network.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.