US 7,549,018 B2Granted

Configurable blade enclosure

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsShah Mohammad Rezaul Islam, Gregg Steven Lucas

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Abstract

A blade enclosure is provided which may accommodate a first configuration which includes integrated drive enclosure blades (I-DEBs) or a second configuration which includes I-DEBs and non-integrated or switched DEBs (S-DEBs). Each I-DEB includes a pair of redundant RAID controllers, each having two configurable ports. In the first configuration, all four ports are configured as host adapter (HA) ports through which data is exchanged with server blades. In the second configuration, one port of each RAID controller is configured as an HA port, through which data is exchanged with server blades, and the other port of each RAID controller is configured as a device adapter (DA) port, through which data may be exchanged with the S-DEB. Zones may also be established to separate traffic between the servers and the I-DEB from traffic between the I-DES and the S-DEB.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A blade enclosure, comprising:

at least one server blade;
first and second redundant switches, each switch, including:
a first plurality of host adapter (HA) ports to which the at least one server blade is connectable;
and
a second plurality of ports to which a plurality of drive enclosure blades (DEB) are connectable;
an integrated drive enclosure blade (I-DEB), comprising:
first and second redundant RAID controllers, both RAID controllers including first and second configurable ports connectable to corresponding ports of the second plurality of ports of the first and second switches, respectively, and both RAID controllers further including a pair of device adapter (DA) ports;
and
a multi-drive tray (MDT) coupled to both RAID controllers through a pair of redundant DA ports;
an enclosure management module programmed to selectively configure, in response to an input, the blade enclosure in a first configuration and a second configuration;
the first configuration comprising:
the first and second ports of both of the first and second RAID controllers configured as HA ports through which the first and second RAID controllers are accessible to the server blades;
and
a first zone comprising the I-DEB and the plurality of server blades;
the second configuration comprising:
at least one non-integrated drive enclosure blade (S-DEB), each connected through DA ports to the first and second switches;
the first port of both of the first and second RAID controllers configured as HA ports through which the first and second RAID controllers are accessible to the server blades;
the second port of both of the first and second RAID controllers configured as DA ports through which each of the at least one S-DEBs is accessible to the first and second RAID controllers;
and
a modified first zone and a second zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one S-DEB.

17 more elements

A method of configuring a blade enclosure housing an enclosure management module, at least one server blade, first and second redundant switches and an integrated drive enclosure blade (I-DEB), the I-DEB including redundant first and second RAID controllers, the method comprising:

executing one of a first set of instructions or a second set of instructions by the enclosure management module that the blade enclosure be configured in one of a first configuration or a second configuration, respectively;
if the first set of instructions is executed:
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second RAID controllers as host adapter (HA) ports;
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
and
establishing a first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby each of the first and second RAID controllers are connected to the at least one blade server through two HA ports;
and
if the second set of instructions is executed:
recognizing a non-integrated drive enclosure blade (S-DEB) connected to the first and second switches;
configuring the first port of both the first and second RAID controllers as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second RAID controllers as DA ports;
configuring the first port of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second switches as DA ports;
establishing a modified first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby the first and second RAID controllers are each connected to the plurality of blade servers through the respective first ports of the first and second RAID controllers;
and
establishing a second zone comprising the I-DEB and the S-DEB, whereby the S-DEB is connected to the first and second RAID controllers through the respective second ports of the first and second RAID controllers.

13 more elements

A reconfigurable blade enclosure, comprising:

a plurality of slots;
a plane having a plurality of connectors associated with the slots for receiving devices;
a switch installed in a slot and interconnected with at least one connector, the switch having a plurality of ports;
a server blade installed in a slot and interconnected with at least one connector, the server blade having a host adapter (HA) port which is coupled through plane connectors to a port on the switch;
an integrated drive enclosure blade (I-DEB) installed in a slot and interconnected with two connectors, the I-DEB including a RAID controller having first and second ports which are coupled through plane connectors to ports on the switch;
and
an enclosure management module operable to selectively configure the blade enclosure into a first configuration or a second configuration;
wherein, in the first configuration:
the first and second ports of the RAID controller are configured as HA ports through which the RAID controller is accessible to the server blade;
and
a first zone is established comprising the server blade and the I-DEB;
and
wherein, in the second configuration:
the first port of the RAID controller is configured as an HA port through which the RAID controller is accessible to the server blade;
the second port of the RAID controller is configured as a device adapter (DA) port;
and
the blade enclosure further comprises:
a first zone including the I-DEB and the server blade;
and
a second zone including the I-DEB and a non-integrated drive enclosure blade (S-DEB) having a device adapter (DA) port accessible by the RAID controller through the second port of the RAID controller.

17 more elements

A computer program product of a computer readable medium usable with a programmable computer, the computer program product having computer-readable code embodied therein for configuring a blade enclosure housing an enclosure management module, at least one server blade, first and second redundant switches and an integrated drive enclosure blade (I-DEB), the I-DEB including redundant first and second RAID controllers, the computer-readable code comprising instructions for:

executing one of a first set of instructions or a second set of instructions by the enclosure management module that the blade enclosure be configured in one of a first configuration or a second configuration, respectively;
if the first set of instructions is executed:
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second RAID controllers as host adapter (HA) ports;
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
and
establishing a first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby each of the first and second RAID controllers are connected to the at least one blade server through two HA ports;
and
if the second set of instructions is executed:
recognizing a non-integrated drive enclosure blade (S-DEB) connected to the first and second switches;
configuring the first port of both the first and second RAID controllers as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second RAID controllers as DA ports;
configuring the first port of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second switches as DA ports;
establishing a modified first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby the first and second RAID controllers are each connected to the plurality of blade servers through the respective first ports of the first and second RAID controllers;
and
establishing a second zone comprising the I-DEB and the S-DEB, whereby the S-DEB is connected to the first and second RAID controllers through the respective second ports of the first and second RAID controllers.

13 more elements

A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable code into a computing system, wherein the code, in combination with the computing system, is capable of performing the following in a blade enclosure housing an enclosure management module, at least one server blade, first and second redundant switches and an integrated drive enclosure blade (I-DEB), the I-DEB including redundant first and second RAID controllers, the method comprising:

executing one of a first set of instructions or a second set of instructions by the enclosure management module that the blade enclosure be configured in one of a first configuration or a second configuration, respectively:
if the first set of instructions is executed:
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second RAID controllers as host adapter (HA) ports;
configuring first and second ports of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
and
establishing a first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby each of the first and second RAID controllers are connected to the at least one blade server through two HA ports;
and
if the second set of instructions is executed:
recognizing a non-integrated drive enclosure blade (S-DEB) connected to the first and second switches;
configuring the first port of both the first and second RAID controllers as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second RAID controllers as DA ports;
configuring the first port of both the first and second switches as HA ports;
configuring the second port of both the first and second switches as DA ports;
establishing a modified first zone comprising the I-DEB and the at least one server blade, whereby the first and second RAID controllers are each connected to the plurality of blade servers through the respective first ports of the first and second RAID controllers;
and
establishing a second zone comprising the I-DEB and the S-DEB, whereby the S-DEB is connected to the first and second RAID controllers through the respective second ports of the first and second RAID controllers.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/462,042Filed 3 Aug 2006
Published: US 2008/0034067 A17 Feb 2008
Granted: 16 Jun 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06F 11/2089
Where persistent mass storage functionality or persistent mass storage control functionality is redundant: redundant storage control functionality
G06F 3/0605
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management: by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
G06F 3/0607
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management: by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for…
G06F 3/0635
Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems: by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration