US 7,624,206 B2 · RAID data storage system with SAS expansion

Abstract

A data storage system has a chassis and a pair of printed circuit boards disposed in the chassis. Each one of the pair of printed circuit boards has disposed thereon a processor, a translator controlled by the processor, a SAS expander having a bidirectional front end port and multiple bidirectional backend ports, and an expansion port, and a SAS controller coupled between the translator and the expander. The system also has an interposer printed circuit board disposed in the chassis, and multiple multiplexers disposed on the interposer printed circuit board. Each one of the multiplexers has a pair of bidirectional front end ports and a pair of bidirectional back end ports. A first one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a first one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards. A second one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a second one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards. The system also has multiple disk drives disposed in the chassis. Each one is coupled to at least one backend port of a corresponding one of the multiplexers.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A data storage system, comprising:

(A) a chassis;
(B) a pair of storage processor printed circuit boards disposed in the chassis, each one of the pair of first printed circuit boards having disposed thereon:
(a) a processor;
(b) a translator controlled by the processor;
(c) a SAS expander having a bidirectional front end port and a plurality of bidirectional backend ports, and an expansion port;
(d) a SAS controller coupled between the translator and the expander;
(C) an interposer printed circuit board disposed in the chassis;
(D) a plurality of multiplexers disposed on the interposer printed circuit board, each one of the multiplexers having:
(a) a pair of bidirectional front end ports;
(b) a pair of bidirectional back end ports;
wherein
(c) a first one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a first one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards;
and
(d) a second one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a second one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards;
and
(E) a plurality of disk drives disposed in the chassis, each one being coupled to at least one backend port of a corresponding one of the plurality of multiplexers.

13 more elements

A data storage system, comprising:

(A) a chassis;
(B) a pair of storage processor printed circuit boards disposed in the chassis, each one of the pair of first printed circuit boards having disposed thereon:
(a) a processor;
(b) a translator controlled by the processor;
(c) a SAS expander having a bidirectional front end port and a plurality of bidirectional backend ports, and an expansion port;
(d) a SAS controller coupled between the translator and the expander;
(C) a plurality of multiplexers, each one of the multiplexers having:
(a) a pair of bidirectional front end ports;
(b) a pair of bidirectional back end ports;
wherein
(c) a first one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a first one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards;
and
(d) a second one of the pair of bidirectional front end ports is connected to a corresponding backend port of the SAS expander disposed on a second one of the pair of storage processor printed circuit boards;
and
(D) a plurality of disk drives disposed in the chassis, each one being coupled to at least one backend port of a corresponding one of the plurality of multiplexers.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

RAID data storage system with SAS expansion

Life of this patent

RAID data storage system with SAS expansion

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12