US 7,627,005 B2 · Multiplexing system

Abstract

A multiplexing system couples a pair of input ports to a either a dual ported disk drive or a single ported disk drive. The system includes a multiplexer having the pair of first ports and a pair of second ports. The multiplexer is configurable to couple each one of the pair of first ports to a corresponding one of the pair of second ports when the pair of second ports are coupled to the dual ported disk drive and to couple both pair of first ports to a single one of the second ports when a single ported disk drive is coupled to said single one of the second ports.

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Claims10

Dependent claims

A multiplexing system for coupling a pair of front-end ports to a either a dual ported disk drive or a single ported disk drive, comprising:

a multiplexer having the pair of front-end ports and a pair of back-end ports, the multiplexer being configurable to:
couple each one of the pair of front-end ports to a corresponding one of either of the pair of back-end ports when the pair of back-end ports are coupled to the dual ported disk drive, and
couple both of the pair of front-end ports to one of the back-end ports when the single ported disk drive is coupled to the same one of the back-end ports.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description17,877 words

Summary565 words

#This patent application is copending with U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/167,884 filed Jun. 27, 2005 entitled 2:2 Multiplexer, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention and this patent application hereby claims the benefit of the filing date of such copending patent application under the provision of 35 USC 120 as to any subject matter claim in this application and described in said copending patent application.

#This patent application incorporates by reference the entire subject matter in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/167,884 filed Jun. 27, 2005 entitled 2:2 Multiplexer, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

#This invention relates generally to data storage systems and more particularly to a redundant array of independent disk (RAID) data storage systems.

Brief description of the drawings27 figures

#FIGS. 1-3 are block diagrams of a RAID data storage system with SAS expansion;

#FIGS. 4-6 are block diagrams of interconnections of enclosures in a RAID data storage system with SAS expansion;

#FIG. 7 is an illustration of aspects of enclosure number display;

Detailed description16,692 words

#Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

#Referring now to FIG. 1, a data storage system 10 is shown coupled to a pair of host computer/servers 12a, 12b, as shown. The data storage system 10 includes a plurality of, here for example, two chassis or enclosures 14, 16, as shown. Enclosure 14 is sometimes referred to herein as a Disk Processor Enclosure (DPE) and enclosure 16 is sometimes referred to herein as a Disk Array Enclosure (DAE). The DPE 14 and DAE 16 will be described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively. Suffice it to say here that DPE 14 includes a pair of front end controllers 18a, 18b, each having a pair of ports coupled to the pair of host computer/servers 12a, 12b, as shown. The DPE 14 also includes a pair of storage processors 20a, 20b coupled to each other with storage processor 20a being connected to front end controller 18a and storage processor 20b being connected to front end controller 18b, as shown. The storage processors 20a and 20b are connected to a bank of disk drives 22a-22n though a plurality of multiplexers 24a-24n, as shown.

#The storage processors 20a, 20b of DPE 14 are connected to the DAE 16 though a pair of cables 130a, 130b, respectively, as shown. As will be described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3, the DAE 16 includes additional disk drives 22′a-22′n, here for example, twelve disk drives, and is used to increase the storage capacity of the data storage system 10. Thus, in this example, the number of disk drives 22a-22n in DPE 14 is twelve and the user has chosen to expand the storage capacity to twenty four disk drives by connecting the DAE 16 which in this example includes twelve disk drives 22′a-22′n.

Facts

Application

11/238,600Filed 29 Sep 2005

Published

US 2007/0073967 A129 Mar 2007

Granted

1 Dec 2009

Term ends

24 May 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 968 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification6 codes

G06F 3/0658
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: controller…
G06F 3/0607
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management: by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for…
G06F 3/0689
Plurality of storage devices: disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
G11B 33/125
Disposition of constructional parts in the apparatus, e.g. of power supply, of modules: the apparatus comprising a plurality of…

Timeline

29 Sep 2005Application filedUS 11/238,600
19 Dec 2005Assigned to Emc Corporationassignment of assignor's interest
29 Mar 2007PublishedUS 2007/0073967 A1
1 Dec 2009GrantedUS 7,627,005 B2
21 Sep 2016Assigned to Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands Branch, AS Collateral Agentsecurity agreement
21 Sep 2016Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., AS Notes Collateral Agentsecurity agreement
29 Sep 2016Assigned to Emc IP Holding Company LLCassignment of assignor's interest
21 Mar 2019Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.security agreement
22 Apr 2020Assigned to The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.security agreement
3 Nov 2021Assigned to Asap Software Express, Inc., Aventail LLC, Credant Technologies, Inc., Dell USA L.P., Dell International, L.L.C., Dell Marketing L.P., Dell Products L.P., Dell Software Inc., Dell Systems Corporation, Emc Corporation, Emc IP Holding Company LLC, Force10 Networks, Inc., Maginatics LLC, Mozy, Inc., Scaleio LLC, Wyse Technology L.L.C.release of security interest
26 Apr 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Asap Software Express, Inc.), Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell USA L.P., Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc Corporation (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Maginatics LLC), Emc IP Holding Company LLC (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Mozy, Inc.), Scaleio LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (040136/0001)
20 May 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Asap Software Express, Inc.), Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell USA L.P., Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc Corporation (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Maginatics LLC), Emc IP Holding Company LLC (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Mozy, Inc.), Scaleio LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (045455/0001)
23 Jun 2022Assigned to Dell Marketing L.P. (On Behalf of Itself and AS Successor-In-Interest To Credant Technologies, Inc.), Dell International L.L.C., Dell Products L.P., Dell USA L.P., Emc Corporation, Dell Marketing Corporation (Successor-In-Interest To Force10 Networks, Inc. and Wyse Technology L.L.C.), Emc IP Holding Company LLCrelease of security interest in patents previously recorded at reel/frame (053546/0001)
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
24 May 2028Term endsEstimated, includes 968 days of adjustment

Multiplexing system

Life of this patent

Multiplexing system

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims10

Description17,877 words

Drawings

Classification6 codes

Life of this patent

Description17,877 words