Increased drive density storage system having full serviceability

An electronic component housing system comprising:

• a cabinet having a front portion and a rear portion;
• a sliding mechanism mounted within the cabinet;
• and
• first and second disk array enclosures mounted to the sliding mechanism, the first and second disk array enclosures each having a front end and a back end;
• the sliding mechanism, in a first mode, enabling the first and second disk array enclosures mounted thereto to be positioned within the cabinet between the front portion and the rear portion thereof, such that the front end of the first disk array enclosure is disposed proximate the front portion of the cabinet and the back end of the second disk array enclosure is disposed proximate the rear portion of the cabinet;
• and
• the sliding mechanism, in a second mode, enabling the first disk array enclosure to be positioned beyond the front portion of the cabinet and the second disk array enclosure to be positioned in a location substantially similar to the position occupied by the first disk array enclosure in the first mode;
• wherein, in the first mode, the back end of the first disk array enclosure is disposed a first distance from the front end of the second disk array enclosures and, in the second mode, the back end of the first disk array enclosure is disposed a second distance from the front end of the second disk array enclosure, the first distance being less than the second distance;
• and
• wherein, in the first mode and the second mode, the first and second disk array enclosures remain in a coplanar relationship.

An electronic component housing system comprising:

• a cabinet having a front portion and a rear portion;
• and first and second electronic components slidably mounted within the cabinet such that the first and second electronic components are substantially mounted in a same plane, with a back end of the first electronic component being proximate a front end of the second electronic component;
• wherein, in a first mode, the electronic components are stored within the cabinet between the front portion and the rear portion and, in a second mode, are able to be slid out from the cabinet such that a front one of the components is slide beyond the front portion of the cabinet and the rear one of the components is slid to a location substantially similar to the position occupied by the front component in the first mode;
• wherein, in the first mode, the back end of the first electronic component is disposed a first distance from the front end of the second electronic component and, in the second mode, the back end of the first electronic component is disposed a second distance from the front end of the second electronic component, the first distance being less than the second distance;
• and wherein, in the first mode and the second mode, the first and second electronic components remain in the same plane.