U.S. patent application number 10/792223 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-02 for data storage system.
Invention is credited to Ding, Jiangang, Liu, Hain Ching, Zhang, Ji.
Application Number | 20040172642 10/792223 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32467741 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040172642 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ding, Jiangang ; et
al. |
September 2, 2004 |
Data storage system
Abstract
A data storage system (30) includes multiple storage devices
arranged in an array. A column in the array includes storage
devices (12, 14, 16) mounted on a tray (22). The storage devices
(12, 14, 16) and the tray (22) form an air channel (28) for
efficient heat dissipation. The data storage system (30) may
include multiple columns inserted in multiple slots of a chassis
(35), thereby forming a memory board.
Inventors: |
Ding, Jiangang; (San Jose,
CA) ; Zhang, Ji; (San Jose, CA) ; Liu, Hain
Ching; (Fremont, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Ji Zhang
16225 Oakhurst Drive
Monte Sereno
CA
95030
US
|
Family ID: |
32467741 |
Appl. No.: |
10/792223 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10792223 |
Mar 3, 2004 |
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10290013 |
Nov 7, 2002 |
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6754082 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
720/649 ;
360/97.13; G9B/33.002; G9B/33.038 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 33/142 20130101;
G11B 33/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
720/649 ;
360/097.02 |
International
Class: |
G11B 033/14; G06F
012/00; G06F 012/14; G06F 012/16; G06F 013/00; G06F 013/28 |
Claims
1. A data storage system, comprising: a first tray having a first
end and a second end, a first sidewall and a second sidewall
extending between the first end and the second end and opposite to
each other, and a surface between the first sidewall and the second
sidewall; and a first storage device mounted on said first tray
between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and having a
major surface in proximity to the surface of said first tray, said
first storage device and said first tray forming a first air
channel there between.
2. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein said first storage
device includes a hard disk drive.
3. The data storage system of claim 1, further comprising a chassis
having a first opening, wherein said first tray is mounted in the
first opening of said chassis.
4. The data storage system of claim 3, wherein said first tray is
removably mounted in the first opening of said chassis.
5. The data storage system of claim 3, further comprising an
airflow generator mounted on said chassis adjacent the second end
of said first tray in the first opening, said airflow generator
generating an airflow in the first air channel.
6. The data storage system of claim 3, further comprising a second
storage device mounted on said first tray and substantially
coplanar with said first storage device, said second storage device
being between said first storage device and the second end of said
first tray.
7. The data storage system of claim 6, further comprising a third
storage device mounted on said first tray, said third storage
device being between said second storage device and the second end
of said first tray.
8. The data storage system of claim 7, wherein said chassis further
has a second, a third, and a fourth openings substantially parallel
to the first opening, said data storage system further comprising:
a second, a third, and a fourth trays mounted in the second, third,
and fourth openings, respectively, of said chassis; a fourth, a
fifth, and a sixth storage devices mounted on said second tray and
defining a second air channel there between; a seventh, an eighth,
and a ninth storage devices mounted on said third tray and defining
a third air channel there between; and a tenth, an eleventh, and a
twelfth storage devices mounted on said fourth tray and defining a
fourth air channel there between.
9. The data storage system of claim 8, further comprising: data
accessing circuitry, said data accessing circuitry writing data
into and reading data from said first, second, third, fourth,
fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth
storage devices; signal processing circuitry coupled to said data
accessing circuitry, said signal processing circuitry processing
data written to and data read from said first, second, third,
fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and
twelfth storage devices; power supply circuitry coupled to said
first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth,
tenth, eleventh, and twelfth storage devices and mounted on said
chassis; and a suction fan mounted on said chassis, adjacent the
second ends of said first, second, third, and fourth trays in the
corresponding first, second, third, and fourth opening in said
chassis, said suction fan generating airflows through the first,
second, third, and fourth air channels.
10. The data storage system of claim 8, wherein said chassis
further has a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth openings
substantially parallel and coplanar with each other, and overlying
the first, second, third, and fourth openings, respectively, said
data storage system further comprising: a fifth, a sixth, a
seventh, and an eighth, trays mounted in the fifth, sixth, seventh,
and eighth openings, respectively, of said chassis; a thirteenth, a
fourteenth, and a fifteenth storage devices mounted on said fifth
tray; a sixteenth, a seventeenth, and an eighteenth storage devices
mounted on said sixth tray; a nineteenth, a twentieth, and a
twenty-first storage devices mounted on said seventh tray; and a
twenty-second, a twenty-third, and a twenty-fourth storage devices
mounted on said eighth tray.
11. A data storage system, comprising: a plurality of trays, each
having a first end and a second end; a plural sets of storage
devices, each set including a plurality of storage devices mounted
between the first end and the second end of a corresponding tray of
said plurality of trays and forming an air channel with the
corresponding tray; and a plurality of data transmission lines
coupled to said plural sets of storage devices.
12. The data storage system of claim 11, further comprising a
chassis having a plurality of slots substantially parallel to each
other, wherein said plurality of trays removably slide into the
plurality of slots in said chassis.
13. The data storage system of claim 12, further comprising an
airflow generator mounted on said chassis, said airflow generator
generating an airflow in the air channel in each of said plurality
of trays.
14. The data storage system of claim 12, further comprising: a data
accessing circuit coupled to said plural sets of storage devices
and mounted on said chassis, said data access circuit being capable
of simultaneously accessing data in multiple storage devices in
said plural sets of storage devices; and a power supply circuit
coupled to said plural sets of storage devices and mounted on said
chassis.
15. The data storage system of claim 11, wherein: said plurality of
trays include four trays; said plural sets of storage devices
include four sets of storage devices; and each set of storage
devices includes three hard disk drives.
16. A data storage system, comprising: a chassis having a plurality
of slots substantially parallel to each other; a plurality of
trays, each removably mounted on a corresponding slot of the
plurality of slots in said chassis; and having a first end and a
second end; a plural sets of storage devices, each set including a
plurality of storage devices mounted between the first end and the
second of a corresponding tray in said plurality of trays and
forming an air channel with said corresponding tray; and a data
access circuit coupled to said plural sets of storage devices.
17. The data storage system of claim 16, further comprising at
least one fan mounted on said chassis, said at least one fan
generating airflow in the air channel in each of said plurality of
trays.
18. The data storage system of claim 16, each set in said plural
sets of storage devices including three hard disk drives.
19. The data storage system of claim 18, the plurality of slots in
said chassis including a first group of slots comprised of a first,
a second, a third, and a fourth slots substantially coplanar with
each other.
20. The data storage system of claim 19, the plurality of slots in
said chassis include a second group of slots substantially coplanar
with each other and overlying the first group of slots.
21. A network server for supplying data to a client over a network,
comprising: a data storage unit, said data storage unit including:
a plurality of trays; a plural sets of storage devices, each set
including a plurality of storage devices mounted a corresponding
tray of said plurality of trays and forming an air channel with
said corresponding tray; and a digital signal processing unit
coupled to said data storage system, said digital signal processing
unit being capable of simultaneously access multiple storage
devices in said data storage unit; and a network interface coupled
to said digital signal processing unit, said network interface
relaying a signal transmission between said digital signal
processing unit and the network.
22. The network server of claim 21, said data storage unit further
including a board having a plurality of slots substantially
parallel to each other, wherein said plurality of trays are
removably mounted in the plurality of slots in said board.
23. The network server of claim 22, wherein: said plurality of
trays include four trays; and said plural sets of storage devices
include twelve hard disk drives divided into four sets.
24. The network server of claim 22, further comprising an airflow
generator mounted on said board, said airflow generator generating
an airflow in the air channel in each of said plurality of trays in
the plurality of slots in said board.
25. The network server of claim 24, said data storage unit further
including a power supply circuit coupled to said plural sets of
storage devices and mounted on said board, wherein said airflow
generator further generating airflow through said power supply
circuit.
26. The network server of claim 21, said data storage unit further
including a plurality of boards, each having a plurality of slots,
wherein said plurality of trays are arranged in a plurality of
groups, each group being removably mounted in the plurality of
slots in a corresponding board of said plurality of boards.
27. The network server of claim 26, further comprising a mounting
rack, wherein said plurality of boards are mounted on said mounting
rack substantially overlying each other.
28. The network server of claim 27, wherein: each board of said
plurality of boards having four slots substantially parallel to
each other; and each set of said plural sets of storage devices
includes three hard disk drives.
29. The network server of claim 21, said digital signal processing
unit simultaneously accessing multiple storage devices in said
plural sets of storage devices in said data storage unit.
30. The network server of claim 29, said digital signal processing
unit accessing data in said data storage unit to supply digital
video program data to a plurality of clients through said network
interface over the network.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates, in general, to data storage
and, more particularly, to data storage system comprised of
multiple data storage devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The advances in computing technology and network
infrastructure have provided opportunities for transmitting digital
media of many forms at high speed. It might be economically
feasible and efficient to store media content in one or more
storage devices connected to a server and distribute the media
content to clients over the network on a real-time or near
real-time basis. For example, with the state of art digital
compression technology, high quality continuous real-time video
display can be maintained with digital video signal transmission
rate as low as one megabit per second. Thus, it would be efficient
to store digitized video programs on a centralized storage system
and deliver the programs to clients, e.g., through Internet,
satellite, compact disks, terrestrial broadcast, on an as needed or
as requested basis.
[0003] A storage device or system server for storing and delivering
the video programs requires a high digital data storage capacity.
For example, one thousand hours of broadcast quality digital video
program content, which is equivalent to about four hundred movies,
compressed in accordance with a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG)
format generally requires approximately one tera-bytes of storage
space. Backup storage for preventing data loss will take comparable
or even more storage space. To be commercially viable, a server
with a centralized storage system may need to have several thousand
movies and other video programs stored thereon and ready for
delivery to clients on request over the network.
[0004] Large storage capacity can be achieved through a data
storage system comprised of multiple storage devices. One approach
of preventing the storage system from overheating is to attach the
storage devices in the storage system to one or more large heat
sinks such as, for example, aluminum blocks. Another approach is to
arrange the storage devices in the storage system apart from each
other and to provide sufficient airflow in the in the space between
the storage devices. These approaches will significantly increase
the bulkiness, i.e., size and/or weight, of the storage system.
Reducing the number of the storage devices in the storage system
running simultaneously may reduce the heat generation rate, thereby
preventing the storage system from overheating. However, this will
adversely affect the operating efficiency of the data storage
system.
[0005] Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a data
storage system that has a large data storage capacity and is
compact and lightweight. It is desirable for the data storage
system to have a high data access rate. It is also desirable for
the data storage system to be reliable. It would be of further
advantage for the data storage system to simple and inexpensive to
operate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In a general aspect, the present invention provides a data
storage system that has a large data storage capacity. In a
specific aspect, the data storage system in accordance with the
present invention is compact and lightweight. In another specific
aspect, the data storage system has a high data access rate. In
various other specific aspects of the present invention, the data
storage system in accordance with the present invention is simple,
reliable, and/or cost efficient.
[0007] A data storage system in accordance with the present
invention includes an array of data storage devices mounted on one
or more trays. The storage devices on each tray form one column of
the array. The array may include any number of columns of storage
devices. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
each column of storage devices are attached to the two opposite
sidewalls of a corresponding tray, with the bottoms or tops of the
storage devices in close proximity to the floor of the tray. The
bottoms or tops of the storage devices and the sidewalls and the
floor of the tray form a narrow channel, through which air can
flow. A fan is positioned on one end of the tray to generate
airflow in the channel, thereby providing efficient cooling of the
storage devices.
[0008] In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present
invention, the tray is mounted on a chassis, on which various
components of a data storage and access system, e.g., signal
processing circuit, signal transmission circuit, power supply
circuit, etc., are mounted. In an embodiment of the present
invention where the array includes more than one column, the trays
are substantially coplanar and parallel to each other when they are
mounted on the chassis. Therefore, the data storage system includes
data storage devices arranged in a two dimensional array. In an
alternative embodiment, the trays are substantially parallel to
each other and arranged into multiple layers. In this embodiment,
the data storage system includes data storage devices arranged in a
three dimensional array. The airflows in the channels can be
generated by a single fan or a plurality of fans.
[0009] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the data storage system includes a plurality of hard
disk drives mounted on a plurality of trays. The hard disk drives
on each tray are substantially aligned and coplanar with each
other. The trays with the hard disk drives mounted thereon have a
thickness equal to or less than one rack unit (4.445 cm).
Therefore, the columns of hard disk drives can slide into slots in
a chassis that have a height of one rack unit. In one embodiment,
the chassis has slots on a single layer. In another embodiment, the
chassis has slots on multiple layers. The height of the data
storage system is approximately equal to one rack unit multiplied
by the number of layers. The length of the data storage system is
substantially determined by the number of hard disks in each column
of the array, and the width of the data storage system is
substantially determined by the number of columns in the array. In
yet another embodiment, the data storage system includes multiple
chassis mounted on a rack, with each chassis having slots in a
single layer.
[0010] By way of example, a data storage system in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention includes twelve hard disks
mounted on four trays, there by forming a two dimensional array
having four columns, with three hard disks in each column. The
array has a dimension no greater than 45 cm in width, 50 cm in
depth, and 4.5 cm in height. The array may be mounted on a chassis
or a board with signal processing circuits, power supply circuits,
cooling fans, etc, the whole board may have a depth of
approximately 75 cm. With each hard disk having a memory of 160
giga-bytes (GB), the data storage board has a memory capacity of
1.92 tera-bytes (TB). A server for storing data such as, for
example, video program content, may include several such data
storage boards stacked on top of each other on a rack.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a data storage
system in accordance with the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of the data storage system
shown in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of another data storage
system in accordance with the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates yet another data storage system in
accordance with the present invention; and
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a network server in accordance with the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described
hereinafter with reference to the figures. It should be noted that
the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and elements of
similar structures or functions are represented by like reference
numerals throughout the figures. It should also be noted that the
figures are only intended to facilitate the description of specific
embodiments of the invention. They are not intended as an
exhaustive description of the invention or as a limitation on the
scope of the invention. In addition, an aspect described in
conjunction with a particular embodiment of the present invention
is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced
in any other embodiments of the present invention.
[0017] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an isometric view and a front view,
respectively, of a data storage system 10 in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention. Data storage system 10
includes a set 11 of data storage devices 12, 14, and 16 arranged
in an array and mounted on a tray 22. Tray 22 has a first end 23
and a second end 24, which are also referred to as a front end 23
and a back end 24, respectively, of tray 22. An elongated surface
25 extends from front end 23 to back end 24. Surface 25 is
sometimes also referred to as a floor or a bottom of tray 22. Tray
22 also includes a first sidewall 26 and a second sidewall 27
opposite to each other and extending from front end 23 to back end
24. Set 11 of storage devices 12, 14, and 16 are mounted between
sidewalls 26 and 27 of tray 22. Each of storage devices 12, 14, and
16 has a major surface, which may be a bottom or a top thereof, in
close proximity with floor 25 of tray 22. FIG. 2 shows a major
surface 15 of storage device 12 in close proximity with floor 25 of
tray 22. Mounted on tray 22, storage devices 12, 14, and 16 are
substantially coplanar with each other. Their major surfaces define
an air channel 28 (shown in FIG. 2) with sidewalls 23 and 24 and
floor 25 of tray 22.
[0018] Data transmission lines (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) are
coupled to storage devices 12, 14, and 16 for transmitting data to
and from data storage system 10. A power supply circuit (not shown
in FIGS. 1 and 2) provides the operating power to data storage
system 10. An airflow generator (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2)
generates an airflow in air channel 28, thereby preventing data
storage system 10 from overheating during operation. In accordance
with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the airflow
generator is a suction fan mounted adjacent back end 24 of tray 22.
It generates an airflow flowing in air channel 28 from front end 23
to back end 24. Furthermore, the power supply circuit can be
mounted in the path of the airflow. Therefore, the airflow also
flows through the power supply circuit and dissipates heat
generated therein.
[0019] In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present
invention, storage devices 12, 14, and 16 are hard disk drives. A
hard disk drive is usually no larger than approximately 15
centimeters (cm) long, 10 cm wide, and 3 cm high. In one
embodiment, data storage system 10 is formed by aligning hard disk
drives 12, 14, and 16 longitudinally or lengthwise between front
end 23 and back end 24 and attaching them to sidewalls 26 and 27 of
tray 22. Air channel 28 may have a height of approximately 0.3 cm
measured from floor 25 of tray 22 to the bottoms of hard disk
drives 12, 14, and 16. Thus, data storage system 10 has a dimension
no greater than approximately 48 cm in length, 11 cm in width, and
3.5 cm in height. Limiting the height of data storage system 10 to
no greater than 4.445 cm is beneficial because this will allow data
storage system 10 to be mounted into a standardized slot of one
rack unit (RU) in height. The small cross sectional area, e.g., 11
cm.times.0.3 cm, of air channel 28 is beneficial in generating a
high speed airflow therein, thereby increasing the heat dissipation
efficient of the airflow.
[0020] It should be understood that the structure of data storage
system 10 in accordance with the present invention is not limited
what is described herein above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. For
example, storage devices 12, 14, and 16 are not limited to being
hard disk drives. Storage devices 12, 14, and 16 may include any
kind of data storage devices or medium, e.g., tape drives, compact
disk (CD) drives, digital video disk (DVD) drives, mini disk (MD)
drives, etc. In addition, storage device set 11 is not limited to
include three storage devices as shown in FIG. 1. Depending on the
sizes of the storage devices in set 11 and desired dimension of
tray 22 in system 10, set 11 may include any number of storage
devices, e.g., one, two, four, five, etc.
[0021] FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of a data storage
system 30 in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention. Data storage system 30 includes twelve storage devices
arranged in a two dimensional array. Specifically, the twelve
storage devices are arranged in four columns, each column having
three storage devices. In other words, data storage system 30
includes four sets of storage devices, which are shown in FIG. 3 as
sets 31, 32, 33, and 34. Each set includes three storage devices
mounted on a tray and is structurally similar to data storage
system 10 shown in FIG. 1. Data storage system 30 also includes a
chassis 35 having four slots. Each of storage device sets 31, 32,
33, and 34 is removably installed in a corresponding slot in
chassis 35. When mounted in corresponding slots, sets 31, 32, 33,
and 34 of storage devices form four columns of storage devices
substantially coplanar and parallel to each other.
[0022] Data storage system 30 also includes data accessing circuits
41, 42, 43, and 44 coupled to sets 31, 32, 33, and 34,
respectively, of storage devices. Data accessing circuits 41, 42,
43, and 44 serve to access the data in respective sets 31, 32, 33,
and 34 of storage devices. Power supply circuits 46 and 48 supply
operating power to sets 31, 32, 33, and 34 of storage devices. Data
storage system 30 further includes a plurality of fans mounted on
chassis 35 near the back ends of the storage device sets 31, 32,
33, and 34 in corresponding slots. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows fans
51, 53, 57, and 59 on the back end of chassis 35, and suction fans
54 and 56 adjacent the back ends of storage device sets 32 and 33
in respective slots of chassis 35. The front end of chassis 35 has
openings for sliding in the trays and for airflows. The top (not
shown in FIG. 3), bottom, and sidewalls of chassis 35 enclose the
trays and fans, thereby by forming an airflow tunnel. In operation,
the airflow generated by suction fans 54 and 56 and fans 51, 53,
57, and 59 forms high speed airflows in the air channels in the
four trays because of the small cross section areas of the air
channels, as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the airflow generated by
fans 51, 53, 57, and 59 also flows through power supply circuits 46
and 48, dissipating the heat generated therein.
[0023] Because of the high speed airflows flowing through the air
channels, data storage system 30 has a high heat dissipation
efficiency. This is beneficial when accessing multiple storage
devices in data storage device 30 simultaneously. For example, heat
generation is usually a problem when access data in a high speed
and large capacity hard disk drive. Simultaneously accessing data
in multiple hard disk drives in close proximity with each other
significantly aggravates the heat generation problem. However, the
small cross section area air channels (shown in FIG. 2) in
accordance with the present invention enable even a relatively low
speed fan to generate high speed airflows in the air channels. The
high speed airflows significantly increase the heat dissipation
efficiency. Therefore, the multiple storage devices in data storage
system 30 can be accessed simultaneously without overheating the
storage devices.
[0024] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
data storage system 30 functions as a memory module, which is also
referred to as data storage board or a memory board. As described
herein above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the thickness of each
memory board can be as little as one rack unit or less. A memory
system may include multiple memory modules. For example, a memory
system may include severaly memory boards mounted on a rack
overlying each other. This creates a compact and high capacity data
storage system. In accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention, each storage device in data storage system 30 is a hard
disk drive having a memory capacity of 160 giga-bytes (GB).
Accordingly, data storage system 30 has a memory capacity of 1.92
tera-bytes (TB). A memory system comprised of six memory boards,
each having 1.92 TB of memory capacity like system 30, will have a
memory capacity of 11.52 TB. This memory is equivalent to
approximately eleven thousand hours of broadcasting quality digital
video programs in MPEG-2 format.
[0025] It should be understood that the structure of data storage
system 30 in accordance with the present invention is not limited
what is described herein above with reference to FIG. 3. For
example, the storage devices in data storage system 30 are not
limited to being hard disk drives. Data storage system 30 may
include any kind of data storage devices or medium, e.g., tape
drives, CD drives, DVD drives, MD drives, etc. In addition, data
storage system 30 is not limited to having twelve storage devices
the storage device divided into four sets, each set with three
storage devices. Depending on the sizes of the storage devices and
desired dimension of chassis 35, data storage system 30 may include
any number of storage devices, divided into any number of sets.
Furthermore, the slots in chassis 35 are not limited to being
coplanar with each other. Chassis 35 may include slots on multiple
layers overlying each other.
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a data storage system 60 in accordance
with yet another embodiment of the present invention. Data storage
system 60 includes a plurality of memory boards. By way of example,
FIG. 4 shows data storage system 60 including eight memory boards
61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, and 68. However, this is not intended
as a limitation on the scope of the present invention. Memory
boards 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, and 68 are stacked on top of
each other and mounted on a rack 69.
[0027] By way of example, each memory board in data storage system
60 includes twelve storage devices arranged in four columns and is
structurally similar to that described herein above with reference
to FIG. 3. Therefore, data storage system 60 includes ninety-six
storage devices arranged in a three dimensional array. The array
has eight layers, with each layer having four columns and each
column has three storage devices. The three storage devices in each
column are substantially aligned with each other and mounted on a
tray. The four trays in each layer are mounted in four slots in a
chassis, forming a memory board. The trays in a memory board are
substantially parallel and coplanar with each other. Airflow
generators are mounted adjacent the back ends of the chassis for
generating airflows in the air channels in the tray, thereby
dissipating heat generated by the storage devices in operation. The
memory boards are mounted on rack 69 as shown in FIG. 4, forming
data storage system 60.
[0028] It should be understood that the structure of data storage
system 60 in accordance with the present invention is not limited
what is described herein above with reference to FIG. 4. For
example, data storage system 60 is not limited to having eight
memory boards, with each memory board comprised of twelve storage
devices the storage device divided into four sets, each set with
three storage devices. Depending on the sizes of the storage
devices and desired capacity and dimension of rack 69, data storage
system 60 may include any number of memory boards, with each memory
board comprised of any number of storage devices, divided into any
number of columns.
[0029] It should also be understood that, in accordance with the
present invention, data storage system 60 might include additional
components mounted on rack 69. For example, a digital signal
processing unit (not shown in FIG. 4) may be mounted on rack 69.
The digital signal process unit may include a digital signal
process (DSP), a microprocessor (.mu.P), a central processing unit
(CPU), etc. The digital signal processing unit processes the data
to be written into data storage system 60 and the data read from
data storage system 60. In accordance with a specific embodiment of
the present invention, a general purpose computer unit (not shown
in FIG. 4) is mounted on rack 69 for processing the data read from
data storage system 60 and the data to be written into data storage
system 60.
[0030] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a network server 70
in accordance with the present invention. Network server 70
includes a digital signal processing unit 72. By was of example,
FIG. 5 shows digital signal process unit 72 being a CPU of a
general purpose computer. A network interface 74 is coupled to CPU
72 for transmitting signals between CPU 72 and a network, e.g., a
wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless
network, etc. Network server 70 also includes a data storage unit
75. In accordance with the present invention, data storage unit 75
includes a data storage system comprised of multiple storage
devices arranged in an array.
[0031] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,
data storage unit 75 includes a memory unit having a structure
similar to that described herein above with reference to FIGS. 1
and 2. In accordance with another embodiment, data storage unit 75
includes a memory board having a structure similar to that
described herein above with reference to FIG. 3. In accordance with
yet another embodiment, data storage unit 75 includes multiple
memory boards, each having a structure similar to that described
herein above with reference to FIG. 4.
[0032] By now it should be appreciated that a data storage system
that has a large data storage capacity has been provided. A data
storage system in accordance with the present invention is compact
and lightweight. A data storage system in accordance with the
present invention may have a high data access rate. In addition, a
data storage system in accordance with the present invention is
simple, reliable, and cost efficient. Specifically, a data storage
system in accordance with the present invention includes an array
of data storage devices mounted on one or more trays. The storage
devices on each tray form one column of the array. The array may
include any number of columns of storage devices. The storage
devices and the tray form a narrow channel, through which air can
flow, thereby providing efficient cooling or heat dissipation of
the storage devices. Thanks to the efficient heat dissipation, the
multiple storage devices in the data storage system can be accessed
simultaneously to provide high speed data access.
[0033] While specific embodiments of the present invention have
been described herein above, they are not intended as a limitation
on the scope of the present invention. The present invention
encompasses those modifications and variations of the described
embodiments that are obvious to those skilled in the art. For
example, a data storage system in accordance with the present
invention may include redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID)
to increase its fault tolerance and reliability. Furthermore, a
data storage system in accordance with the present invention is
applicable not only in a network server, but also in any
applications that can benefit from large and economical memory
capacities.
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