Abstract: An electronic cabinet having a set of vertically-oriented frame members, a set of fasteners attached to the set of vertically-oriented frame members, and a panel. The panel includes a cover, a set of latches coupled to the cover, and a set of buttons. When the set of latches engages the set of fasteners to secure the panel to the set of vertically-oriented frame members and when the set of buttons is depressed, the set of buttons disengages the set of latches from the set of fasteners to release the panel from the set of vertically-oriented frame members. Such a configuration enables a user to fully remove the panel from the cabinet without having to disconnect a hinge as for conventional hinged panels. Furthermore, such a configuration is well-suited for employing a locking mechanism that controls depression of the set of buttons to provide secure equipment access.

Abstract: A filter has coupled pairs of resonators positioned between and planar to split feed lines. The filters are further positioned orthogonal to the signal path. The filter has two pairs of resonators. Coupling extensions of the split feed lines are substantially parallel to each other. The resonators couple with the split feed lines at the coupling extensions. The resonators in each pair also couple to each other. The topology effectively forms an Elliptic Function response bandpass filter with high close-in frequency rejection capability. The filter can be cascaded to provide improved frequency rejection. Further, this topology may be relatively inexpensively produced using standard lithography techniques.

Abstract: A storage processor for a block storage RAID array services disk storage block requests from one or more hosts. At its heart, a application specific integrated chip (ASIC) supports a store and forward data transfer regime in that host to disk transfers are made by placing data in storage processor memory under control of the storage processor, operated on by the ASIC, and sent to the disk array. Efficient handling of ordering is, preferably, provided by hardware logic-based masking of interrupts and by other mechanisms. Embodiments help to insure that shared data paths are flushed of non-critical data quickly to sustain more critical data, for example, that required to sustain high throughput.

Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus and methodology for enhancing computer system data transfer when writing to network attached storage systems employing FC-2 fibrechannel protocol by dynamically reconfiguring a fibrechannel switch in response to map/unmap command controls issued by a disk drive aggregator. The reconfiguration involves fabrication of a dynamic map table having sets of fibrechannel FC-2 header fields and their corresponding new or proxy destination IDs (which correspond to the switch's output ports), and fabrication of both an input frame header buffer for temporary storage purposes and a frame header field selector (which can be a frame header mask) containing only relevant information. The input frame header is temporarily stored in the buffer and the field selector is used to obtain a “distilled” input header which is compared with the dynamic map table of stored header fields to obtain a match.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for forming a soldered connection using a pin having a channel. The channel enables the pin to form a secure connection with a via (e.g., by facilitating gas percolation out of the via hole during soldering to improve solder flow, by holding solder prior to pin insertion and soldering, or by facilitating accurate pin bending to hold solder or a pin insert prior to pin insertion and soldering) to improve connection system reliability and increase manufacturing yields. In one arrangement, the pin has a surface which includes (i) a first surface area, (ii) a second surface area that is substantially parallel to the first surface area, and (iii) a channel surface area which defines a channel that extends from the first surface area toward the second surface area. To form a soldered connection, the pin is inserted into a cavity defined by a via of a connecting member (e.g., a circuit board), in a direction that is parallel to a central axis of the via.

Abstract: An electronic system has electronic equipment, and an electronic cabinet which houses the electronic equipment. The electronic cabinet includes a support structure which is configured to carry the electronic equipment, and a door panel which is configured to pivotally mount to the support structure. The door panel and the support structure define an opening through which a set of cables is configured to pass. The electronic cabinet further includes an assembly which is configured to manage the cables. The assembly includes a mounting bracket which is configured to mount to one of the support structure and the door panel at a location which is adjacent the opening, a section of flexible material which defines a set of grooves to hold the set of cables, and a fastener interconnected between the mounting bracket and the section of flexible material to fasten the section of flexible material to the mounting bracket.

Abstract: A storage processor particularly suited to RAID systems provides high throughput for applications such as streaming video data. An embodiment is configured as an ASIC with a high degree of parallelism in its interconnections. User memory may pass through memory in a single hop by combining parity generation with FIFO buffering in the read and write user data paths. Independent memory channels may be controlled to level the load providing high memory bandwidth.

Abstract: A method provides an improved adaptor. The method involves connecting a set of conductors to (i) a set of circuit board connector contacts of a circuit board connector and (ii) a set of switchbox connector contacts of a switchbox connector. The method further involves fastening a circuit board connector housing of the circuit board connector to a switchbox connector housing of the switchbox connector, and shrink wrapping a coating over the set of conductors to physically insulate the set of conductors using the coating and the housings of the circuit board connector and the switchbox connector.

Abstract: A pin assembly is configured to interconnect a first circuit board and a second circuit board. The pin assembly includes a set of pins. Each pin of the set of pins has a first end, a second end, and a mid-portion. The pin assembly further includes a frame which contacts the mid-portion of each pin of the set of pins to position the pins such that (i) the first ends of the pins simultaneously register into respective holes of the first circuit board when the pin assembly engages with the first circuit board, and (ii) the second ends of the pins simultaneously register into respective holes of the second circuit board when the pin assembly engages with the second circuit board.

Abstract: A technique routes packets in a data communications device having multiple output ports. The technique involves obtaining, from a network, data having an associated quality of service (QoS). The technique additionally involves choosing one of the multiple output ports of the data communications device based on the associated QoS of the data, a pre-established policy, and network efficiency information for the multiple output ports. The technique further involves transmitting the data to the network through the chosen one of the multiple output ports.

Abstract: An electronic system has a power supply, multiple backplanes, and a bus bar assembly electrically interconnected between the power supply and the multiple backplanes. The bus bar assembly includes a power supply member that couples to a power supply and a backplane member that couples simultaneously to multiple backplanes. The backplane member defines multiple rows of holes. Each row of holes includes at least two holes. The bus bar assembly further includes a set of fasteners that fasten the power supply member to the backplane member in order to provide a conductive path between the power supply and the multiple backplanes. The multiple rows of holes defined by the backplane member enable the backplane member to fasten to power supply members having different designs for flexibility.

Abstract: A latching apparatus has a guide member, a circuit board attachment member which is configured to attach to a circuit board, and a control assembly. The control assembly is configured to (i) retain the circuit board attachment member within a retaining range of the guide member when the guide member is unlocked from a receptacle member, and (ii) un-restrict the circuit board attachment member such that the circuit board attachment member is movable outside of the retaining range of the guide member when the guide member is locked with the receptacle member.

Abstract: A service processor has a memory, and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller is configured to perform part of a maintenance procedure on a data storage system such that a state of the data storage system transitions from a first state to a second state, and store, in a memory, a data structure identifying the second state. The controller is further configured to, after the maintenance procedure is aborted prior to completion of the maintenance procedure and after a transition of the state of the data storage system from the second state to a third state, (i) restore the data storage system to the second state based on the data structure stored in the memory, and (ii) complete the maintenance procedure.

Abstract: The invention is directed to data storage and retrieval techniques that utilize a cache which is preferred to a consumer of a data element stored within that cache. Since the cache is preferred to the consumer, the consumer has less contention for access to the preferred cache vis-à-vis a cache of a conventional data storage system implementation which is typically equally shared throughout the data storage system. Preferably, the preferred cache is on the same circuit board as the consumer so that memory accesses are on the order of a few hundred nanoseconds, rather than several microseconds when the cache and the consumer are on different circuit boards as in a conventional data storage implementation. One arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system having a first circuit board, a second circuit board and a connection mechanism that connects the first and second circuit boards together.

Abstract: A telecommunications system uses software applications called user agents, that are preferably Internet-based and that operate on behalf of users in a telecommunications hosting server to control call connections under control of a telecommunications network server that interfaces with the telecommunications hosting server as well as a connection-based public-telephone network. The telecommunications hosting server operates on a computer network on behalf of the user agents to provide call signaling in support of many advanced calling and telecommunications services. The functionality and, performance (e.g., execution) of the user agent(s) preferably takes place primarily within the telecommunications hosting server, though user client computers can provide some and possibly all of the user agent functionality, depending upon the particular implementation chosen.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques that include an error detection code (e.g., a CRC code) and cleared bytes (e.g., zeroes) with data (e.g., CKD data). The use of cleared bytes with CKD data enables detection of corrupt CKD data by simply generating a CRC code based on an entire data block and comparing that generated CRC code with an initial CRC code appended to the CKD data within that data block. One arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system that includes a circuit having a memory pipeline that receives a stream of data elements, and provides a series of byte groups that includes the stream of data elements, an error detection code and a set of cleared bytes to a set of storage devices. Each of the series of byte groups provided by the memory pipeline has a same byte width. The inclusion of the error detection code and the set of cleared bytes enables consistent alignment of each byte group in the series.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for distributing solder paste using a tool that defines a solder paste aperture having a non-circular cross-sectional shape. When the non-circular shape coincides with a pad and at least a portion of a stringer leading to the pad during a solder paste distribution process, solder paste is deposited over the pad and the stringer portion. Since solder paste now resides on the stringer portion, solder is not drawn from the pad toward the stringer portion during the soldering process as with some conventional situations. Rather, solder within the solder paste that resides on the stringer portion tends to adhere to the stringer portion, while some of the solder volume over the stringer pulls back to join the solder over the pad due to surface tension of the solder. The end result is a robust solder joint between the pad and corresponding component contact.

Abstract: A technique involves providing a set of soft start power signals to operating circuitry mounted on a circuit board. In particular, the technique involves enabling (i) a first converter to provide a first soft start power signal to the operating circuitry and (ii) a second converter to provide a second soft start power signal to the operation circuitry. Additionally, the technique involves providing a first control signal that indicates whether the first converter properly provides the first soft start power signal, and providing a second control signal that indicates whether the second converter properly provides the second soft start power signal. Furthermore, the technique involves disabling the first converter if the second control signal indicates that the second converter improperly provides the second soft start power signal, and disabling the second converter if the first control signal indicates that the first converter improperly provides the first soft start power signal.

Abstract: The invention is directed to techniques for handling a client-oriented request within a data-storage system. Handling of a client-oriented request enables direct communication between a client and the system thus offloading any servers' burden of handling client requests. Furthermore, in some situations, such handling of the client-oriented request within the data storage system enables reduced traffic through the cache of the system, and reduced traffic between the system and external devices. In one arrangement, the data storage system includes a set of ports for connecting to an external host, a cache for buffering data exchanged between the external host and a set of storage devices, and a set of interface circuits including front-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of ports, and back-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of storage devices.