Abstract: A tool is disclosed, for measuring the important thermal characteristics of a unit of electronic equipment, which obtains air flow and temperature readings at both air inlet and air outlet openings of the unit without disturbing cable or wiring connections or otherwise interrupting device operation. The tool pressure sensing element is rotatable between detented positions to permit the tool to be used at both air inlet and air outlet openings. The tool air duct portion may be formed of separate duct portions to enable a single duct portion including the sensing instrumentation to be used with multiple duct portions that conform to electronic device air inlet and outlet openings to impart added flexibility to the tool.

Abstract: Because cable length affects signal quality, amplifying signals differently to account for cable length (“tuning”) becomes especially important when high speed signals are used. Cable length information may be stored in a non-volatile memory which may be integrated into a cable assembly or may be a discrete component between the cable and an interface. Rather than using a dedicated data line to the memory component a ground line may be connected to the memory component and multiplexed. During normal operation the selected line is grounded through a switching device. When a cable is detected, a management controller changes the state of the switching device to decouple the selected line from ground to allow the management controller access to the data stored in the memory component, including cable length information. The selected line is then re-coupled to ground and interface circuits may be tuned for the cable length.

Abstract: A disk-drive storage assembly includes an interface card configurable to couple to a plurality of hard-disk drives. The interface card has a plurality of first vent openings to expose a surface area of each of the plurality of hard-disk drives. A drive chassis tray is coupled to the interface card having a plurality of second vent openings. The second vent openings are staggered to shift the exposed surface area of the hard-disk drives. A disk storage device includes a plurality of hard-disk drives. An interface card is coupled to the plurality of hard-disk drives. The interface card has a plurality of first vent openings to expose a surface area of each of the plurality of hard-disk drives. A drive chassis tray is coupled to the interface card having a plurality of second vent openings defined by a plurality of cross bars.

Abstract: One or more layers of constrained layer damping material is strategically placed within a data storage library having one or more sources of rotational vibration energy. Data storage devices, such as disk drives, are isolated from each other and from a drive tray by a first layer of constrained layer damping material. The drive trays are isolated from drive enclosure bays by a second layer of constrained layer damping material. A third layer of constrained layer damping material isolates each drive enclosure bay from the housing of the data storage library. The net effect is a significant reduction of the amount of rotational vibration energy arriving at each data storage device from other system components, such as a blower module. Additionally, the amount of rotational vibration energy arriving at each data storage device from other data storage devices is also reduced.

Abstract: A data storage library includes a drive enclosure bay which can be adapted to work with multiple air-flow configuration requirements. This is accomplished by creating air-flow ports in the top and bottom of the drive enclosure bay, by forming drive tray slots and printed circuit board ports in associated drive trays, by creating frame ports and PCB notches in associated interface cards, and replacing traditional connectors with slimmer but longer connectors that provide additional standoff and improved air-flow.

Abstract: A serial SCSI (SAS) storage drive system includes a drive enclosure having a first interface card coupled to one storage controller over a single SAS path and a second interface card coupled to another storage controller over a different single SAS path. At least one disk drive within the enclosure is assigned to the first storage controller and interconnected to the storage controller through the first interface card. At least a second disk drive within the enclosure is assigned to the second storage controller and interconnected to the storage controller through the second interface card. The interface cards are selectively interconnected with each other through a crossover port. In the event of a failure in a storage controller or an interface card, the crossover port may be activated, thereby maintaining access to both sets of disk drives.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to install a component in an information storage and retrieval system. The method provides an information storage and retrieval system comprising a system processor and system data, and a component comprising persistent component data. The method attaches the component to the information storage and retrieval system while the information storage and retrieval system remains in normal operation, and determines, while the information storage and retrieval system remains in normal operation, if the component is compatible with the information storage and retrieval system. If the component is compatible with the information storage and retrieval system, the method then places the component into service while the information storage and retrieval system remains in normal operation.

Abstract: An enclosure for storage devices having at least one mounting surface and a viscoelastic layer disposed between a first layer and a second layer of the mounting surface. A receiver secured to the mounting surface within the enclosure receives a storage device carrier that retains a disk drive and positions the storage device carrier within the enclosure. Clip-on damped springs, coupled to the storage device carrier, guide the storage device carrier through the receiver and couple the storage device carrier to the mounting surface(s). A bezel of the storage device carrier is configured to receive a key in one of a plurality of key positions, with each key position corresponding to a particular disk drive/enclosure chassis interface.

Abstract: Aspects of increasing the quality and reliability of desktop class storage disks in enterprise storage applications are described. The aspects include monitoring a number of idle states and busy states in a disk drive, and limiting performance of read/write commands by the disk drive based on whether a sufficient number of idle states has been monitored to avoid exceeding a duty cycle rating of the disk drive.