Abstract: A computing system includes a low-profile chassis a motherboard disposed therein and at least one full-size circuit board coupled to the motherboard within the chassis. A method and another computing system are disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are ways of providing a highly flexible high availability storage system. Disk drive carriers for insertion into enclosures in a storage system include several disk drives. The enclosures accept carriers that include drives of different sizes, and drives compatible with different storage technologies, for instance Fibre Channel, SATA, or SAS. Drives oriented in their carriers in a manner that allows them to be connected to a common medium via identical flex circuits that are configured based on the orientation of the drives. Redundant controllers include redundant serial buses for transferring management information to the carriers. The carriers include a controller for monitoring the multiple serial buses and producing storage technology specific management commands for the disk drives.

Abstract: An electrical connector having a dielectric housing. The housing has an elongated, vertically extending portion and a base portion. The base portion extends laterally beyond the elongated, vertically extending portion. The connector includes a pair of retention posts disposed through a portion of a base of the connector. The base of the housing has an alignment pin deposed between the retention posts for extending into a hole in the surface of the printed circuit board. A pair of dust cover members is insertable into sidewalls of the housing.

Abstract: Communications settings are managed. System characteristics are determined that affect communications on a high speed transmission link between nodes. The system characteristics includes system hardware information and physical characteristics of a cable. Tuning information is derived from the system characteristics. At least some of the tuning information is communicated between the nodes.

Abstract: In a highly available storage system, an enclosure includes first and second power supplies, and first and second controller boards. Each of the first and second controller boards includes first and second serial bus controllers. First and second serial buses are coupled to both of the first and second serial bus controllers on each of the first and second controller boards. The first serial bus is coupled to the first power supply, while the second serial bus coupled to the second power supply. The first and second serial buses are used for exchanging enclosure management and environmental information between the first and second power supplies and the first and second controller boards. The first and second serial buses are coupled to isolation switches so that redundant modules can operate if a serial bus controller fails.

Abstract: Described is a system and method of designing a length of an electrical trace used to implement a point-to-point serial link for conveying a digital signal between a transmitter and a receiver. A trace segment of the electrical trace is identified. The trace segment has a first endpoint determined by a first impedance discontinuity on the point-to-point serial link and a second endpoint determined by a second impedance discontinuity on the point-to-point serial link. A restricted length is calculated for the trace segment based on a propagation delay of the signal along the trace segment and a frequency of the signal. A length of the trace segment is set to be unequal to the restricted length.

Abstract: Disclosed are ways of providing a highly flexible high availability storage system. Disk drive carriers for insertion into enclosures in a storage system include several disk drives. The enclosures accept carriers that include drives of different sizes, and drives compatible with different storage technologies, for instance Fibre Channel, SATA, or SAS. Drives oriented in their carriers in a manner that allows them to be connected to a common medium via identical flex circuits that are configured based on the orientation of the drives. Redundant controllers include redundant serial buses for transferring management information to the carriers. The carriers include a controller for monitoring the multiple serial buses and producing storage technology specific management commands for the disk drives.

Abstract: In a highly available storage system, an enclosure includes first and second power supplies, and first and second controller boards. Each of the first and second controller boards includes first and second serial bus controllers. First and second serial buses are coupled to both of the first and second serial bus controllers on each of the first and second controller boards. The first serial bus is coupled to the first power supply, while the second serial bus coupled to the second power supply. The first and second serial buses are used for exchanging enclosure management and environmental information between the first and second power supplies and the first and second controller boards. The first and second serial buses are coupled to isolation switches so that redundant modules can operate if a serial bus controller fails.

Abstract: An improved interconnection assembly is configured to couple to only one of a first daughter card having a first arrangement of connectors and a second daughter card having a second arrangement of connectors. The interconnection assembly includes a motherboard and motherboard connectors. The motherboard connectors are adapted to couple to one of the first arrangement of connectors of the first daughter card and the second arrangement of connectors of the second daughter card. The interconnection assembly further includes a stopper attached to the motherboard. The stopper is adapted to provide interference against the other of the first arrangement of connectors of the first daughter card and the second arrangement of connectors of the second daughter card to prevent the motherboard connectors from contacting the other of the first arrangement of connectors of the first daughter card and the second arrangement of connectors of the second daughter card.

Abstract: Disclosed are ways of providing a highly flexible high availability storage system. Disk drive carriers for insertion into enclosures in a storage system include several disk drives. The enclosures accept carriers that include drives of different sizes, and drives compatible with different storage technologies, for instance Fibre Channel, SATA, or SAS. Drives oriented in their carriers in a manner that allows them to be connected to a common medium via identical flex circuits that are configured based on the orientation of the drives. Redundant controllers include redundant serial buses for transferring management information to the carriers. The carriers include a controller for monitoring the multiple serial buses and producing storage technology specific management commands for the disk drives.