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: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for integrating a blade RAID controller and storage. A storage blade enclosure communicates with a blade chassis. The storage blade enclosure is mounted within the blade chassis. A RAID controller disposed in the storage blade enclosure receives a command through the storage blade enclosure. In one embodiment, the command is communicated through the blade chassis from a processor blade mounted in the blade chassis. The RAID controller redundantly stores data to or retrieves data from a storage module disposed in the storage blade enclosure in response to the command using a RAID redundancy methodology.

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: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for integrating a blade RAID controller and storage. A storage blade enclosure communicates with a blade chassis. The storage blade enclosure is mounted within the blade chassis. A RAID controller disposed in the storage blade enclosure receives a command through the storage blade enclosure. In one embodiment, the command is communicated through the blade chassis from a processor blade mounted in the blade chassis. The RAID controller redundantly stores data to or retrieves data from a storage module disposed in the storage blade enclosure in response to the command using a RAID redundancy methodology.

Abstract: An active noise canceller outputs a noise pattern learning request signal to a hard disk drive causing the hard disk drive to perform a predetermined operation, receives noise at this moment through a sound-receiving unit, and stores, in a nonvolatile memory unit, a relationship between the noise and a head operation data signal output from the hard disk drive. Based on the operation data signal outputted from the hard disk drive, the active noise canceller generates a noise-canceling sound while making a reference to the above relationship stored in the nonvolatile memory unit. Therefore, the signal processing needs a low degree of response for operating the noise-canceling sound.

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: 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: 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 storage system in which a set of a data block and a redundancy block is stored has a plurality of control sections which respectively control a plurality of storages, a host connection unit which selects the control section controlling one of the storage in which a write data block which is a write-object block is to be stored, and a transfer unit which transfers the write data block to the control section. Each of the plurality of control sections includes a data block write section which writes the write data block transferred by a transfer unit to the storage in which the write data block is to be stored, a redundancy block update request section which requests the control section controlling the storage in which a redundancy block is to be stored to update the redundancy block, and a redundancy block update section which updates the redundancy block stored in the storage controlled by the control section when another of the control sections makes a request for updating the redundancy block.

Abstract: A disk enclosure is provided with a plurality of HDDs, an enclosure manager that outputs control and management information of the disk enclosure, and S/P converters that are provided for the respective HDDs. Each S/P converter converts a control and management command outputted from the HDD in the form of a parallel signal into a serial signal and outputs it to the enclosure manager. Further, each S/P converter converts control and management information outputted from the enclosure manager into a parallel signal. With this configuration, merely providing a serial port in the enclosure manager and connecting the S/P converters to the enclosure manager by a serial bus can make the SES function of the ESI scheme effective for the HDDs.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for interfacing a plurality of device controllers to an array of data storage devices by serial connection. The device controllers are coupled to a serial interface by a bus and the devices of the storage array are coupled to the serial interface by a serial connection. The serial interface receives controller signals through the bus and multiplexes the signals onto the serial connections of the storage array. Arbitration between the various device controllers seeking access to the storage array is resolved through bus protocol and through drive based reserve/release registers in the serial interface processor.

Abstract: A storage control and switch unit for transferring data between a host computer and first, second, third and fourth storage media. A first storage controller has an operative serial ATA connection with each of the first and second storage media and an inoperative serial ATA connection to each of the third and fourth storage media. A second storage controller has an operative serial ATA connection with each of the third and fourth storage media and an inoperative serial ATA connection to each of the first and second storage media. First, second, third and fourth switches are logically interposed between the first, second, third and fourth storage media, respectively, and the first and second storage controllers to select which serial ATA connection to each storage media is operative and which is inoperative.

Abstract: A storage system in which a set of a data block and a redundancy block is stored has a plurality of control sections which respectively control a plurality of storages, a host connection unit which selects the control section controlling one of the storage in which a write data block which is a write-object block is to be stored, and a transfer unit which transfers the write data block to the control section. Each of the plurality of control sections includes a data block write section which writes the write data block transferred by a transfer unit to the storage in which the write data block is to be stored, a redundancy block update request section which requests the control section controlling the storage in which a redundancy block is to be stored to update the redundancy block, and a redundancy block update section which updates the redundancy block stored in the storage controlled by the control section when another of the control sections makes a request for updating the redundancy block.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method and system for interfacing a plurality of device controllers to an array of data storage devices by serial connection. The device controllers are coupled to a serial interface by a bus and the devices of the storage array are coupled to the serial interface by a serial connection. The serial interface receives controller signals through the bus and multiplexes the signals onto the serial connections of the storage array. Arbitration between the various device controllers seeking access to the storage array is resolved through bus protocol and through drive based reserve/release registers in the serial interface processor.

Abstract: An active noise canceller outputs a noise pattern learning request signal to a hard disk drive causing the hard disk drive to perform a predetermined operation, receives noise at this moment through a sound-receiving unit, and stores, in a nonvolatile memory unit, a relationship between the noise and a head operation data signal output from the hard disk drive. Based on the operation data signal outputted from the hard disk drive, the active noise canceller generates a noise-canceling sound while making a reference to the above relationship stored in the nonvolatile memory unit. Therefore, the signal processing needs a low degree of response for operating the noise-canceling sound.

Abstract: A disk enclosure is provided with a plurality of HDDs, an enclosure manager that outputs control and management information of the disk enclosure, and S/P converters that are provided for the respective HDDs. Each S/P converter converts a control and management command outputted from the HDD in the form of a parallel signal into a serial signal and outputs it to the enclosure manager. Further, each S/P converter converts control and management information outputted from the enclosure manager into a parallel signal. With this configuration, merely providing a serial port in the enclosure manager and connecting the S/P converters to the enclosure manager by a serial bus can make the SES function of the ESI scheme effective for the HDDs.