Patent ID: 7487283
Filing Date: 2009-02-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for providing a bridge between two or more data communications interfaces, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of device bays, each device bay configured according to a common form factor and comprising an internal mass storage communications interface communicatively linked to the plurality of device bays via a bus having a control line and operative to interchangeably mate with a connector of a storage device and a connector of a computing device; the computing device for use within one device bay of the plurality of device bays, the computing device comprising an intermediate communications gateway responsive to the state of the control line in order to permit communication between the computing device and the storage device in the first device bay while the control line is in the first state and to isolate the storage device from the bus while the control line is in the second state, wherein the computing device and the intermediate communications gateway are operative to communicate data relating to the storage device in the first device bay while the control line is in the second state and wherein the intermediate communications gateway is operative to establish communication with the storage device in the first device bay while the control line is in the second state and while the storage devices is isolated from the bus in order to retrieve the data relating to the storage device for communication via the bus to the computing device.