Patent ID: 7209981
Filing Date: 2007-04-24
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A removable storage module, including: a housing for holding a plurality of disk drives; a connector mounted to the housing; a plurality of disk drives disposed in the housing, and each drive having an I/O channel; a plurality of switches disposed within the housing, each switch having at least three ports; wherein the I/O channel each disk drives is coupled with a first port of a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches; wherein the plurality of switches are selectively controllable such that the I/O channel of the disk drive which is coupled to the first port of the switch is coupled with either a second port or a third port of the switch; wherein the second port and the third port of the switches are coupled with the connector, such that data from the I/O channel of the drive can be transmitted through the connector from either the second port or the third port of the switch, and wherein the connector is configured such that when the plurality of switches are controlled so that the I/O channels of the plurality of drives are coupled with the second ports of the switches, then the I/O channel of the drives are coupled with a plurality of first host channels through the connector, and when I/O channel of the drives are coupled with the third ports of the switches then the I/O channels of the drives are coupled with a plurality of second host channels through the connector; and wherein the connector operates to receive a power supply voltage which is utilized to power the plurality of disk drives, and to drive the plurality of switches.