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.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention is related in general to the field of data management systems. In particular, the invention consists of a system for distributing air through a drive enclosure bay residing within one of multiple disparate data storage systems. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Data storage libraries are used for providing cost effective storage and retrieval of large quantities of data. In a data storage library, data is stored on data storage media that are, in turn, stored on storage shelves or on racks inside the library in a fashion that renders the media, and its resident data, accessible. Data storage media may comprise any type of media on which data may be stored, including but not limited to magnetic media (such as magnetic tape or disks), optical media (such as optical tap or disks), electronic media (such as PROM, EEPROM, flash PROM, Compactflash™, Smartmedia™ Memory Stick™, etc.), or other suitable media. 
   An exemplary data storage library may include a plurality of disparate components such as a power supply, a control module, an interconnect device, one or more communication devices, a blower module for removing heat, and one or more slots for receiving interchangeable components. These interchangeable components may include drive enclosure bays each containing multiple drive trays. 
   Each drive tray may, in turn, hold several data storage devices such as hard-disk drives, tape cartridges, optical-disk drives, or the like. These types of data storage devices traditionally operate by spinning a data storage media, such as a platter or disk, over a read/write head. 
   A primary concern for data storage systems is the displacement of heat generated by its components. To this end, the blower module usually includes a fan and, optionally, a refrigeration unit or cooler. The purpose of the fan may be to pull air into the data storage system in a manner that draws it over heated components, absorbing heat from these components, and discharging the heated air from the data storage unit. Alternatively, the fan may pull air into the data storage system, pass it over a cooler or refrigeration unit to lower its temperature, and then force it through and around heated system components. Either way, the cooling system requires that relatively cool air pass over, through, and around the heated components in sufficient quantities to remove an acceptable amount of heat from these components. 
   A primary source of heat in a traditional data storage system is the plurality of data storage devices placed on the drive trays of the drive enclosure bays. Accordingly, a traditional drive enclosure bay is designed to meet the needs of its attendant data storage system. For example, a drive enclosure bay designed for a first data storage system may provide a specific air-flow path entering the data storage system enclosure, over and around the drive trays containing data storage devices, through the blower, and exiting the blower module. Traditionally, a drive enclosure bay designed for a second data storage system may provide a much different air-flow path, as the design of its enclosure, power module, blower module, and other components may be different than that of the first data storage system. Another consideration may be the required air-flow impedance of each data storage system. 
   For these reason, drive enclosure bays are traditionally designed for a specific data storage system. However, this prevents a drive enclosure bay from being ported from one type of data storage system to another. This, in turn, reduces flexibility in the transferal of data storage devices from one system to another. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a system for distributing air through a drive enclosure bay wherein the drive enclosure bay may reside in one of a plurality of disparate data storage systems. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention disclosed herein employs a plurality of air-flow paths within a drive enclosure bay to allow the drive enclosure bay to function with multiple disparate data storage systems. Another aspect of the invention is the use of narrow and offset connectors to facilitate the flow of air through the drive enclosure bay. The drive tray includes a front side adapted to allow air to flow through the front side of the drive enclosure bay, a top side including an air outlet port, a bottom side including an air outlet port, and a rear side including a contoured stiffener adapted to allow air to flow through the rear side of the drive enclosure bay. Additional features include the use of PCB ports and drive tray slots in the drive tray and frame ports and PCB notches in interface cards within the drive enclosure bay. 
   Various other purposes and advantages of the invention will become clear from its description in the specification that follows and from the novel features particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, to the accomplishment of the objectives described above, this invention comprises the features hereinafter illustrated in the drawings, fully described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and particularly pointed out in the claims. However, such drawings and description disclose just a few of the various ways in which the invention may be practiced. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view illustrating a data storage library including a housing, a blower module, and a plurality of data storage device enclosures, according to the invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the data storage library of  FIG. 1 , more fully illustrating some of its major components. 
       FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a drive enclosure bay including drive trays containing data storage devices and interface cards, according to the invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the drive enclosure bay of  FIG. 3  absent the drive trays and interface cards. 
       FIG. 5  is an isometric view of the rear side of the drive enclosure bay of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a traditional drive tray of  FIG. 3  including data storage devices, a solid sheet printed circuit board, a solid bottomed frame, and a traditional connector. 
       FIG. 7  is an isometric view of a traditional interface card of  FIG. 3  including a solid sheet printed circuit board, a solid bottomed frame, and a traditional connector. 
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a first data storage library air-flow configuration, according to the invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram illustrating an optional embodiment of the first data storage library air-flow configuration of  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a second data storage library air-flow configuration, according to the invention. 
       FIG. 11  is an isometric view of an improved drive tray, according to the invention. 
       FIG. 12  is an isometric view of an improved interface card, according to the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   This invention is based on the idea of using a plurality of air-flow paths within a drive enclosure bay to allow the drive enclosure bay to function with multiple disparate data storage systems. Referring to figures, wherein like parts are designated with the same reference numerals and symbols,  FIG. 1  is an exploded view illustrating a first data storage system  10  including a housing  12 , a blower module  14 , a management module  16 , a power module  18 , a switch module  20 , a blade server  22 , a drive enclosure bay  24 , a filler blade  26 , a front bezel  28 , and a media tray  30  containing a CD-ROM drive, a USB port, and a diskette drive.  FIG. 2  is a rear view of the data storage library  10  of  FIG. 1 , more fully illustrating the arrangement of the switch modules  20 , the blower modules  14 , the power modules  18 , and the management module  16 . 
     FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the drive enclosure bay  24  introduced in  FIG. 1 , including drive trays  40  containing data storage devices and interface cards  44 . The drive enclosure bay  24  includes a front side  46  through which the drive trays  40  and interface cards  44  are inserted, a top side  48 , a right side  42 , a bottom side (not shown), a left side (not shown), and a rear side (not shown). In this embodiment of the invention, an air outlet portal  50  is placed toward the rear of the top side  48  and the rear of bottom side (not shown). This air outlet portal  50  allows air to flow from the drive enclosure bay  24  into the enclosure  12  of the data storage library  10 , when configured in one of at least two different configurations.  FIG. 4  illustrates the drive enclosure bay  24  of  FIG. 3  without the drive trays and interface cards. 
   The isometric view of  FIG. 5  illustrates the left side  52 , the top side  48 , the rear side  54 , the front  46 , and the air outlet portal  50  of the drive enclosure bay  24  of  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment of the invention, the rear  54  of the drive enclosure bay  24  includes a drive enclosure bay mid-plane  80 . One aspect of this invention is that the mid-plane  80  is contoured in a manner designed to allow air-flow from the rear of the drive enclosure bay  24  into the housing  12  of the data storage library. This is accomplished via multiple cut-outs  81 , rather than using a traditional full rear enclosure of a traditional drive enclosure bay. 
   The isometric drawing of  FIG. 6  illustrates a traditional drive tray  40  including a sheet metal frame  60 , one or more data storage devices  62 , a printed circuit board  64  and a traditional connector  66 . The isometric drawing of  FIG. 7  illustrates a traditional interface card  44  including a sheet metal frame  56 , a PCB board  58 , and a traditional connector  68  which is approximately the same width as the PCB board  58 . 
   One aspect of this invention is the requirement that the drive enclosure bay  24  provide sufficient air flow through the drive enclosure bay  24  into the housing  12  of whatever type of data storage library  10  it is inserted into. In a first configuration, as illustrated by the block diagram of  FIG. 8 , 100% of air flow enters the drive enclosure bay from the front  46  and exits from the rear  54 . The block diagram of  FIG. 9  illustrates an optional implementation of this first configuration, with air intake being divided between the front  46 , top  48 , and bottom  70  of the drive enclosure bay  24 . 
   In a second configuration, as illustrated by the block diagram of  FIG. 10 , 100% of the air enters the drive enclosure bay from the front  46  but exits via multiple paths, i.e., at least 20% from both the top  48  and bottom  70  and at least 50% from the rear  54 . To accommodate these disparate system configuration requirements, numerous design changes must be implemented in the drive trays  40  ( FIG. 6 ), the interface cards  44  ( FIG. 7 ), the top  48 , the bottom  70 , and the rear side  54  of the drive enclosure bay  24 . 
   As previously indicated and illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the rear enclosure of the drive enclosure bay  24 , while traditionally a solid sheet covering the entire rear  54  of the drive enclosure bay  24 , has been replaced with a mid-plane stiffener  80  which has been contoured so as to allow air to flow through. This helps facilitate the air flow requirements of both the first configuration ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) and the second configuration ( FIG. 10 ). 
   An improved drive tray  140  is illustrated in the isometric view of  FIG. 11 . Here, data storage devices  162  consisting of hard disk drives are attached to a PCB  164  and sheet metal frame  160 . In order to facilitate the flow of air between the data storage devices  162 , the PCB  164 , and the frame  160  of the drive tray  140 , a plurality of PCB ports  170  have been formed in the PCB  164 , a plurality of tray slots  172  have been formed in the bottom  168  of the frame  160 , and these PCB ports  170  and tray slots  172  have been staggered. This allows air to pass over, around, and under the data storage devices, through the PCB ports  170 , and through the tray slots  172 . Another aspect of the invention is that the traditional connector  66  ( FIG. 6 ) has been replaced with a slimmer but longer and taller connector  166  which allows more air to flow towards the rear  54  of the drive enclosure bay  24 . 
   An improved interface card  144  is illustrated in the isometric drawing of  FIG. 12 . Here, a sheet metal frame  156  includes a plurality of frame ports  174 , referred to herein as interface card air-flow ports. The PCB  158  includes a plurality of PCB notches  176 , referred to herein as printed circuit board air-flow ports, which are staggered with respect to the frame ports  174 . The traditional connector  68  ( FIG. 7 ) has been replaced with a slimmer but longer and taller connector  178  which allows air to flow through the interface card  144  toward the rear  54  of the drive enclosure bay  24 . The staggered frame ports  174  and PCB notches  176  allow air to flow through the bottom of the improved interface card  144 . 
   Those skilled in the art of making data storage systems may develop other embodiments of the present invention. However, the terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.