Patent ID: 7187547

Claim:
A data storage subsystem for mounting within a rack mount cabinet, the data storage subsystem comprising: a housing configured to mount to a set of vertical rails of the rack mount cabinet; a set of circuit boards configured to install in a vertically aligned manner within the housing to define a set of vertically oriented channels within a central space defined by the set of vertical rails of the rack mount cabinet; and a fan assembly configured to mount to the set of vertical rails in a position above the housing to generate a vertical air stream through the set of vertically oriented channels and to exhaust the vertical air stream to an external location above the rack mount cabinet; wherein the housing includes a card cage configured to hold the circuit boards in a substantially parallel manner, and wherein the data storage subsystem further comprises: a backplane disposed within the card cage in a substantially perpendicular manner to the set of circuit boards to provide a set of high density connections to the set of circuit boards; wherein the set of circuit boards includes a set of front-installation circuit boards which is configured to insert into the card cage through a front of the rack mount cabinet, and a set of rear-installation circuit boards which is configured to insert into the card cage through a rear of the rack mount cabinet; and wherein the backplane includes: a rigid planar member having a front side that faces toward the front of the rack mount cabinet and a rear side that faces toward the rear of the rack mount cabinet, a set of front backplane connectors disposed on the front side of the rigid planar member to connect with the set of front-installation circuit boards, and a set of rear backplane connectors disposed on the rear side of the rigid planar member to connect with the set of rear-installation circuit boards.