Patent ID: 6987674

Claim:
A storage system with multiple disk drives comprising: an enclosure; an interface board having a first backplane interface connector and a second backplane interface connector, said interface board being mounted in said enclosure, said interface board being substantially planar and defining an interface board plane; a first and second backplane having a plurality of disk drive interface connectors and a backplane interface mating connector capable of mating with one of said first and second backplane interface connectors, said plurality of disk drive interface connectors being arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, said first and second backplane being substantially planar and defining a first and second backplane plane; a first set of disk drives electrically connected to said first backplane through said plurality of disk drive interface connectors, each of said first set of disk drives having a longest edge defining a long axis, said long axis being oriented perpendicular to said first backplane plane; a second set of disk drives electrically connected to said second backplane through said plurality of disk drive interface connectors, each of said second set of disk drives having a longest edge defining a long axis, said long axis being oriented perpendicular to said second backplane plane; a first power supply connected to said first backplane, but not to said second backplane; a second power supply connected to said second backplane, but not to said first backplane; a first guiding mechanism mounted in said enclosure, said first guiding mechanism defining a first axis of insertion, said first axis of insertion being substantially perpendicular to said interface board plane, said first guiding mechanism being arranged to guide said first backplane into said enclosure such that said first backplane electrically connects to said first backplane interface connector such that said first backplane plane is substantially perpendicular to said interface plane, said first backplane and said first set of disk drives being removable from said enclosure as a first single unit; and a second guiding mechanism mounted in said enclosure, said second guiding mechanism defining a second axis of insertion, said second axis of insertion being substantially perpendicular to said interface board plane, said second guiding mechanism being arranged to guide said second backplane into said enclosure such that said second backplane electrically connects to said second backplane interface connector such that said second backplane plane is substantially perpendicular to said interface plane, said second backplane and said second set of disk drives being removable from said enclosure as a second single unit.