Patent ID: 7698491

Claim:
A modular patch panel to interconnect a data storage system controller to data storage enclosures, the modular patch panel comprising: a chassis having a front end and a back end, the front end and the back end being horizontally opposed, the back end attaching to a panel portion of a rack system, the panel portion electrically connecting to the data storage enclosures over a set of point-to-point connections; and modular interface circuitry, the modular interface circuitry: having a data storage interface portion electrically connected to the set of point-to-point connections through the panel; having a controller interface portion electrically connecting to the data storage system controller through the front end; being interchangeable through an opening in the front end; and being constructed and arranged to manage digital communications between the data storage system controller and the data storage enclosures according to a data storage system protocol used by the data storage system controller.