Patent ID: 8743549

Claim:
A system for storing data, comprising: a rack; one or more data storage modules coupled to the rack, each of at least one of the data storage modules comprising: a chassis; two or more backplanes coupled to the chassis; one or more mass storage devices coupled to at least one of the backplanes; and one or more air passages under at least one of the backplanes, wherein at least one of the air passages comprises one or more air inlets and one or more air outlets, wherein the at least one passage is configured to allow air to move from the at least one air inlet to at least one of the air outlets to remove heat from at least one of the mass storage devices; and one or more data control modules coupled to the rack and external to the chassis of at least one of the data storage modules, each of at least one of the data control modules configured to access one or more of the mass storage devices in at least one of the data storage modules.