Patent ID: 8848383

Claim:
A network storage system, comprising: a motherboard, having a top surface and a bottom surface, and further having a plurality of card guide cutouts for aligning a plurality of flash blades, the card guide cutouts oriented substantially parallel to each other, having an elongated shape extending in a first direction, and further having a first end and a second end; one or more electronic components mounted on the motherboard and configured to perform functions associated with interfacing the plurality of flash blades to one or more external computing devices; a plurality of connectors, each connector mounted on the top surface of the motherboard adjacent to the first end of one of the card guide cutouts, the plurality of connectors securing the flash blades to the motherboard in an orientation substantially perpendicular to the motherboard, and the plurality of connectors communicatively coupling the flash blades to the electronic components; and the plurality of flash blades, each flash blade having one or more solid state memory devices mounted thereon, the flash blades secured to the connectors on the top surface of the motherboard and a portion of each flash blade extending into one of the card guide cutouts of the motherboard to align the flash blade with the card guide cutout.