Removable integrated multiple internal disk drive subsystem

• Main Authors: HANNIGAN, MATTHEW T, CHURCHILL, ROBERT J, REYES, JOSE G, HOPLA, STEVEN D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 09.08.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; INFORMATION STORAGE; INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORDCARRIER AND TRANSDUCER; PHYSICS

A computer system and a method of servicing the system utilize a disk drive array assembly (12) that can be internally installed into and removed from a host electronic casing (10) of the system as a single unit. The disk drive array assembly is an integrated single unit, housing a number of hard disk drives (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26). The disk drive array assembly can support a redundant inexpensive, or independent, disks (RAID) system. The disk drive array assembly is comprised of a disk cage (46), a backplane (16) and the hard disk drives. The disk cage and the backplane form an integrated housing unit (14 and 16) for the hard disk drives. The disk cage includes a number of tracks (50a, 50b, 52a, 52b, 54a, 54b, 56a, 56b, 58a and 58b), located on two lateral interior surfaces of the disk cage. Each track on one surface of the disk cage is laterally aligned to a track on the other surface. A pair of aligned tracks is designed to guide a single hard disk drive that is being inserted into the disk cage. In addition, the same pair of aligned tracks provides support for the disk drive after being inserted into the disk cage. The unitary design of the disk drive array assembly allows the disk drive array assembly to be transferred from one computer system to another computer system in an intact condition. Furthermore, the unitary design provides easy access to other electronic devices contained within the host electronic casing, since the disk drive arrays assembly can be removed from the host electronic casing in the same intact condition.