Low Cost, High Performance and High Data Throughput Server Blade

Abstract

A server blade insertable into a chassis of a blade server system includes a main circuit board coupled to the chassis upon insertion, a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, a plurality of grouped hard disk drives, and a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into a corresponding one of the connectors. Each of the grouped hard disk drives couples to one or more of the computer modules. Each of the grouped hard disk drives includes a first hard disk drive exposed proximate to a front side of the chassis, and a second hard disk drive positioned between the first hard disk drive and a back side of the chassis. A subset of the grouped hard disk drives includes a first grouped hard disk drive and a second grouped hard disk drive stacked on the first grouped hard disk drive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular server, comprising:
 a main circuit board housed in a chassis, comprising
 a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, each adapted to connect to a computer module; and 
 a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into one of the plurality of connectors, each computer module comprising 
   an integrated system on a chip (SoC) comprising a processor and a memory controller;   a main memory coupled to the memory controller;   a first low voltage differential signal (LVDS) channel directly extending from the SoC, the first LVDS channel comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to transmit data in opposite directions, wherein the first LVDS channel is configured to convey a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus transaction; and   a second LVDS channel adapted to couple to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors, comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to transmit data in opposite directions, wherein the second LVDS channel conveys a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a PCI bus transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The modular server of  claim 1  wherein the main memory comprises a Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) Double Data Rate (DDR) memory socket and a SODIMM DDR memory module. 
     
     
         3 . The modular server of  claim 1  wherein each computer module further comprises a third LVDS channel adapted to couple to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors, comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to transmit data in opposite directions, and wherein the third LVDS channel conveys Ethernet protocol traffic. 
     
     
         4 . The modular server of  claim 1  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) bus directly extending from the SoC, wherein the SATA bus couples to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors of the computer module. 
     
     
         5 . The modular server of  claim 1  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) flash drive. 
     
     
         6 . A modular server, comprising:
 a main circuit board housed in a chassis comprising
 a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, each adapted to connect to a computer module; and 
 a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into one of the plurality of connectors, each computer module comprising 
   an integrated system on a chip (SoC) comprising a processor, a graphics controller and a memory controller;   a main memory directly coupled to the integrated SoC;   a serial communication link I 2 C bus directly extending from the SoC, coupled to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors;   a first low voltage differential signal (LVDS) channel directly extending from the SoC, the first LVDS channel comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to convey data in opposite directions, wherein the LVDS channel is configured to output a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus transaction, wherein the first LVDS channel couples directly to the main circuit board; and   a second LVDS channel comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to convey data in opposite directions; wherein the second LVDS channel couples to the main circuit board.   
     
     
         7 . The modular server of  claim 6  wherein the main memory comprises a Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) Double Data Rate (DDR) memory socket and a SODIMM DDR memory module. 
     
     
         8 . The modular server of  claim 6  wherein the second LVDS channel conveys Ethernet protocol traffic. 
     
     
         9 . The modular server of  claim 6  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) bus directly extending from the SoC, wherein the SATA bus directly couples to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors. 
     
     
         10 . The modular server of  claim 6  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) flash drive. 
     
     
         11 . A modular server, comprising:
 a chassis comprising a power supply; and   a main circuit board housed in the chassis, and coupled to the power supply, comprising   a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, each adapted to connect to a computer module;
 a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into one of the plurality of connectors for operation and for receiving power from the power supply, each computer module comprising 
   an integrated system on a chip (SoC) comprising a processor and a memory controller;   a main memory directly coupled to the memory controller, comprising a Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) Double Data Rate (DDR) memory socket and a SODIMM DDR memory module;   a first low voltage differential signal (LVDS) channel directly extending from the SoC, the first LVDS channel comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to convey data in opposite directions, wherein the LVDS channel is configured to output a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus transaction, wherein the first LVDS channel couples directly to the main circuit board.   
     
     
         12 . The modular server of  claim 11  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) bus, wherein the SATA bus connects to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors of the computer module. 
     
     
         13 . The modular server of  claim 12  wherein the SATA bus interface connects to a SATA Disk Drive coupled to the main server board. 
     
     
         14 . The modular server of  claim 12  wherein the computer module further comprises a second LVDS channel adapted to couple to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors, wherein the second LVDS channel comprises two unidirectional, serial bit channels to transmit data in opposite directions, and wherein a third LVDS channel conveys Ethernet protocol traffic. 
     
     
         15 . The modular server of  claim 11  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) flash drive. 
     
     
         16 . A modular server, comprising:
 a main circuit board housed in a chassis comprising   a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, each adapted to connect to a computer module;
 an Ethernet Switching Hub coupled to the main circuit board; 
   a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into one of the plurality of connectors, each computer module comprising   an integrated system on a chip (SoC) comprising a processor, a graphics controller and a memory controller;   a main memory directly coupled to the memory controller,   a first low voltage differential signal (LVDS) channel connected to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors, wherein the first LVDS channel comprises two unidirectional, serial bit channels to convey data in opposite directions, wherein the LVDS channel is configured to output a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus transaction; and   a second LVDS channel adapted to conveys Ethernet protocol traffic to the Ethernet Switching Hub with a point-to-point connection through one of the plurality of connectors, wherein the second LVDS channel comprises two unidirectional, serial bit channels to transmit data in opposite directions.   
     
     
         17 . The modular server of  claim 16  wherein the main memory comprises a Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) Double Data Rate DDR memory socket and a SODIMM DDR memory module. 
     
     
         18 . The modular server of  claim 16  wherein each computer module further comprises a serial communication link I 2 C bus extending directly from the integrated SoC, adapted to connect to the main circuit board. 
     
     
         19 . The computer module of  claim 16  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) bus interface directly extending from the integrated SoC, wherein the SATA bus interface directly couples to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors. 
     
     
         20 . The computer module of  claim 16  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) flash drive. 
     
     
         21 . A modular server, comprising:
 a chassis comprising a power supply; and   a main circuit board housed in the chassis, comprising   a plurality of connectors residing on the main circuit board, each adapted to connect to a computer module; a plurality of computer modules, each insertable into one of the plurality of connectors for operation and for receiving power from the power supply, each computer module comprising   an integrated system on a chip (SoC) comprising a processor, a graphics controller and a memory controller;   a main memory directly coupled to the memory controller;   a Serial Advanced Attachment Technology (SATA) bus interface directly extending from the integrated SoC, wherein the SATA bus interface directly couples to the main circuit board through one of the plurality of connectors; and   a first low voltage differential signal (LVDS) channel adapted to connect to the main circuit board, comprising two unidirectional, serial bit channels to convey data in opposite directions, wherein the first LVDS channel is configured to output a serial bit stream of address and data bits of a Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) bus transaction.   
     
     
         22 . The modular server of  claim 21  wherein the SATA bus interface connects to a SATA Disk Drive coupled to the main server board. 
     
     
         23 . The modular server of  claim 21  wherein the main memory comprises a Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM) Double Data Rate DDR memory socket and a SODIMM DDR memory module. 
     
     
         24 . The modular server of  claim 21  wherein one of the computer modules further comprises a SATA flash drive. 
     
     
         25 . The modular server of  claim 21  wherein the computer module further comprises a serial communication link I 2 C bus extending directly from the integrated SoC, adapted to connect to the main circuit board.