Pivotable removable fan module for rack mount network equipment chassis

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a pivotable removable fan module for a rack-mounted network equipment chassis. A fan tray of a fan module for a network equipment chassis can include: an internal assembly including an inner enclosure; one or more fans connected to the inner enclosure; a first latch connected to the inner enclosure and configured to removably connect to an external assembly of the fan tray; and a fan controller connected to the inner enclosure and configured to control operation of the one or more fans. The external assembly can be configured to house and hold the internal assembly, and can include: an outer enclosure having one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans; a second latch connected to the outer enclosure and configured to removably connect to a rear of the network equipment chassis; and an adapter connected to the outer enclosure and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to network devices, and more specifically to rack-mounted network device chassis. Background Technology

[0002] A chassis is a structure (e.g., a rack) that can be configured with various types of network devices and / or network device components to provide the required type and number of network ports. A chassis may include a number of fixed slots into which various types of network devices and / or network device components can be inserted. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some implementations described herein relate to a fan tray for a fan module in a network device chassis. The fan tray may include: an internal assembly including an inner housing; one or more fans connected to the inner housing; a first latch connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external assembly of the fan tray; and a fan controller connected to the inner housing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans. The external assembly may be configured to house and retain the internal assembly and may include: an outer housing having one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans; a second latch connected to the outer housing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the network device chassis; and an adapter connected to the outer housing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

[0004] Some implementations described herein relate to a chassis. The chassis may include one or more components of a network device and a fan module comprising multiple fan platters. Each fan platter may include: an internal component including an inner housing; one or more fans connected to the inner housing; a first latch connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan platter; and a fan controller connected to the inner housing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans. The external component may be configured to house and retain the internal component and may include: an outer housing having one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans; a second latch connected to the outer housing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the chassis; and an adapter connected to the outer housing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

[0005] Some implementations described herein relate to a fan module for a network device chassis. The fan module may include multiple fan trays. Each fan tray may include: an internal component including an inner housing; one or more fans connected to the inner housing; a first latch connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan tray; and a fan controller connected to the inner housing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans. The external component may be configured to house and retain the internal component and may include: an outer housing having one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans; a second latch connected to the outer housing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the network device chassis; and an adapter connected to the outer housing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figures 1A to 1F This is a diagram illustrating an example associated with a pivotable, removable fan module used in a rack-mounted network equipment chassis.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a diagram of an example environment in which the systems and / or methods described in this article can be implemented.

[0008] Figure 3 and Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A diagram of example components of one or more devices. Detailed Implementation

[0009] The following detailed description of the example implementation is with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements.

[0010] The chassis can be mounted within an enclosed rack using retractable rails without rear access to the chassis-supported components (e.g., network equipment and / or network equipment components), or it can be mounted within an enclosed rack with rear access (e.g., a rear door) to the chassis-supported components. A fan module with multiple replaceable fan plates can be connected to the rear of the chassis-supported components. The multiple fan plates of the fan module can cool the chassis-supported components. However, the fan module cannot be accessed from the rear of an enclosed rack without a rear access, nor from the front or top of an enclosed rack with a rear access (e.g., because retractable rails are not provided). Therefore, current fan module designs cannot simultaneously support both enclosed racks with retractable rails but no rear access to the fan module, and enclosed racks with a rear access to the fan module. This may result in delays in replacing and / or repairing fan modules, and may consume service transmissions over the network due to delays in fan module replacement and / or repair, resulting in lost service due to delays in fan module replacement and / or repair, and increase the associated computing resources (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, communication resources, etc.), network resources, etc., related to supporting two different rack configurations, inventory, and labor costs.

[0011] Some implementations described herein relate to a pivotable and removable fan module for a rack-mounted network equipment chassis. For example, the fan module may include multiple fan trays. Each fan tray may include: an internal component including an inner housing; one or more fans connected to the inner housing; a first latch connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan tray; and a fan controller connected to the inner housing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans. The external component may be configured to house and retain the internal component and may include: an outer housing having one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans; a second latch connected to the outer housing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the network equipment chassis; and an adapter connected to the outer housing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

[0012] In this way, pivotable and removable fan modules can be provided for rack-mounted network equipment chassis. For example, a pivotable and removable fan module can simultaneously support both enclosed racks with retractable rails but no rear entrance to the fan module, and enclosed racks with a rear entrance to the fan module. For enclosed racks with retractable rails but no rear entrance to the fan module, the network equipment chassis can be moved forward from the rack via the retractable rails until the top of the fan module is accessible. The fan plate of the fan module can be vertically removed and replaced via the top of the fan module. For enclosed racks with a rear entrance to the fan module, the fan plate of the fan module can pivot away from the rear of the network equipment chassis and can be removed and replaced via the rear of the fan module. Therefore, pivotable and removable fan modules prevent delays in replacing and / or repairing fan modules, and save computing and network resources. Otherwise, delays in network service transmission when fan modules are replaced and / or repaired, loss of services due to delays in replacing and / or repairing fan modules, and the additional costs associated with supporting two different rack configurations, such as inventory and labor, would consume these resources.

[0013] Figures 1A to 1F This is a diagram of example 100 associated with a pivotable, removable fan module for a rack-mounted network equipment chassis. Figures 1A to 1F As shown, Example 100 includes a network device chassis 105 for supporting one or more network devices and a fan module 110. Further details of the network device chassis 105, network devices, and fan module 110 are provided elsewhere herein.

[0014] Figure 1A The network equipment chassis 105 is depicted as being mounted within an enclosed cabinet using retractable rails and having no rear entrance to components (e.g., network equipment and / or network equipment components) supported by the network equipment enclosure 105. (See also:) Figure 1A As shown, the enclosed cabinet may include a front rack column, a rear rack column, and external rails connected to the front and rear rack columns (e.g., on opposite sides of the front and rear rack columns). Inner rails may be connected to the upper and lower network equipment chassis 105 (e.g., on opposite sides of the network equipment chassis 105) and may be retractably mounted within the corresponding outer rails.

[0015] like Figure 1AAs further shown, the fan module 110 can be connected to the rear of the components supported by the upper network equipment chassis 105 and the lower network equipment chassis 105. The fan module 110 may include multiple replaceable fan plates that cool the components supported by the upper and lower network equipment chassis 105. To servicing or replacing the fan plates of the fan module 110 in the lower network equipment chassis 105, the lower network equipment chassis 105 can be pulled forward from the front rack column via a retractable inner rail until the fan module 110 clears the upper network equipment chassis 105, as shown. Figure 1A As shown. In order to repair or replace the fan plate of the fan module 110 of the upper network equipment chassis 105, the upper network equipment chassis 105 can be pulled forward from the front rack column via the retractable inner rail until the fan module 110 clears the front rack column.

[0016] Figure 1B A network equipment chassis 105 is depicted, which is mounted within an enclosed cabinet using retractable rails and has a rear entrance to components (e.g., network equipment and / or network equipment components) supported by the network equipment enclosure 105. For example... Figure 1B As shown, the enclosed cabinet may include a front rack column, a rear rack column, and external rails connecting the front and rear rack columns (e.g., on opposite sides of the front and rear rack columns) and a rear entrance door located near the rear rack column. Inner rails may be connected to the upper and lower network equipment chassis 105 (e.g., on opposite sides of the network equipment chassis 105) and may be retractably mounted within the corresponding outer rails.

[0017] like Figure 1B As further shown, the fan module 110 can be connected to the rear of the components supported by the upper network equipment chassis 105 and the lower network equipment chassis 105. The fan module 110 may include multiple replaceable fan plates that cool the components supported by the upper network equipment chassis 105 and the lower network equipment chassis 105. For servicing or replacing the fan plates of the fan module 110 in the upper or lower network equipment chassis 105, the rear access door can be opened to expose the fan module 110 in the upper or lower network equipment chassis 105.

[0018] Figure 1C Depicting Figure 1A and Figure 1BThe network device chassis 105 and fan module 110 are located at the rear. As shown, fan module 110 may include multiple fan disks 115, such as four fan disks 115. In some implementations, fan module 110 may include more than four fan disks 115, fewer than four fan disks 115, etc. The number of fan disks 115 disposed in fan module 110 may depend on the size and shape of network device chassis 105, fan module 110 and / or fan disks 115. Further details of fan module 110 and fan disks 115 are provided elsewhere herein.

[0019] like Figure 1D As shown, the fan disk 115 may include an internal component 120 and an external component 125, the size and shape of which are configured to accommodate and retain the internal component 120. Figure 1D As further shown, the internal component 120 may be disposed on top of the external component 125 to form a fan disk 115. The internal component 120 may include an inner housing 130, a first latch 135, a fan 140, and a fan controller 145. The external component 125 may include an outer housing 150, an opening 155 in the outer housing 150, and an adapter 160.

[0020] The inner housing 130 can support the first latch 135, fan 140, and fan controller 145, and can be made of various materials, such as metal, plastic, etc. The size and shape of the inner housing 130 can be based on the size and shape of the network equipment chassis 105 and / or fan module 110. In some implementations, the sides of the inner housing 130 may include perforations so that airflow can be generated by the fan 140 and provided to cool components supported by the network equipment chassis 105.

[0021] The first latch 135 may include a sliding latch that engages a portion of the outer component 125 in the closed position (e.g., slides toward the outer component 125) to retain the inner component 120 within the outer component 125. When the first latch 135 is positioned in the open position (e.g., slides away from the outer component 125), the inner component 120 can be vertically removed from the top of the outer component 125.

[0022] Fan 140 may include a device for drawing in cool air from the outside toward a component supported by network equipment chassis 105 to cool the component, and a device for expelling hot air from the component supported by network equipment chassis 105 to cool the component. In some implementations, one fan 140 may draw in cool air from the outside toward a component supported by network equipment chassis 105, and another fan 140 may expel hot air from the component supported by network equipment chassis 105. The size and shape of the fans 140 may be set based on the size and shape of network equipment chassis 105 and / or fan module 110. Although the two fans 140 are in Figure 1D As shown, however, in some implementations, more than two fans 140 or fewer than two fans 140 may be located in the internal component 120.

[0023] The fan controller 145 may include a computing device (e.g., a printed circuit board) for controlling the operation of the fan 140. For example, the fan controller 145 may control the speed of the fan 140, the direction of rotation of the fan 140, etc.

[0024] The outer casing 150 can support the internal components 120 (e.g., when housed within the external component 125) and the adapter 160, and can be made of various materials such as metal, plastic, etc. The size and shape of the outer casing 150 can be based on the size and shape of the network equipment chassis 105 and / or the fan module 110. In some implementations, openings 155 may be included on both sides of the outer casing 150, so that airflow can be generated by the fan 140 and provided to cool the components supported by the network equipment chassis 105. The size and shape of the openings 155 can be configured to match or substantially match the size and shape of the fan 140.

[0025] Adapter 160 may include a computing device (e.g., a printed circuit board) configured to power, connect to, and communicate with the fan controller 145 of internal component 120. Adapter 160 may include a cable assembly that communicates with components supported by network device chassis 105 to control the operation of fan 140. For example, components (e.g., via fan controller 145, adapter, and cable assembly) may control the speed of fan 140, the direction of rotation of fan 140, etc.

[0026] Figure 1E The process of removing the internal component 120 of the fan plate 115 from the fan module 110 is described when the network equipment chassis 105 is mounted in an enclosed cabinet using a retractable rail and there is no rear access to the components supported by the network equipment chassis 105. (See also...) Figure 1A and Figure 1E The network device chassis 105 can be a bottom network device chassis 105, and can be accessed from the top network device chassis 105 (not in the top) via a retractable inner rail. Figure 1E (As shown in the diagram) Pull forward until the fan module 110 clears the top network device chassis 105. The first latch 135 of the internal component 120 can be slid to the open position (e.g., slid away from the external component 125), and the internal component 120 can be vertically removed from the external component 125 of the fan disk 115.

[0027] In some implementations, the removed internal component 120 can be serviced and returned to the external component 125. A first latch 135 can be slid to a closed position (e.g., towards the external component 125) to hold the serviced internal component 120 within the external component 125. Alternatively, the internal component 120 can be replaced within the external component 125, and the first latch 135 can be slid to a closed position to hold the replaced internal component 120 within the external component 125. In this way, the fan module 110 can be serviced without disabling the components supported by the network equipment chassis 105.

[0028] Figure 1F The process of removing the internal components 120 of the fan plate 115 from the fan module 110 is described when the network equipment chassis 105 is installed in an enclosed cabinet and has a rear entrance (e.g., via a rear entrance door) to components supported by the network equipment chassis 105. (See reference...) Figure 1B and Figure 1F The rear entrance door can be opened to provide access to the network equipment chassis 105. The first latch 135 of the internal component 120 can be slid into the open position (e.g., slid away from the external component 125). Figure 1F As further shown, a second latch 165 may be provided and may include a first component 170 connected to the rear of the network device chassis 105 and a second component 175 connected to the external component 125. In some implementations, the second latch 165 may include a touch latch that is positioned in an open position when the second component 175 is pushed against and released from the first component 170. When the second latch 165 is in the open position, the top of the external component 125 is pivotable away from the rear of the network device chassis 105. The second latch 165 may be positioned in a closed position when the second component 175 is held by the first component 170. When the second latch is in the closed position, the top of the external component 125 is held by the rear of the network device chassis 105.

[0029] like Figure 1FAs further shown, the external component 125 of the fan plate 115 can be pushed to place the second latch 165 in an open position (e.g., to release the second latch 165). The top of the external component 125 can pivot away from the rear of the network equipment chassis 105. When in the pivoted position, the internal component 120 can be removed from the external component 125 of the fan plate 115. In some implementations, the removed internal component 120 can be serviced and returned to the external component 125. The external component 125 can pivot toward the rear of the network equipment chassis 105 until the second latch 165 is in the closed position. The first latch 135 can be slid to a closed position (e.g., slide toward the external component 125) to hold the serviced internal component 120 within the external component 125. Alternatively, replacement of the internal component 120 can be performed in the external component 125, and the external component 125 can pivot toward the rear of the network equipment chassis 105 until the second latch 165 is in the closed position. The first latch 135 can be slid to the closed position to hold the replaceable internal component 120 within the external component 125. In this way, the fan module 110 can be serviced without disabling the components supported by the network equipment chassis 105.

[0030] In this way, the pivotable and removable fan module 110 can be configured for rack-mount network equipment enclosure 105. For example, the pivotable and removable fan module 110 can simultaneously support enclosed cabinets with retractable rails but no rear entrance to the fan module 110, and enclosed cabinets with rear entrances to the fan module 110. For enclosed cabinets with retractable rails but no rear entrance to the fan module 110, the network equipment enclosure 105 can be moved forward from the rack via the retractable rails until the top of the fan module 110 is accessible. The fan plate 115 of the fan module 110 can be vertically removed and replaced via the top of the fan module 110. For enclosed cabinets with rear entrances to the fan module 110, the fan plate 115 of the fan module 110 can pivot away from the rear of the network equipment enclosure 105 and can be removed and replaced via the rear of the fan module 110. Therefore, the pivotable and removable fan module 110 prevents delays in replacing and / or repairing the fan module 110, and saves computing resources, network resources, etc. Otherwise, when the fan module 110 is replaced and / or repaired, the service transmission over the network is delayed, and services are lost due to the delay in replacing and / or repairing the fan module 110. Handling the services lost due to the delay in replacing and / or repairing the fan module 110, as well as the additional parts, inventory and labor costs associated with supporting two different rack configurations, would consume these resources.

[0031] As indicated above, Figures 1A to 1F This is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from those provided. Figures 1A to 1F As described. Figures 1A to 1F The quantity and arrangement of the equipment shown are provided as an example. In reality, with... Figures 1A to 1F Compared to the equipment shown, there may be additional equipment, fewer equipment, different equipment, or equipment arranged differently. Furthermore, Figures 1A to 1F The two or more devices shown can be implemented within a single device, or Figures 1A to 1F The single device shown can be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, Figures 1A to 1F The set of devices shown (e.g., one or more devices) can perform actions described as being performed by Figures 1A to 1F The other set of devices shown performs one or more functions.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a diagram of an example environment 200 in which the systems and / or methods described in this paper can be implemented. (See diagram 200 for an example environment ... Figure 2 As shown, environment 200 may include endpoint device 210, a group of network devices 220 (shown as network devices 220-1 to network devices 220-N), server device 230, and network 240. The devices in environment 200 may be interconnected via wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In some implementations, network devices 220 may be configured to combine... Figure 1A and Figure 1B The network device chassis 105 is described.

[0033] Endpoint device 210 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information (such as the information described herein). For example, endpoint device 210 may include mobile phones (e.g., smartphones or cordless phones), laptop computers, tablet computers, desktop computers, handheld computers, gaming devices, wearable communication devices (e.g., smartwatches, a pair of smart glasses, heart rate monitors, fitness trackers, smart clothing, smart jewelry, or head-mounted displays), network devices, or similar types of devices. In some implementations, endpoint device 210 may receive network traffic from other endpoint devices 210 and / or server devices 230 via network 240 and / or may provide network traffic to other endpoint devices 210 and / or server devices 230 (e.g., by routing packets using network device 220 as an intermediary).

[0034] Network device 220 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, processing, storing, routing, and / or providing services (such as packets or other information or metadata) in the manner described herein. For example, network device 220 may include routers such as label switching routers (LSRs), label edge routers (LERs), ingress routers, egress routers, provider routers (e.g., provider edge routers or provider core routers), virtual routers, or other types of routers. Additionally or alternatively, network device 220 may include gateways, switches, firewalls, hubs, bridges, reverse proxies, servers (e.g., proxy servers, cloud servers, or data center servers), load balancers, and / or similar devices. In some implementations, network device 220 may be a physical device implemented within a enclosure (such as a chassis). In some implementations, network device 220 may be a virtual device implemented by one or more computer devices in a cloud computing environment or data center. In some implementations, a group of network devices 220 may be a group of data center nodes used to route service flows through network 240.

[0035] Server device 230 includes one or more devices capable of receiving, generating, storing, processing, and / or providing information (such as the information described herein). For example, server device 230 may include a laptop computer, tablet computer, desktop computer, a group of server devices, or similar types of devices associated with multicast services. In some implementations, server device 230 may receive information from and / or send information to endpoint device 210 (e.g., multicast services) via network 240 (e.g., routing packets using network device 220 as an intermediary).

[0036] Network 240 includes one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, network 240 may include packet handover networks, cellular networks (e.g., fifth-generation (5G) networks, fourth-generation (4G) networks such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, third-generation (3G) networks), code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, public land mobile networks (PLMNs), local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), telephone networks (e.g., public switching telephone networks (PSTNs)), private networks, ad hoc networks, intranets, the Internet, fiber-optic networks, cloud computing networks, and / or combinations of these or other types of networks.

[0037] Figure 2 The quantity and layout of the devices and networks shown are provided as examples. In reality, with... Figure 2 Compared to the equipment and / or network shown, there may be additional equipment and / or networks, fewer equipment and / or networks, different equipment and / or networks, or different arrangements of equipment and / or networks. Furthermore, Figure 2The two or more devices shown can be implemented within a single device, or Figure 2 The single device shown can be implemented as multiple distributed devices. Additionally or alternatively, the set of devices in environment 200 (e.g., one or more devices) can perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of devices in environment 200.

[0038] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A diagram illustrating example components of one or more devices. Example components may be included in device 300, which may correspond to endpoint device 210, network device 220, and / or server device 230. In some implementations, endpoint device 210, network device 220, and / or server device 230 may include one or more devices 300 and / or one or more components of device 300. For example... Figure 3 As shown, device 300 may include bus 310, processor 320, memory 330, input unit 340, output unit 350 and communication interface 360.

[0039] Bus 310 includes one or more components for enabling wired and / or wireless communication between components of device 300. Bus 310 can... Figure 3 Two or more components are coupled together, such as via operative coupling, communicative coupling, electronic coupling, and / or electrical coupling. Processor 320 includes a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor, a field-programmable gate array, an application-specific integrated circuit, and / or another type of processing unit. Processor 320 is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In some implementations, processor 320 includes one or more processors capable of being programmed to perform one or more operations or processes described elsewhere herein.

[0040] Memory 330 includes volatile and / or non-volatile memory. For example, memory 330 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk drive, and / or another type of memory (e.g., flash memory, magnetic memory, and / or optical memory). Memory 330 may include internal memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, or hard disk drive) and / or removable memory (e.g., removable via a universal serial bus). Memory 330 may be a non-transient computer-readable medium. Memory 330 stores information, instructions, and / or software (e.g., one or more software applications) related to the operation of device 300. In some implementations, memory 330 includes one or more memories, such as those coupled to one or more processors (e.g., processor 320) via bus 310.

[0041] Input component 340 enables device 300 to receive input, such as user input and / or sensed input. For example, input component 340 may include a touchscreen, keyboard, keypad, mouse, button, microphone, switch, sensor, GPS component, accelerometer, gyroscope, and / or actuator. Output component 350 enables device 300 to provide output, such as via a display, speaker, and / or light-emitting diode. Communication interface 360 ​​enables device 300 to communicate with other devices via wired and / or wireless connections. For example, communication component 360 may include a receiver, transmitter, transceiver, modem, network interface card, and / or antenna.

[0042] Device 300 can perform one or more operations or procedures described herein. For example, a non-transient computer-readable medium (e.g., memory 330) can store an instruction set (e.g., one or more instructions or code) for execution by processor 320. Processor 320 can execute the instruction set to perform one or more operations or procedures described herein. In some implementations, execution of the instruction set by one or more processors 320 causes one or more processors 320 and / or device 300 to perform one or more operations or procedures described herein. In some implementations, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with instructions to perform one or more operations or procedures described herein. Additionally or alternatively, processor 320 may be configured to perform one or more operations or procedures described herein. Therefore, the implementations described herein are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0043] Figure 3 The number and arrangement of the components shown are provided as an example. Figure 3 Compared to the components shown, device 300 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components arranged differently. Additionally or alternatively, the set of components of device 300 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 300.

[0044] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A diagram showing example components of one or more devices. Example components may be included in device 400. Device 400 may correspond to network device 220. In some implementations, network device 220 may include one or more devices 400 and / or one or more components of device 400. Figure 4As shown, device 400 may include one or more input components 410-1 to 410-B (B≥1) (collectively referred to below as input component 410, and individually as input component 410), switching component 420, one or more output components 430-1 to 430-C (C≥1) (collectively referred to below as output component 430, and individually as output component 430), and controller 440.

[0045] Input component 410 may be one or more attachment points of a physical link and may be one or more entry points for incoming traffic (such as packets). Input component 410 may process incoming traffic, such as by performing data link layer encapsulation or decapsulation. In some implementations, input component 410 may transmit and / or receive packets. In some implementations, input component 410 may include an input line card, which includes one or more packet processing components (e.g., in the form of integrated circuits), such as one or more interface cards (IFCs), packet forwarding components, line card controller components, input ports, processors, memory, and / or input queues. In some implementations, device 400 may include one or more input components 410.

[0046] Switching unit 420 enables interconnection between input unit 410 and output unit 430. In some implementations, switching unit 420 may be implemented via one or more crossbar switches, via a bus, and / or utilizing shared memory. Shared memory may act as a temporary buffer to store packets from input unit 410 before they are finally scheduled for delivery to output unit 430. In some implementations, switching unit 420 may enable input unit 410, output unit 430, and / or controller 440 to communicate with each other.

[0047] Output component 430 can store packets and schedule packets for transmission on the output physical link. Output component 430 can support data link layer encapsulation or decapsulation and / or various high-level protocols. In some implementations, output component 430 can transmit and / or receive packets. In some implementations, output component 430 may include an output line card, which includes one or more packet processing components (e.g., in the form of integrated circuits), such as one or more IFCs, packet forwarding components, line card controller components, output ports, processors, memory, and / or output queues. In some implementations, device 400 may include one or more output components 430. In some implementations, input component 410 and output component 430 may be implemented from the same set of components (e.g., and the input / output component may be a combination of input component 410 and output component 430).

[0048] Controller 440 includes processors such as CPUs, GPUs, APUs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, DSPs, FPGAs, ASICs, and / or other types of processors. The processor is implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. In some implementations, controller 440 may include one or more processors that can be programmed to perform functions.

[0049] In some implementations, controller 440 may include RAM, ROM and / or another type of dynamic or static storage device (e.g. flash memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, etc.) that stores information and / or instructions for use by controller 440.

[0050] In some implementations, controller 440 can communicate with other devices, networks, and / or systems connected to device 400 to exchange information about the network topology. Controller 440 can create routing tables based on the network topology information, create forwarding tables based on the routing tables, and forward the forwarding tables to input unit 410 and / or output unit 430. Input unit 410 and / or output unit 430 can use the forwarding tables to perform route looks for incoming and / or outgoing packets.

[0051] Controller 440 may execute one or more processes described herein. Controller 440 may execute these processes in response to executing software instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium is defined herein as a non-transitory memory device. A memory device includes memory space within a single physical storage device or memory space distributed across multiple physical storage devices.

[0052] Software instructions may be read from another computer-readable medium or from another device via a communication interface into the memory and / or storage unit associated with controller 440. When executed, the software instructions stored in the memory and / or storage unit associated with controller 440 may cause controller 440 to perform one or more processes described herein. Additionally or alternatively, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with the software instructions to perform one or more processes described herein. Therefore, the implementation described herein is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

[0053] Figure 4 The number and arrangement of the components shown are provided as an example. In fact, with... Figure 4 Compared to the components shown, device 400 may include additional components, fewer components, different components, or components arranged differently. Additionally or alternatively, the set of components of device 400 (e.g., one or more components) may perform one or more functions described as being performed by another set of components of device 400.

[0054] The foregoing disclosure provides illustrations and descriptions, but is not intended to exhaustively describe implementations or limit implementations to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications may be made based on the foregoing disclosures or may be derived from the practice of implementation.

[0055] As used herein, the term "component" is intended to be interpreted broadly as hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware and software. It will be apparent that the systems and / or methods described herein can be implemented in various forms as hardware, firmware, and / or combinations of hardware and software. The actual dedicated control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and / or methods does not limit the implementation. Therefore, the operation and behavior of the systems and / or methods are described herein without reference to specific software code—it should be understood that software and hardware can be used to implement the systems and / or methods based on the description herein.

[0056] Although specific combinations of features are described in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various implementations. In fact, many of these features can be combined in ways not specifically described in the claims and / or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may depend directly on only one claim, the disclosure of various implementations includes every dependent claim combined with every other claim in the claim set.

[0057] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the elements, actions, or instructions used herein should not be construed as critical or necessary. Furthermore, as used herein, the articles “a” and “one” are intended to include one or more items and are interchangeable with “one or more.” Further, as used herein, the article “the” is intended to include one or more items referenced in conjunction with the article “the” and is interchangeable with “one or more.” Additionally, as used herein, the term “set” is intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, a combination of related and unrelated items, etc.) and is interchangeable with “one or more.” In cases involving only one item, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Moreover, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” etc., are intended as open-ended terms. Further, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “at least partially based on.” Moreover, as used herein, unless otherwise expressly stated (e.g., if used in combination with “any one” or “only one of…”), the term “or” is intended to be inclusive when used in series and may be used interchangeably with “and / or”.

[0058] In the preceding description, various exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and alterations may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Therefore, the description and drawings are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A fan plate for a fan module in a network equipment chassis, the fan plate comprising: Internal components, the internal components including: Inner box, One or more fans are connected to the inner casing. A first latch, connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan plate, wherein when the first latch is in the open position, the inner component can be vertically removed from the top of the external component, and wherein when the first latch is in the closed position, the inner component is retained within the external component. A fan controller is connected to the inner casing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans; and The external component is configured to accommodate and retain the internal component, the external component comprising: The outer casing has one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans. A second latch, connected to the outer casing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the network device chassis, and An adapter is connected to the outer casing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

2. The fan disc of claim 1, wherein the second latch is a touch latch.

3. The fan plate of claim 1, wherein when the second latch is in the open position, the top of the external component is pivotable away from the rear of the network device chassis.

4. The fan plate of claim 1, wherein when the second latch is in the closed position, the top of the external component is held by the rear of the network device chassis.

5. The fan plate of claim 1, wherein the adapter is configured to connect to a network device disposed in the network device chassis.

6. A chassis, comprising: One or more components of a network device; as well as The fan module includes multiple fan discs. Each of the fan disks mentioned above includes: Internal components, including: Inner box, One or more fans are connected to the inner casing. A first latch, connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan plate, wherein when the first latch is in the open position, the inner component can be vertically removed from the top of the external component, and wherein when the first latch is in the closed position, the inner component is retained within the external component. A fan controller is connected to the inner casing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans; and The external component is configured to accommodate and retain the internal component, the external component comprising: The outer casing has one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans. A second latch, connected to the outer casing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the chassis, and An adapter is connected to the outer casing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

7. The chassis of claim 6, wherein the second latch is a touch latch.

8. The chassis of claim 6, wherein when the second latch is positioned in the open position, the top of the external component is pivotable away from the rear portion of the chassis.

9. The chassis of claim 6, wherein when the second latch is in the closed position, the top of the external component is held by the rear portion of the chassis.

10. The chassis of claim 6, wherein the adapter is configured to connect to one or more components of the network device.

11. A fan module for a network device chassis, the fan module comprising: Multiple fan disks, wherein each of the fan disks comprises: Internal components, the internal components including: Inner box, One or more fans are connected to the inner casing. A first latch, connected to the inner housing and configured to be removably connected to an external component of the fan plate, wherein when the first latch is in the open position, the inner component can be vertically removed from the top of the external component, and wherein when the first latch is in the closed position, the inner component is retained within the external component. A fan controller is connected to the inner casing and configured to control the operation of the one or more fans; and The external component is configured to accommodate and retain the internal component, the external component comprising: The outer casing has one or more openings configured to communicate with the one or more fans. A second latch, connected to the outer casing and configured to be removably connected to the rear of the network device chassis, and An adapter is connected to the outer casing and configured to connect to and power the fan controller.

12. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the second latch is a touch latch.

13. The fan module of claim 11, wherein the adapter is configured to connect to a network device disposed in the network device chassis.

14. The fan module of claim 11, wherein when the second latch is in the open position, the top of the external component is pivotable away from the rear of the network device chassis.

15. The fan module of claim 11, wherein when the second latch is in the closed position, the top of the external component is held by the rear of the network device chassis.

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