Graphical Display for Disk Enclosure Cabling Error Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In data storage systems with multiple disk drive enclosures, ensuring proper interconnections is time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when enclosures are located in different physical locations, leading to potential misconnections or undetected issues like bent pins or missing cables.
Innovation Solution
A graphical display system that shows a logical schematic of interconnected disk enclosures and detects connection characteristics, allowing users to visually identify and troubleshoot erroneous connections, with updated displays for changes in the connection status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual and physical inspection of cable connections is performed manually, then connection accuracy can be verified, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone when enclosures are in different physical locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a graphical copy or representation of the physical cable connections between enclosures. This graphical interface displays the interconnection topology, allowing users to verify connection accuracy without physically traveling to each enclosure location, thus maintaining reliability while reducing inspection time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a graphical user interface as an intermediary between the user and the physical connections. This intermediary provides visual feedback about connection status and topology, eliminating the need for direct physical inspection while ensuring connection accuracy
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple disk drive enclosures are distributed across different physical locations, then system scalability is improved, but detecting connection errors becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the physical enclosure network in a graphical interface. This copy allows users to detect connection errors by examining the graphical display rather than physically inspecting each enclosure, making error detection as easy as distributed system management
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the graphical interface continuously displays the status of connections between enclosures. When connection errors occur, the interface provides visual feedback about the erroneous connections, enabling easy detection regardless of how many enclosures are distributed across different locations
3Quantity of substance
If the number of disk drive enclosures increases, then storage capacity is improved, but the complexity of ensuring proper interconnections increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a graphical copy of the entire interconnection topology, allowing users to manage and verify connections for any number of enclosures through a single interface. This eliminates the complexity that would otherwise increase linearly with the number of enclosures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the management of multiple enclosure connections into a single graphical interface. Instead of dealing with each connection individually, users can view and manage the entire interconnection topology in one place, reducing the perceived complexity as enclosures are added to increase storage capacity
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage system is configured to provide a graphical display that shows the user a logical schematic of interconnected disk enclosures of a data storage system along with any erroneous connections among the disk enclosures. The graphical display, therefore, allows the user to visually identify the disk drive enclosures in the data storage system and any erroneous connections formed between the disk enclosures. Additionally, the data storage system is configured to monitor the connections among the disk enclosures and provide updated graphical displays to the user showing any changes to the connections among the disk enclosures. In the event that a connection between two disk enclosures malfunctions or becomes inoperable, the graphical display allows the user to easily identify the location of connection error.