FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to the field of data storage and in particular to storage servers that use solid state storage devices.

BACKGROUND

Networked storage arrays may provide an enterprise level solution for secure and reliable data storage. Traditional storage servers include arrays of disk drives that are capable of performing about 100-10/000 input/output operations per second (IOPS). In traditional storage servers, a single processing device performs all physical to logic isolation and manages data accesses to all drives of a storage server. The single processing device is able to manage the IOPS for all of the disk drives without acting as a performance bottleneck.

With the introduction of solid state storage devices (e.g., solid state drives (SSDs) such as Flash drives), the speed of networked storage arrays has improved dramatically because a single SSD is capable of performing about 1 million IOPS. However, a single processing device is not generally capable of handling more than a few million IOPS, and so becomes a bottleneck when it manages the IOPS for multiple SSDs.

Storage servers are generally stored in racks at facilities that include many such storage servers. Traditionally, in order to service any component or module of a storage server the entire storage server needs to be removed from or pulled out of the rack. Additionally, all such components and modules of the storage server are generally only serviceable from the top of the storage server. Accordingly, to service any component or module of the storage server, it is removed from the rack, a cover is removed or opened, and the component or module is serviced from the top. This results in a storage server that is difficult to service.

Additionally, traditional storage servers include a high number (e.g., on the order of 30-60) of high-speed cables that connect to and project out of the back of the storage servers. The high-speed cables each need to be long enough to remain connected to the storage server when the storage server is removed from the rack for servicing. In order for the storage server to be serviceable, these high-speed cables therefore have an extra length to accommodate the removal of the storage servers from the rack, which consumes on average about an additional 10 inches of space behind the rack to accommodate the extra length of the cables. The extra length is supported on a cable arm or service loop. The above increases cost of the cables and weight of the cables, and further reduces a serviceability of the storage servers.

Additionally, traditional storage servers have a topology that limits the number of storage devices that can be combined to form a volume.

