Server with reduced space requirement

Details Server with reduced space requirement Server with reduced space requirement

1999-09-28

2001-11-06

Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S688000, C361S689000, C361S690000, C361S691000, C361S692000, C361S693000, C361S694000, C361S695000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06313988

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to servers and particularly to a server occupying reduced space accomplished by arrangement of components to enhance heat dissipation capability.
PRIOR ART AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
In the context of this specification, a server computer is understood to mean a computer that stores files that can be accessed through a network or over the Internet. The role of the server on the Internet is illustrated by the schematic block diagram shown in FIG.
1
. For illustrative purposes, the Internet shown in
FIG. 1
has four “server computers” (or hosts)
10
. Each server computer
10
is connected to its own network of of three “clients
12
” (computers) and to other server computers. Each server computer
10
can communicate with any other server computer
10
either directly or indirectly through other server computers. Connection of a server computer
10
to local clients
12
of its network is typically by telephone lines (twisted wire pair or optical cable). Connection between hosts is either by telephone or broadcast by satellite.
A client can also perform as a source of data to be transmitted through the network of server computers to another client.
Anyone of the server computers can provide one or more of a list of services to its network of clients. Each service, provided by a given server computer, has stored a program in the server computer corresponding to the service. Examples of the service and corresponding program may be any one or more of:
email;
search engine, a program whereby a client can search for files by category;
browser, whereby a client can search for files by keyword.
For example, in
FIG. 1
, the e-mail program is stored in server computers
10
, (I, II, III) so that e mail can be sent between any clients,
12
A,B,C of server computers I, II, III. connected to the respective server computers. Therefore, e-mail can be sent between all of the clients of servers I, II, III but not server IV.
A browser program is stored in each of servers II, III, IV. Therefore, all of the clients of computer servers II, III, IV, can use keywords stored in the browser program to search for documents having these keywords originating in the clients of server computers II, III, IV.
A search engine program is stored in each of server computers I, III, IV. Therefore, all of the clients of server computers I, III, IV, can use keywords stored in the search program to search for documents listed under document headings stored in the search engine programs in servers I, III, IV.
The server industry is organized by companies (service providers), wherein each service provider has one or more server computers. A set of programs, that is unique for the service provider, is generally stored in each of its server computers.
As service providers extend the geographical boundaries of their business by installing additional server computers in various locations, the boundary of one service provider overlaps the boundary of a competing service provider. Furthermore, the physical size of each server computer at any one location is small. Therefore, the practice has been in the industry to locate the server computers from all of the service providers in a given locale in one room. The room is maintained by a “landlord” and each of the service providers rent space in the room for its server computer. Well established “server landlords” include the GLOBAL CENTER located in San Jose, Calif. and the LEVEL TREE located in San Francisco, Calif.
This arrangement has at least two advantages. Firstly, the cost to each service provider of maintaining a facility for its server computer in a given locale is reduced. Secondly, communications between server computers of different service providers is simplified, requiring only a short coaxial connection.
As the customer base of a service provider in a given area increases, the number of server computers required by the service provider to service that area increases. Furthermore, new service providers appear in the location. Consequently, the demand for space in the server room intensifies and the rent is increased accordingly. The demand is so intense that space in the room is rented by the square inch of rack space on which the server computer is mounted.
FIG. 2
(prior art) shows the arrangement of servers in a server room. There are shown a pair of vertical columns
14
separated by a space
16
which is set by industry standard to be 18 inches so that the chassis of a “standard” server computer can have each end of its front panel
18
bolted to one of the columns
14
. The height
15
of the standard chassis for the server computer according to the present state of the art is 4½ inches. A service provider pays rent to the landlord based on the area of the front panel of his server (18″×4½″).
FIG. 3
shows a plan layout of of components in the chassis of the server computer according to the present art. The chassis
11
is 18″ wide to fit between the columns
14
and the height
15
is 4½″. The front panel
18
is bolted at each end to a vertical column. There is shown a power supply
22
in the corner formed by the front panel
18
joined to the left side panel
19
. A fan
28
for cooling the entire contents of the server computer is typically located in the front panel
18
, A floppy disk
24
is mounted over a CD-Rom (not shown) in the corner formed by the front panel
18
joining the right side panel
21
. A stack
26
of one or more hard disk drives is positioned in the corner formed by the right side panel
21
meeting the rear panel
23
. A mother board
25
with daughter boards and a cpu is mounted in the corner formed by the left side panel
19
meeting the rear panel
23
. The length of the chassis of the server computer
11
from front panel
18
to rear panel
23
is typically 22 inches.
Variations from this “typical” arrangement are disclosed in the patent literature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,024 to Tu et al. discloses a retaining frame for components of a personal computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,290 to Chang et al discloses a replaceable hard disk drive box structure with a built in fan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,799 to Grouell et al discloses a multiple disk drive storage enclosure with ventilation in which a power supply has fans that pull an air stream in through vents in the front panel, across a stack of hard drives, through the power supply, then out of vents in the rear panel. This construction inherently does not have the low elevation characteristic that is an object of the present invention.
A major factor in dictating the density of components mounted on a chassis is the upper limit of temperature that can be tolerated. Rise in temperature of the components in use is by far the most important factor in establishing the useful life of the server. Each of the components in
FIG. 3
generates heat that must be dissipated. The power supply
22
generates the most heat (about 250 watts) and can operate continuously up to a temperature of about about 90° F. The stack of hard drive disks
26
is the most heat sensitive component and develops problems at about 60° C.
In an attempt to overcome the deleterious effects of heat, a single fan
28
is traditionally positioned as shown in
FIG. 3
between the power supply
22
and floppy disk
24
and the cooling air stream is driven by the fan
28
out of a grated opening
30
(see
FIG. 2
) in the front panel
18
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,483 to Wyler discloses an air cooled computer featuring a power supply that acts like a chimney with vents in a top panel and side panel such that heat generated in the power supply rises through the vents in the top panel drawing air across neighboring circuit boards through the vents in the side panel. This construction defeats the purpose of the present invention which is to provide a server computer that operates efficiently as one of a closely packed stack of computers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,684,671 to Hobbs et al discloses a rack mounted data server in which like components

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