(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,385,061 B2 Balasubramanian Et Al

USOO8385061 B2

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,385,061 B2 Balasubramanian et al. (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 26, 2013

(54) SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR 2003/0030952 A1 2/2003 Larson et al...... 361,58 IMPLEMENTING AMETA-DISK 2003/0030978 A1 2/2003 Garnett et al...... 361/687 2003/0070.043 A1 4/2003 Merkey AGGREGATION MODEL FOR STORAGE 2004/0083325 A1 4/2004 Rabinovitz et al. CONTROLLERS 2004/0148460 A1 7/2004 Steinmetz et al. 2005, 0102433 A1* 5/2005 Balasubramanian et al. .... 710/1 (75) Inventors: Sridhar Balasubramanian, Wichita, KS 2005/0219810 A1 10, 2005 Carlson et al. SS Kenneth Hass, Longmont, CO FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS JP HO4-153727 A 5, 1992 (73) Assignee: LSI Corporation, Milpitas,- 0 CA (US) JP 2000-508458HO7-6004. A T1, 20001995 c JP 2005-322385 A 11, 2005 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this WO WO2006065281 6, 2006 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1582 days. OTHER PUBLICATIONS EPO Supplementary European Search Report; EPO Application No. (21) Appl. No.: 11/585,524 EP 07839105; May 6, 2010. 1-1. First Official Action of Substantive Examination, and translation, (22) Filed: Oct. 24, 2006 SIPO, Jun. 28, 2010. (65) Prior Publication Data * cited by examiner US 2008/OO981.71 A1 Apr. 24, 2008 Primary Examiner — Jayprakash N Gandhi (51) Int. Cl. Assistant Examiner — Jerry Wu H05K 5/00 (2006.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Suiter Swantz pc lo G06F 12/00 (2006.01) G06F 3/00 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT G06F I3/36 (2006.01) (52) U.S. C...... 361/679.33, 361/679.36361/679.37. The present invention is a system for implementing a meta 361/679.38: 361/679.39; 711/211: 711/213; disk aggregation model for storage controllers. The system 710/3; 710/4; 710/9: 710/26: 710/208 includes a storage controller configured for communicatively (58) Field of Classification Search .. 361/679.31679.4, coupling with a server. The System further includes a meta 361/679.55-679.6, 724 727,683, 684, 685, disk drive group having a plurality of disk drives, the meta 361/686, 679.33; 439/157, 60, 152-153, disk drive group configured for being communicatively 439/327, 328,331; 369/75.11, 75.21, 76, coupled with the storage controller, each of the plurality of 369/77.11, 77.21, 78, 79,80, 81, 82; 711/203-214: disk drives including a drive interface connector. Addition 710/1-10, 26, 208 ally, each drive interface connector of the plurality of disk See application file for complete search history. drives of the meta-disk drive group is configured for being communicatively coupled to each of the remaining drive (56) References Cited interface connectors of the plurality of disk drives, thereby allowing the plurality of disk drives to communicate as a U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS single device with the storage controller. 5,506,750 A 4, 1996 Carteau et al. 6,988,171 B2 1/2006 Beardsley et al. 19 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets

100

O) ewles MG Devices

FCFSAS Storage System Controllers rive-side Interface it Front rive pull Lewers are Coupied for Synchronized extraction to Facilitate Drive Aggregation \ 108 98 188

Disk Esk3

Meta rive Group Micipiane drive hrough Aggregation 2 Interface Connectors Configured for rive Aggregation U.S. Patent Feb. 26, 2013 Sheet 1 of 5 US 8,385,061 B2

100 1 --

FC f iSCS SAS

Storage System Controlliers Y 5.vii. teface ii. C. Front Drive Pui evers are Coupled for Synchronized Extraction to Facilitate Drive Aggregations iO3- - 108 - G8

Meta Drive Group hirough Aggregation - Midplane Drive 112 interface Connectors Configured for Drive Aggregation

U.S. Patent Feb. 26, 2013 Sheet 2 of 5 US 8,385,061 B2

Gavices

2O3r Gevices OG evices -N- U.S. Patent US 8,385,061 B2

U.S. Patent Feb. 26, 2013 Sheet 4 of 5 US 8,385,061 B2

Providing a Storage Controiler Configured for Communicatively Coupling with a Server

Configuring the Meta-Disk Drive Group for Being Communicatively Coupleable as a Single Device with the Storage Controller

Configuring Each Disk Drive of the Piurality of Disk Drives of the Meta-Disk Drive Group with a Drive Carrier Assembly, Each Drive Carrier Assembly having a Drive Pul Mechanism, Each Drive Pali Mechanism Being Synchronized with Refraining 48 Drive Pui Mechanisms of the Meta-Disk Drive Group

Configuring Each of the Drive Pui Mecharisms of the Meta Disk Drive Group as interlocked rive Pili Mechanisms

Configuring Each of the Drive Pul Mechanisms of the Meta-Disk Drive Group with at Least One of an Extraction Lock and an Extraction Lever \ configuring Each of the Piurality of Disk Drives of the Meta-Disk Drive Group with a Drive interface Connector and a jumper

Bridging Each of the Drive interface Connectors of the Disk Drives Via the jumpers of the Disk Drives to Ailow for Communicative Coupling of the Disk Drives of the Meta-Disk Drive Group and to Further Allow the Disk Drives of the Meta-Disk Drive Group to N 416 Communicate as a Single Device with the Storage Controiler

U.S. Patent Feb. 26, 2013 Sheet 5 of 5 US 8,385,061 B2

J/TOESTEETTOET zog~^ dno.19augn?oA (79°501-1 US 8,385,061 B2 1. 2 SYSTEMAND METHOD FOR drive group, thereby allowing for coordinated removal of IMPLEMENTING AMETA-DISK each disk drive and drive carrier assembly from the drive AGGREGATION MODEL FOR STORAGE enclosure, each drive pull mechanism of the meta-disk drive CONTROLLERS group including an extraction lock and an extraction lever, the meta-disk drive group configured for being communicatively FIELD OF THE INVENTION coupled with the storage controller, wherein a single device address is assigned to the meta-disk drive group with the The present invention relates to the field of electronic data plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive group being storage and particularly to a meta-disk aggregation model for configured to communicate as a single device with the storage storage controllers. 10 controller. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION description and the following detailed description are exem plary and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive A number of current disk arrays may be capable of han of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, dling heterogeneous drive types across drive enclosures that 15 which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the speci are attached to back-end controller channels in order to pro fication, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together vide Volumes and Volume groups made up of disk Volume with the general description, serve to explain the principles of groups. In addition, current storage system controllers pro the invention. vide the capability to create Volumes and Volume groups by combining one or more drives depending on the required BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS RAID level. However, with current systems, disk I/O (input/ output) performance may be limited by factors such as: num The numerous advantages of the present invention may be ber of drives in the volume group: RAID level; number of better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the Volumes within the Volume group; and size of Volumes and accompanying figures in which: Volume groups. 25 FIG. 1 is an illustration of a system implementing a meta Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a meta-disk disk aggregation model for storage controllers in accordance aggregation model for storage controllers which addresses with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; the above-referenced problems and limitations of the current FIG. 2 is an illustration of a drive interface connector of a Solutions by promoting improved disk I/O throughput and by disk drive included in a system implementing a meta-disk further promoting increased system storage density. 30 aggregation model for storage controllers in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION FIG. 3 is an illustration of drive pull mechanisms for disk drives included in a system implementing a meta-disk aggre Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention is gation model for storage controllers in accordance with an directed to a system for implementing a meta-disk aggrega 35 exemplary embodiment of the present invention; tion model for storage controllers, including: a storage con FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for implement troller configured for communicatively coupling with a ing a meta-disk aggregation model for storage controllers in server; and a meta-disk drive group including a plurality of accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disk drives, the meta-disk drive group configured for being invention. communicatively coupled with the storage controller, each of 40 FIG.5A is an illustration of a conventional prior art volume the plurality of disk drives including a drive interface connec group model; and tor, wherein each drive interface connector of the plurality of FIG. 5B is an illustration of a system implementing a disk drives of the meta-disk drive group is configured for meta-drive aggregation model for storage controllers in being communicatively coupled to each of the remaining accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present drive interface connectors of the plurality of disk drives, 45 invention. thereby allowing the plurality of disk drives to communicate as a single device with the storage controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A further embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for implementing a meta-disk aggregation model Reference will now be made in detail to the presently for storage controllers, including: providing a storage con- 50 preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which troller configured for communicatively coupling with a are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. server; providing a meta-disk drive group, the meta-disk drive FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 implementing a meta-disk group including a plurality of disk drives; and configuring the aggregation model in accordance with an exemplary embodi meta-disk drive group for being communicatively coupleable ment of the present invention. In a present embodiment, the as a single device with the storage controller. 55 system 100 includes a storage controller 102. For example, An additional embodiment of the present invention is the storage controller 102 may be an EngenioTM storage con directed to a system for implementing a meta-disk aggrega troller. In the exemplary embodiment, the storage controller tion model for storage controllers, including: a storage con 100 may be configured for communicatively coupling with a troller configured for communicatively coupling with a server 104, such as via a Fibre Channel (FC), internet SCSI server; and a meta-disk drive group including a plurality of 60 (iSCSI), or serial attached SCSI (SAS) connection. disk drives, each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives of In a current embodiment, the system 100 further includes a the meta-disk drive group having a drive carrier assembly meta-disk drive group 106 including a plurality of disk drives including a drive pull mechanism, each drive pull mechanism 108. In the exemplary embodiment, the meta-disk drive group configured for allowing disk drive and drive carrier assembly 106 is configured for being communicatively coupled with removal from a drive enclosure, each drive pull mechanism of 65 the storage controller102, such as via a Fibre Channel (FC) or the meta-disk drive group being interlocked and synchro serial attached SCSI (SAS) connection. In present embodi nized with remaining drive pull mechanisms of the meta-disk ments, the plurality of disk drives 108 of the meta-disk drive US 8,385,061 B2 3 4 group 106 are configured for communicating as a single the step of configuring the meta-disk drive group for being device with the storage controller 102. For instance, although communicatively coupleable as a single device with the Stor the meta-disk drive group 106 includes a plurality of disk age controller 406. The method 400 further includes the step drives 108, the storage controller 102 interprets the plurality of configuring each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives of of disk drives as being a single device (ex.-a single meta-disk the meta-disk drive group with a drive carrier assembly, each spindle) thus, a single device address may be assigned to the drive carrier assembly having a drive pull mechanism, each meta-disk drive group 106, thereby promoting increased I/O drive pull mechanism being synchronized with remaining throughput and increased storage density for the system 100. drive pull mechanisms of the meta-disk drive group 408. The In exemplary embodiments, I/O traffic may be directed to the method 400 further includes the step of configuring each of single device address of the meta-disk drive group via a 10 the drive pull mechanisms of the meta-disk drive group as back-end channel of the storage controller 102. Exemplary interlocked drive pull mechanisms 410. The method 400 fur embodiments may include front drive pull levers coupled for ther includes the step of configuring each of the drive pull synchronized extraction to facilitate drive aggregation (e.g., mechanisms of the meta-disk drive group with at least one of 110). Exemplary embodiments may further include midplane an extraction lock and an extraction lever 412. The method drive interface connectors (e.g., 112) configured for drive 15 400 further includes the step of configuring each of the plu aggregation. rality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive group with a drive In exemplary embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, each disk interface connector and a jumper 414. The method 400 fur drive included in the plurality of disk drives 108 of the meta ther includes the step of bridging each of the drive interface disk drive group includes a drive carrier assembly 202 having connectors of the disk drives via the jumpers of the disk drives a drive pull mechanism 204. In the present embodiment, each to allow for communicative coupling of the disk drives of the drive pull mechanism 204 includes an extraction lock 206 for meta-disk drive group and to further allow the disk drives of securing the drive carrier assembly 202 within a drive enclo the meta-disk drive group to communicate as a single device Sure 208, said extraction lock being disengageable to allow with the storage controller 416. for extraction of the drive carrier assembly and disk drive It is to be noted that the foregoing described embodiments from the drive enclosure. In additional embodiments, each 25 according to the present invention may be conveniently drive pull mechanism 204 also includes an extraction lever implemented using conventional general purpose digital 210 for promoting extraction of the drive carrier assembly computers programmed according to the teachings of the 202 and disk drive from the drive enclosure. In exemplary present specification, as will be apparent to those skilled in embodiments, each of the drive pull mechanisms 204 of the the computer art. Appropriate Software coding may readily be disk drives 108 of the meta-disk drive group 106 are inter 30 prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of locked and synchronized so that, for example, while a user is the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in extracting or removing a drive carrier assembly 202 and disk the software art. drive 108 of the meta-disk drive group 106 from the drive It is to be understood that the present invention may be enclosure, each of the remaining drive carrier assemblies and conveniently implemented in forms of a software package. disk drives 108 of meta-disk drive group 106 are also 35 Such a software package may be a computer program product extracted. As shown in FIG. 2, multiple meta-disk drive which employs a computer-readable storage medium includ groups 106 may be enclosed by a single drive enclosure 208. ing stored computer code which is used to program a com In further embodiments, the disk drives 108 may be aggre puter to perform the disclosed function and process of the gated to a desired capacity to form a meta-disk drive group present invention. The computer-readable medium may 106 having a desired number of disk drives. In additional 40 include, but is not limited to, any type of conventional floppy embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5B, multiple meta-disk drive disk, optical disk, CD-ROM, magnetic disk, hard disk drive, groups 106 may be included in the system 100, for providing magneto-optical disk, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, a Volume group 500 which promotes increased capacity and magnetic or optical card, or any other Suitable media for I/O performance bandwidth over a conventional prior art storing electronic instructions. volume group 502 (see FIG. 5A). 45 It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps In additional embodiments, as shown in FIG.3, each of the in the foregoing disclosed methods are examples of exem plurality of disk drives 108 of the meta-disk drive group 106 plary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is under include a drive interface connector 302. Further, each of the stood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the plurality of disk drives 108 of the meta-disk drive group 106 method can be rearranged while remaining within the scope include on-interposer electronics, such as a jumper 304 (ex 50 of the present invention. The accompanying method claims an interposer jumper), for communicatively coupling each of present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and the plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive group via the are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy drive interface connectors 302 of the disk drives. In exem presented. plary embodiments, each jumper 304 is configured for indi It is believed that the present invention and many of its cating aggregation of the plurality of disk drives 108 of the 55 attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing meta-disk drive group 106 to the storage controller 102. For description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that instance, aggregation may be indicated to the storage control various changes may be made in the form, construction and ler during bootup (i.e., power on) of the storage controller or arrangement of the components thereof without departing when device discovery is performed by the storage controller. from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrific FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for implement 60 ing all of its material advantages. The form herein before ing a meta-disk aggregation model for storage controllers in described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and method 400 includes the step of providing a storage controller include Such changes. configured for communicatively coupling with a server 402. What is claimed is: The method 400 further includes the step of providing a 65 1. A system, comprising: meta-disk drive group, the meta-disk drive group including a a storage controller configured for communicatively cou plurality of disk drives 404. The method 400 further includes pling with a server; and US 8,385,061 B2 5 6 a meta-disk Volume group including a plurality of meta 6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of disk drive groups, each meta-disk drive group including disk drives of each meta-disk drive group includes on-inter a plurality of disk drives, each meta-disk drive group poser electronics. configured for being communicatively coupled with the 7. The system of claim 6, wherein on-interposer electronics storage controller, each of the plurality of disk drives for each of the plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive including a drive interface connector configured for group includes meta-disk drive group enable/disable jumper aggregation of the plurality of disk drives of each meta for communicatively coupling each of the plurality of disk disk drive group Such that a single device address is drives of the meta-disk drive group via the drive interface assigned to each meta-disk drive group, each disk drive connectors of the disk drives. of the plurality of disk drives being enclosed by a par 10 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the meta-disk drive ticular drive carrier assembly configured to be inserted group enable/disable jumperfor each of the plurality of disk into or extracted from a slot of a single drive enclosure, drives of the meta-disk drive group is configured for indicat whereby each meta-disk drive group includes an extrac ing aggregation of the plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk tor for synchronized extraction of the meta-disk drive 15 drive group to the storage controller. group's associated drive carrier assemblies from the 9. The system of claim 8, wherein aggregation is indicated single drive enclosure in a single extraction, during at least one of storage controller boot up and storage wherein each of the plurality of disk drives includes a controller device discovery. meta-disk drive group enable/disable jumper configured 10. A method, comprising: for being communicatively coupled with each disk drive providing a storage controller configured for communica of the plurality of disk drives via the drive interface tively coupling with a server; connector, each drive interface connector of the plurality providing a plurality of meta-disk drive groups of a meta of disk drives of each meta-disk drive group configured disk Volume group, the meta-disk drive group including for being communicatively coupled to each of the a plurality of disk drives; remaining drive interface connectors of the plurality of 25 configuring the storage controller to communicate with a disk drives, thereby allowing the plurality of disk drives plurality of meta-disk drive groups or with at least one to communicate as a single device with the storage con meta-disk drive group and at least one disk drive; troller through the use of the single device address configuring each meta-disk drive group as being assigned a assigned to each meta-disk drive group, single device address; 30 configuring each meta-disk drive group as being commu wherein the single drive enclosure encloses the plurality of nicatively coupled with the storage controller, each of meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Volume group, the plurality of disk drives including a jumper config wherein the storage controller is configured to communi ured for being communicatively coupled with each disk cate with a plurality of meta-disk drive groups or with at drive of the plurality of disk drives via a drive interface least one meta-disk drive group and at least one disk 35 connector, drive, configuring each drive interface connector of the plurality wherein input/output (I/O) traffic is directed to the single of disk drives of each meta-disk drive group for being device address of each meat-disk drive group of the communicatively coupled to each of the remaining drive meta-disk Volume group via a back-end channel of the interface connectors of the plurality of disk drives, storage controller, and 40 thereby allowing the plurality of disk drives to commu wherein the meta-disk Volume group has an input/output nicate as a single device with the storage controller bandwidth and storage density greater than an input/ through the use of the single device address assigned to output bandwidth and storage density of a Volume group the meta-disk drive group; having a same number of individual disk drives as a configuring the plurality of disk drives of each meta-disk number of meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Vol 45 drive group to communicate as a single device with the ume group. storage controller; 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the extractor of the configuring each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives to meta-disk drive group includes at least two drive pull mecha be enclosed by a particular drive carrier assembly con nisms, wherein each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives figured to be inserted into or extracted from a slot of a of each meta-disk drive group includes a drive carrier assem 50 single drive enclosure, whereby each meta-disk drive bly having a drive pull mechanism, each drive pull mecha group includes an extractor for synchronized extraction nism configured for allowing disk drive and drive carrier of the meta-disk drive group's associated drive carrier assembly removal from a single drive enclosure, each drive assemblies from the single drive enclosure in a single pull mechanism of a particular meta-disk drive group being extraction; and synchronized with remaining drive pull mechanisms of the 55 providing a single drive enclosure for enclosing the plural particular meta-disk drive group, thereby allowing for coor ity of meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Volume dinated removal of all disk drives and drive carrier assemblies grOup, of the particular meta-disk drive group from the single drive wherein input/output traffic is directed to the single device enclosure in a single extraction. address of each meta-disk drive group of the meta-disk 3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the drive pull 60 Volume group via a back-end channel of the storage mechanisms of each meta-disk drive group are interlocked. controller, and 4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the drive pull wherein the meta-disk Volume group has an input/output mechanisms of each meta-disk drive group include an extrac bandwidth and storage density greater than an input/ tion lock. output bandwidth and storage density of a Volume group 5. The system of claim 4, wherein each of the drive pull 65 having a same number of individual disk drives as a mechanisms of each meta-disk drive group include an extrac number of meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Vol tion lever. ume group. US 8,385,061 B2 7 8 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the extractor of the group's associated drive carrier assemblies from the meta-disk drive group includes at least two drive pull mecha single drive enclosure in a single extraction, nisms, the method further comprising: wherein the extractor of the meta-disk drive group includes configuring each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives of at least two drive pull mechanisms, wherein each drive each meta-disk drive group with a drive carrier assem 5 pull mechanism is associated with a particular drive bly, each drive carrier assembly having a drive pull carrier assembly of each disk drive, each drive pull mechanism, each drive pull mechanism of a particular mechanism configured for allowing disk drive and drive meta-disk drive group configured for allowing disk drive carrier assembly removal from a single drive enclosure, and drive carrier assembly removal from a single drive each drive pull mechanism of a particular meta-disk enclosure, each drive pull mechanism being synchro 10 drive group being interlocked synchronized with nized with remaining drive pull mechanisms of the par remaining drive pull mechanisms of the particular meta ticular meta-disk drive group, thereby allowing for coor disk drive group, thereby allowing for coordinated dinated removal of all disk drives and drive carrier removal of all disk drives and drive carrier assemblies of assemblies of the particular meta-disk drive group from the particular meta-disk drive group from the single 15 drive enclosure in a single extraction, wherein the the single drive enclosure in a single extraction. extractor of the meta-disk drive group includes an 12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing a plurality extraction lock and an extraction lever, of meta-disk drive groups of a meta-disk Volume group fur wherein each of the plurality of disk drives includes a ther comprises: jumper configured for being communicatively coupled configuring each of the drive pull mechanisms of the meta disk drive group as interlocked drive pull mechanisms. with each disk drive of the plurality of disk drives via the 13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing a plurality drive interface connector, each drive interface connector of meta-disk drive groups of a meta-disk Volume group fur of the plurality of disk drives of each meta-disk drive ther comprises: group configured for being communicatively coupled to configuring each of the drive pull mechanisms of the meta each of the remaining drive interface connectors of the disk drive group with at least one of an extraction lock 25 plurality of disk drives, thereby allowing the plurality of and an extraction lever. disk drives to communicate as a single device with the 14. The method of claim 13, wherein configuring the meta storage controller through the use of the single device disk drive group for being communicatively coupleable as a address assigned to each meta-disk drive group, single device with the storage controller further comprises: wherein the single drive enclosure encloses the plurality of bridging each of the drive interface connectors of the disk 30 meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Volume group, drives via the jumpers of the disk drives to allow for wherein the storage controller is configured to communi communicative coupling of the disk drives of the meta cate with a plurality of meta-disk drive groups or with at disk drive group and to further allow the disk drives of least one meta-disk drive group and at least one disk the meta-disk drive group to communicate as a single drive, device with the storage controller. 35 wherein input/output (I/O) traffic is directed to the single 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the jumpers are device address of each meat-disk drive group of the configured for indicating to the storage controller aggregation meta-disk Volume group via a back-end channel of the of the plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive group. storage controller, and 16. A system, comprising: wherein the meta-disk Volume group has an input/output a storage controller configured for communicatively cou 40 bandwidth and storage density greater than an input/ pling with a server; and output bandwidth and storage density of a Volume group a meta-disk Volume group including a plurality of meta having a same number of individual disk drives as a disk drive groups, each meta-disk drive group including number of meta-disk drive groups of the meta-disk Vol a plurality of disk drives, each meta-disk drive group ume group. configured for being communicatively coupled with the 45 17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of storage controller, each of the plurality of disk drives disk drives of the meta-disk drive group include a jumper for including a drive interface connector configured for communicatively coupling each of the plurality of disk drives aggregation of the plurality of disk drives of each meta of the meta-disk drive group via drive interface connectors of disk drive group Such that a single device address is each of the plurality of disk drives of the meta-disk drive assigned to each meta-disk drive group, each disk drive 50 group. of the plurality of disk drives being enclosed by a par 18. The system of claim 16, wherein the extraction lock is ticular drive carrier assembly configured to be inserted configured to disengage. into or extracted from a slot of a single drive enclosure, 19. The system of claim 16, wherein the jumper is a meta whereby each meta-disk drive group includes an extrac disk drive group enable/disable jumper. tor for synchronized extraction of the meta-disk drive k k k k k