Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Kevin M Bailey

Darin Lee Frink

Peter George Ross

David Edward Bryan

Prateek Tandon

Mary Crys Calansingin

Bryan James Donlan

Paul David Franklin

Christopher Strickland Beall

Felipe Enrique Ortega Gutierrez

James Caleb Kirschner

Priscilla Lam

Jason Alexander Harland

Matthew David Mickelson

Michael Jon Moen

Ismael Medrano

Matthew Christopher Smith

John Jacob Nelson

Kypros Constantinides

Heather Anne Ralph

Brandyn David Giroux

Brad Nathaniel Arnold

Masataka Kubo

Ioana Galis

Daniel Joseph Peters

Robert Klein

Shay Madar

Robert Hastings

David Ben-Dror

Charles Caldwell Phares

Chen An

Bryan Wiehardt

Mastaka Kubo

A server placement controller determines a placement location for a custom server based on infrastructure support system requirements of the custom server and based on infrastructure support system capacities at respective unoccupied slots of a server mounting structure of a data center. In some embodiments, a server placement controller may utilize a hierarchical optimization process to select a placement location for a custom server, wherein the selected placement location meets the requirements of the custom server while also optimizing use of one or more infrastructure support systems, such as power infrastructure support system, a networking infrastructure support system, a cooling infrastructure support system, or other infrastructure support systems of a data center.

Placement of custom servers

A server assembly service determines configurations for custom assembled servers based on time-series utilization metadata for servers executing workloads similar to workloads that are to be executed on the custom assembled servers. The server assembly service determines trends in the time-series utilization metadata and compares the identified trends to associations between workload utilization trends and application classes to determine one or more application classes for applications executing the workloads. The service uses the determined application classes to select server configurations for custom servers that are to be assembled to execute workloads similar to the workloads related to the server utilization metadata. In some embodiments, the service selects custom server configurations without access to applications or application data for workloads of concern. For example, the service may select custom server configurations without using profiling techniques that may intrude on customer privacy by requiring access to underlying applications or application data.

Custom server assembly

A printed circuit board (PCB) may be provided that includes a plurality of expansion device connectors mounted to at least two outer edges of the PCB. Each of the expansion device connectors may include a slot aligned in a same plane as the PCB. The slot may be positioned to connect to an expansion device such as to align the expansion device in the same plane as the PCB. Thus, the expansion card may be communicatively connected to the PCB via the expansion card connector. As the PCB includes expansion device connectors on at least two outer edges, the PCB may be positioned in at least two orientations to provide a greater number of expansion device configurations than realized in some PCBs.

Connector configurations for printed circuit boards

A computing system includes a circuit board assembly and multiple expansion cards connected to one another and also connected to the circuit board assembly. The connected expansion cards form a modular expansion card bus that allows the expansion cards to communicate between each other without routing the communications through the circuit board assembly. In some embodiments, the expansion cards are mounted on a tray that includes mounting pins that engage mounting slots of the expansion cards, allowing for simple installation of various combinations of expansion cards connected together to form a modular expansion card bus.

Modular expansion card bus

An electrical connection system can include a cage and/or a corresponding cable. The cage can be formed by walls and define faces on the top, bottom, right, left, front, and rear. A rear portion can house a receiving portion of a connector interface, which can be engaged via insertion of a module through the front face, or alternately by insertion of a plug through the top face. The cable at a terminating end can include the plug, which may include a vertical upright column and a horizontal base that includes an insertion portion of the connector interface. The cable at an originating end can include another instance of the receiving portion of the connector interface. A retainer can be provided to retain the plug in engagement with the receiving portion of the connector in the cage. The retainer can include a cover or other structure on the cable and/or cage.

Connector for multiple cabling arrangements

A data center may include a tape library rack module along with rack computer systems. The rack computer systems may be configured to provide computing capacity within a data center environment. In some embodiments, the tape library rack module may include an enclosure encompassing an interior of the tape library rack module, a rack within the interior, and a tape library unit mounted on the rack. The tape library rack unit may include tape cartridges configured to store data within a tape environment that is different than the data center environment. The tape library rack unit may be within a portion of the interior that is enclosed such that it is environmentally isolated from the data center environment. In some examples, the tape library rack module may include a cooling unit and/or a humidifier unit, which may provide the tape environment to the environmentally isolated portion of the interior of the tape library rack module.

Tape library rack module with environmentally isolated interior

Retention mechanisms for retaining compute components within server racks are described. In one example, a retention mechanism includes a latching component configured to move between a locked position and an unlocked position. The retention mechanism also includes a retaining component configured to position the latching component in the unlocked position. Movement of the retaining component releases the latching component thereby allowing the latching component to move into the locked position.

Rack component retention mechanisms

During operation, a facility may utilize many sensors, such as cameras, to generate sensor data. Some of these sensors may be housed within protective enclosures. The enclosures may be inside specially controlled environments, such as refrigerators, freezers, and so forth. During operation of the facility, moisture may accumulate on these enclosures, impairing the ability of the camera to acquire an image through the window. Described are devices to selectively heat a viewable area of the window such that moisture accumulation is reduced with minimal power use.

Window heater system

Latching components for retaining rack component cases within server racks are described. In one example, a latching component is installed at an interior surface of a rack component case. The latching component includes a protrusion. The latching component is biased in a locked position in which the protrusion is outside the rack component case. The latching component is moveable from the locked position to an unlocked in which the protrusion is removed from outside the rack component case using an unlatching component.

Rack component latches

A tape library rack includes partitions defining a slot for receiving a tape cartridge. A hook is coupled with the rack to engage a notch in the cartridge and retain the cartridge within the rack slot. A gripper for retrieving the cartridge includes a ramped surface to engage the hook and laterally displace the hook from the cartridge notch as the hook travels along the ramped surface. The gripper engages the notch from which the hook has been displaced and pulls the cartridge from the slot.

Mechanical retention and retrieval for tape storage cartridge

A near real-time custom server system includes robots deployed at a data center location and a server assembly controller configured to receive requests for near-real time custom servers. The requests may specify one or more characteristics for the custom servers and the server assembly controller may cause the robots deployed at the data center location to assemble the custom servers and install the custom servers in a server mounting structure of the data center in near real-time. For custom server types requested in lower volumes, the custom servers may be assembled autonomously by respective ones of the robots; and for custom server types requested in higher volumes, the custom servers may be assembled by respective groups of robots working in coordination with one another via an assembly line.

Near real-time custom server assembly

A portable server assembly system includes a container structure configured to be transported between data center locations, such as a shipping container. The portable server assembly system also includes a plurality of robots that are stowed in the container when being transported between data center locations, and that assemble servers when deployed at a particular data center location. In some embodiments, when a first data center location is substantially populated with servers assembled by the portable server assembly system (or another system), the portable server assembly system is re-deployed to another data center for use in assembling servers for populating the other data center.

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Kevin M Bailey