A server blade includes a printed circuit board (PCB), including a connector for connecting the blade to a backplane comprising a local bus, and a removal mechanism for use by a person to disconnect the connector from the backplane for removal of the blade from a chassis while the chassis is powered up. The server blade also includes an I/O link and a server, each affixed on the PCB. The server transmits packets on the I/O link to a storage controller enclosed in the chassis. The packets include commands to transfer data to at least one storage device controlled by the storage controller. A portion of the storage controller, affixed on the PCB, receives the packets from the server on the I/O link, and forwards the commands on the backplane local bus to another portion of the storage controller affixed on a separate PCB enclosed in the chassis.