Sharing Power Between Two Or More Power Sharing Servers

• US 20110320826A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Simmons, Charles R., Walker, Mitchell D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,959,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

Methods, systems, and power sharing servers that include a computer processor; a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor; a power supply unit coupled to a power domain unit via a power supply unit port; an intravoltage port configured to receive a shared power cable coupled to an intravoltage port of a different power sharing server; and a transfused power card coupled to the power supply unit via a primary input power line, the transfused power card further coupled to the intravoltage port via a shared power line, the transfused power card configured to export electrical current via an intravoltage port when the transfused power card is receiving electrical current, above a threshold, from the power supply unit, and import electrical current via the intravoltage port when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current, above the threshold, from the power supply unit.

Claims

1. A power sharing server, the power sharing server comprising:

a computer processor;

a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor;

a power supply unit coupled to a power domain unit via a power supply unit port;

an intravoltage port configured to receive a shared power cable coupled to an intravoltage port of a different power sharing server; and

a transfused power card coupled to the power supply unit via a primary input power line, the transfused power card further coupled to the intravoltage port via a shared power line, the transfused power card further configured to;

export electrical current via an intravoltage port when the transfused power card is receiving electrical current, above a threshold, from the power supply unit, and

import electrical current via the intravoltage port when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current, above the threshold, from the power supply unit.

2. The power sharing server of claim 1 wherein the transfused power card is further coupled to remote management components of the power sharing server via a backup power line.

3. The power sharing server of claim 2 wherein the remote management components of the power sharing server include an Integrated Management Module (‘

IMM’

) and a Network Interface Controller (‘

NIC’

).

4. The power sharing server of claim 1 wherein the transfused power card is further configured to regulate an amount of electrical current to export via the shared power line.

5. The power sharing server of claim 4 wherein the transfused power card regulates an amount of electrical current to export via the shared power line using a fuse.

6. A system for sharing power between two or more power sharing servers, the system comprising:

two or more power sharing servers, wherein each power sharing server includes;

a computer processor;

a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor;

a power supply unit coupled to a power domain unit via a power supply unit port;

an intravoltage port configured to receive a shared power cable coupled to an intravoltage port of a different power sharing server; and

a transfused power card coupled to the power supply unit via a primary input power line, the transfused power card further coupled to the intravoltage port via a shared power line, the transfused power card further configured to;

export electrical current via an intravoltage port when the transfused power card is receiving electrical current, above a threshold, from the power supply unit, and

import electrical current via the intravoltage port when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current, above the threshold, from the power supply unit; and

wherein the intravoltage ports of at least two of the power sharing servers are coupled via a power cable.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a power domain unit coupled to at least one of the power sharing servers via the power supply unit port of the power sharing server, wherein the power domain unit provides electrical current to the power sharing server via the power supply unit port.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the transfused power card regulates the amount of electrical current to export via an intravoltage port.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the transfused power card regulates the amount of electrical current to export via an intravoltage port using a digital fuse.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the transfused power card regulates the amount of electrical current to export via an intravoltage port in dependence upon the amount of electrical current being consumed by the power sharing server.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the transfused power card directs electrical current imported via the intravoltage port to remote management components within the power sharing server when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current, above the threshold, from the power supply unit.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the remote management components include an Integrated Management Module (‘

IMM’

) and a Network Interface Controller (‘

NIC’

).

13. A method of sharing power between two or more power sharing servers, the method comprising:

determining, by a transfused power card in a particular power sharing server, whether the transfused power card is receiving electrical current from a power supply unit;

exporting electrical current via an intravoltage port when the transfused power card is receiving electrical current, above a threshold, from the power supply unit; and

importing electrical current via the intravoltage port when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current, above the threshold, from the power supply unit, wherein the intravoltage port of the particular power sharing server is coupled to an intravoltage port of a different power sharing server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein exporting electrical current via an intravoltage port when the transfused power card is receiving electrical current from the power supply unit further comprises regulating, by the transfused power card, the amount of electrical current to export via an intravoltage port.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the amount of electrical current to export via an intravoltage port is regulated in dependence upon the amount of electrical current being consumed by the particular power sharing server.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising directing electrical current imported via the intravoltage port to remote management components within the particular power sharing server when the transfused power card is not receiving electrical current from the power supply unit.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the remote management components include an Integrated Management Module (‘

IMM’

) and a Network Interface Controller (‘

NIC’

).