Method and configuration for effecting an interruption-free power supply operation of a system unit

• US 6,608,400 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Muehsam, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): DeBeradinis, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US09/762,622
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 307/23, 307/29, 307/43, 307/65, 307/80, 307/125
• US Class Current: 307/23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24

Abstract

For accomplishing an interruption-free power supply operation of a system unit (HDD) in a computer system with a plurality of system computers (Sa; Sb) sharing the system unit (HDD) without having the limitation to a local location, a method and an arrangement is [sic] proposed in accord wherewith the operation of the respective station computers (Sa; Sb) respectively ensues with their own interruption-free power supplies (USVa; USVb) and, for the power supply of the shared system unit (HDD), the shared system unit (HDD) is always connected to an active interruption-free power supply (for example, USVb) by an automatically switching switchover (PCS) that monitors the voltage of its inputs.

Claims

1. A method for providing an uninterruptible power supply operation of a shared system unit in a computer system with a plurality of station computers using said shared system unit in common, comprising the steps of:

providing station computers with their own uninterruptible power supplies; and

co-connecting and maintaining said shared system unit to an active uninterruptible power supply which is one of the station computer uninterruptable power supplies by an automatically switching voltage-monitoring unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of supplying different uninterruptible power supplies with identical phases.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of supplying different uninterruptible power supplies with different phases.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of supplying different uninterruptible power supplies with identical but separately protected phases.

5. An arrangement for providing an uninterruptible power supply operation in a computer system, said arrangement comprising:

a system unit;

a plurality of station computers using said system unit in common;

a plurality of uninterruptible power supplies, each of which is separately respectively connected to each said station computer; and

a switchover unit having a plurality of input terminals and an output terminal, each of said input terminals being connected to said uninterruptible power supplies, said switchover unit monitoring a voltage at said input terminals, and automatically switching to a voltage-carrying input terminal and thereby connects said voltage-carrying input terminal to said output terminal which is connected to said shared system unit.

6. The arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said station computers are servers and said shared system unit is a system memory component.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein said system memory component is a disk storage system.