Auxiliary power supply, a method of providing power to a data storage system and a back-up power supply charging circuit

• US 8,868,957 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xyratex Technology Limited (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Xyratex Technology Limited (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Davis, David M., Westrop, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Application Number:
  US12/880,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/324, 713/340, 711/114, 320/127, 320/128, 320/137, 714/14
• US Class Current: 713/340
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2015 Redundant power supplies power supply failure G06F1/30
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

The invention provides a data storage system, comprising: one or more data storage media; a midplane to which the one or more data storage media are, in use, connected; at least one input/output module for providing control of data transfer between the or each of the data storage media and one or more hosts to which, in use, the data storage system is connected; and a back-up power supply to provide power to the input/output modules in the event of a failure of regular power sources therefor, the back-up power supply being provided separately from the at least one input/output module.

Claims

1. A data storage system, comprising:

an interface to which one or more data storage media, in use, are connected;

a system power rail through which power within the system is distributed and being arranged to supply power to components of the data storage system;

at least one input/output system for providing control of data transfer between each of the data storage media and one or more hosts to which, in use, the data storage system is connected; and

a rechargeable back-up power supply coupled to the system power rail to provide power to the at least one input/output system in the event of a failure of primary power source therefor, the rechargeable back-up power supply being provided separately from the at least one input/output system.

2. The data storage system according to claim 1, in which, in the event of a failure of power from a primary power source, the power to the one or more data storage media is cut.

3. The data storage system according to claim 1, in which back-up power supply is a rechargeable battery module.

4. The data storage system according to claim 1, in which a single back-up power supply is provided for plural I/O systems.

5. The data storage system according to claim 1, wherein the system power supply rail being is arranged to provide power to charge the back-up power supply when the primary power source is operative.

6. The data storage system according to claim 1, in which the I/O system includes an ATX server having RAID functionality and in which the back-up power supply is provided separately from the ATX server.

7. A method of providing back-up power to a data storage system comprising one or more data storage media, a midplane to which the one or more data storage media arc, in use, connected, a system power rail through which power within the system is distributed and being arranged to supply power to components of the data storage system, at least one input/output system for providing control of data transfer between the or each of the data storage media and one or more hosts to which, in use, the data storage system is connected;

and a back-up power supply coupled to the system power rail to provide power to the input/output systems in the event of a failure of regular power sources therefor, the method comprising;

in the event of failure of a primary power supply for the data storage system, shutting down power to the one or more data storage media thereby reducing power requirements, of the data storage system.

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising, in the event of failure of the primary power supply for the data storage system providing the power from the back-up power supply.

9. The method according to claim 7, comprising in the event of failure of the primary power supply for the data storage system, writing data stored in volatile memory within the I/O system to non-volatile memory.

10. The method according to claim 7, comprising smoothly transferring power supply from the primary power supply to the back-up power supply in the event of primary power supply failure.

11. The method according to claim 9, comprising establishing a log of data writing events to facilitate access to written data upon resetting of the system.

12. A back-up power supply charging circuit, for connection to a power rail of a data storage system, the back-up power supply charging circuit being arranged to charge a back-up power supply for the data storage system, the circuit comprising:

an energy storage device for receiving energy from said power rail;

a first switching circuit for enabling power to be provided to the energy storage device from the power rail while isolated from the back-up power supply; and

a second switching circuit for enabling power to be transferred from the energy storage device to a back-up power source for charging.

13. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 12, in which the energy storage device is an inductor.

14. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 12, comprising a control circuit arranged to provide control signals to the first and second switching circuits to control power flow to and from the energy storage device.

15. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 14, in which the first switching circuit includes transistors under control of the control circuit.

16. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 14, in which the second switching circuit includes transistors under control of the control circuit.

17. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 14, in which the control circuit is arranged to monitor the charge of the back-up power supply to which, in use, the back-up power supply charging circuit is connected.

18. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 12, comprising a third switching circuit arranged to enable connection of the back-up power supply to the power rail to provide power thereto in the event of a primary power source failure of the data storage system.

19. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 18, in which the third switching circuit includes transistors under control of a control circuit.

20. The back-up power supply charging circuit according to claim 14, in which the control circuit is provided as one or more of an ASIC or an FPGA.

21. A method of charging a back-up power supply for a data storage system, the back-up power supply being arranged to provide power to the data storage system in the event of the failure of a primary power source and being, in use, connected to a power supply rail of the data storage system, the method comprising:

when power is available from the primary power source, activating a first switching circuit to enable power to be provided to an energy storage device from the power rail while isolated from the back-up power supply; and

,

subsequently, activating a second switching circuit to enable power to be transferred from the energy storage device to the back-up power supply for charging.

22. The method according to claim 21, comprising monitoring the power level of the back-up power supply and activating a charging cycle when the level reaches a defined level.

23. The method according to claim 21, in which the first switching circuit comprises transistors under control of a control system and the step of activating the first switching circuit comprises:

sending control signals to the transistors to enable power to be provided to the energy storage device.

24. The method according to claim 21, in which the second switching circuit comprises transistors under control of a control system and the step of activating the second switching circuit comprises:

sending control signals to the transistors to enable power to be transferred from the energy storage device.

25. A rechargeable back-up power supply for a data storage system, the back-up power supply comprising one or more rechargeable batteries;

a back-up power supply charging circuit, for connection to a power rail of a data storage system, the back-up power supply charging circuit being arranged to charge a back-up power supply for the data storage system, the circuit comprising;

an energy storage device for receiving energy from said power rail while isolated from the back-up power supply;

a first switching circuit for enabling power to be provided to the energy storage device from the power rail;

a second switching circuit for enabling power to be transferred from the energy storage device to the back-up power supply for charging; and

a third switching circuit arranged to enable connection of the one or more rechargeable batteries of the back-up power supply to the power rail to provide power thereto in the event of a primary power source failure of the data storage system.

26. A method of providing back-up power to a data storage system in the event of primary power source failure, the data storage system comprising a power supply rail from which power is provided to components of the data storage system, the method comprising:

providing a back-up power supply according to claim 25;

in the event of primary power source failure, smoothly switching to the back-up power source by activating the third switching circuit.

27. The method according to claim 26, in which the step of smoothly switching to the back-up power supply by activating the third switching circuit comprises active slew rate control.