Method and apparatus for operating a server system

A server system comprising:

• a plurality of servers;
• a plurality of power supplies, each power supply having a power output signal coupled to each of the plurality of servers;
• the plurality power supplies each having a load share signal, the load share signals coupled to each other by way of a load share signal line;
• an enclosure manager coupled to the plurality of servers, the plurality of power supplies, and the load share signal line;
• and
• wherein the enclosure manager calculates a power delivered by the plurality of power supplies using a voltage level sampled on the load share signal lines.

A power supply for use with a redundant power supply, the power supply comprising:

• a power output signal producing a supplied power to a load;
• a load sharing signal, and wherein the load share signal has a voltage thereon used to balance supplied power between the power supply and the redundant power supply;
• a memory device;
• a communication pathway coupled to the memory device;
• and
• wherein the memory device stores a table that relates the supplied power to the voltage on the load share signal line.

An enclosure manager for a server system, comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a communication bus coupled to the CPU;
• an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter coupled to the CPU by way of the first communication bus;
• wherein the CPU is adapted to communicate with a plurality of power supplies across the communication bus to read a plurality of tables one each from the plurality of power supplies, each table relates a voltage on a load share signal coupled to the plurality of power supplies to an output power of the power supply;
• and
• wherein the CPU is further adapted to read a voltage level of the load share signal using the A/D converter and calculate a power provided by the plurality of power supplies based on the voltage level and the tables.

A server system comprising:

• a plurality of server means;
• a plurality of power supply means for providing power to the server means, each power supply means having a power output signal coupled to each of the plurality of server means;
• the plurality power supply means each having a load share signal, the load share signals coupled to each other by way of a load share signal line;
• a system manager means coupled to the plurality of servers, the plurality of power supplies, and also coupled to the load share signal line, the system manager means for calculating a power delivered by the plurality of power supply means using a voltage level sampled on the load share signal line.