Patent ID: 8145924

Claim:
A storage apparatus comprising: a memory unit including a group of storage devices as its main elements; and a controller for controlling the memory unit by receiving a supply of power from a power source and dividing the memory unit into a plurality of start-up control units that can be started, wherein at the time of initial start-up of the start-up control units, the controller selects and starts, from among the plurality of start-up control units and based on predicted power consumption for the memory unit, two or more start-up control units so that total power consumption for the memory unit and the controller as recognized by the power source will not exceed specified electric power that is smaller than the maximum possible electric power supplied from the power source, wherein the memory unit includes a plurality of storage units connected to the power source via a plurality of auxiliary power switches connected in parallel with a main power switch connecting the power source and the controller, and wherein the controller selects, from among the plurality of storage units and based on the predicted power consumption, two or more storage units as the startup control unit so that total power consumption for the plurality of storage units and the controller as recognized by the power source will not exceed specified electric power that is smaller than the maximum possible electric power supplied from the power source; and the controller then turns on the auxiliary power switches corresponding to the selected two or more storage units and thereby starts the selected two or more storage units; and subsequently, if the auxiliary power switches corresponding to the started two or more storage units are turned off, the controller then sequentially selects, from among the plurality of storage units and based on the predicted power consumption, two or more storage units, as the start-up control unit, different from those started above so that total power consumption for the plurality of storage units and the controller as recognized by the power source will not exceed specified electric power that is smaller than the maximum possible electric power supplied from the power source; and the controller then sequentially turns on the auxiliary power switches corresponding to the selected two or more storage units and thereby sequentially starts the selected two or more storage units.