Patent ID: 7315954

Claim:
A hardware switching apparatus for a soft power-down of a computer system having a first port for receiving a power-down signal for signaling the computer system to perform the soft power-down and a second port for receiving a start-up signal for signaling the computer system to start up, comprising: a switching circuit; a power supply for powering the computer system, the power supply to (a) receive power from a primary power source, (b) sense the power delivered from the primary source, (c) produce a first power-down signal in response to an interruption of the power from the primary source, and (d) provide the first power-down signal to the switching circuit; and a switching device distinct from the power supply, the switching device having a first switch position; wherein the switching circuit is coupled with the switching device, and the switching circuit (a) provides the first power-down signal to the first port, and (b) provides a second power-down signal to the first port in response to the switching device being in the first switch position.