Patent ID: 8707097

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a controller; a plurality of electric power supply units; a back plane to merge output voltages of the plurality of electric power supply units and to supply the merged output voltage to the controller; and a backup electric power supply unit, the controller being configured to, detect a malfunction occurring in the plurality of electric power supply units, stop supplying the merged output voltage to the controller through the back plane from the plurality of electric power supply units when the malfunction is detected, start supplying a voltage to the controller from the backup electric power supply unit when the malfunction is detected, identify an electric power supply unit having the malfunction from the plurality of electric power supply units, disconnect the identified electric power supply unit, determine whether the merged output voltage is normal when disconnecting the identified electric power supply unit, resume supplying the merged output voltage to the controller through the back plane from an electric power supply unit when determining that the merged output voltage is normal, and stop the supplying the voltage from the backup electric power supply unit to the controller when the electric power supply unit having the malfunction is disconnected.