Patent ID: 7444532

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a power supply; a plurality of server modules; a midplane comprising: a plurality of connectors receiving the plurality of server modules, each connector having a unique predetermined address independent of the plurality of server modules; and an address module obtaining the unique predetermined addresses of the plurality of connectors from the midplane and to calculate a start-up time associated with each connector based on (a) the unique predetermined address for each connector and (b) a multiplication factor associated with a duration of an inrush load of at least one of the plurality of server modules, the start-up times calculated for the plurality of connectors defining a start-up sequence for the plurality of connectors; wherein the computer system couples the power supply to the plurality of server modules based on the start-up times and the defined start-up sequence associated with the plurality of connectors; and a management controller associated with the midplane, the management controller storing the defined start-up sequence for the plurality of server modules and the management controller providing sequence redundancy by sequencing power to the plurality of server modules during start-up if the midplane experiences a failure.