Non-24-7 Server: Techniques?

I've got a WHS box running 24-7.

But during, say, the hours of 1am and 6am, it's not doing
anything for me.

250 watts/1000 for the whole server closet * 6 hours/day * 365 *
..28/kWhr = $150/year.


Has anybody got a technique for auto-shutting down a whole server
closet at a certain time and then starting it back up at a later
time?

My best shot so far:

- Some sort of utility app running on the WHS box that initiates
a graceful shutdown at an assigned time.

- A mechanical timer switch that cuts all power some time after
the WSH box has shut itself down, and restores power at
the desired time - placed between the UPS and the WHS box.

- A load-sensitive power strip that cuts power to anything
connected to it when the WHS box stops drawing power - and
connecting all the other stuff in the closet to said strip.

- Setting the WHS box's BIOS to power on and boot when power is
restored.








--
PeteCresswell

In message <>
"(PeteCresswell)" <> was claimed to have wrote:

>I've got a WHS box running 24-7.
>
>But during, say, the hours of 1am and 6am, it's not doing
>anything for me.
>
>250 watts/1000 for the whole server closet * 6 hours/day * 365 *
>.28/kWhr = $150/year.
>
>
>Has anybody got a technique for auto-shutting down a whole server
>closet at a certain time and then starting it back up at a later
>time?
>
>My best shot so far:
>
>- Some sort of utility app running on the WHS box that initiates
> a graceful shutdown at an assigned time.
>
>- A mechanical timer switch that cuts all power some time after
> the WSH box has shut itself down, and restores power at
> the desired time - placed between the UPS and the WHS box.
>
>- A load-sensitive power strip that cuts power to anything
> connected to it when the WHS box stops drawing power - and
> connecting all the other stuff in the closet to said strip.
>
>- Setting the WHS box's BIOS to power on and boot when power is
> restored.

Personally I'd stay away from a mechanical timer myself. If you can use
a load-sensitive power strip for "everything else" (internet connection,
router, wireless access point, etc? or anything more exotic?) then just
have the WHS box power itself down with a utility and use it's BIOS'
timer to power itself back on again.

This avoids problems if a shutdown fails, and gives you the ability to
power up or down easily if there is an exception.

That being said, I'd try and get a Kill-O-Watt meter or similar first
and see what sort of kWh you're actually seeing on the system, if the
hard drives spin down and the system is suitably built for lower power
you might find it takes less power to operate than you'd guess.

Obviously shutting down will still consume less resources, but the
hassle might not be worth it.

Lastly, I don't know WHS well enough to speak of it directly, but
investigate to make sure it doesn't perform any nightly maintenance that
might fail to ever run at other times.

In article <>, d
says...
>
> I've got a WHS box running 24-7.
>
> But during, say, the hours of 1am and 6am, it's not doing
> anything for me.
>
> 250 watts/1000 for the whole server closet * 6 hours/day * 365 *
> .28/kWhr = $150/year.
>
>
> Has anybody got a technique for auto-shutting down a whole server
> closet at a certain time and then starting it back up at a later
> time?
>
> My best shot so far:
>
> - Some sort of utility app running on the WHS box that initiates
> a graceful shutdown at an assigned time.
>
> - A mechanical timer switch that cuts all power some time after
> the WSH box has shut itself down, and restores power at
> the desired time - placed between the UPS and the WHS box.
>
> - A load-sensitive power strip that cuts power to anything
> connected to it when the WHS box stops drawing power - and
> connecting all the other stuff in the closet to said strip.
>
> - Setting the WHS box's BIOS to power on and boot when power is
> restored.

Use the BIOS power on to start the computer, use a scheduled task to
shutdown the server at the desired time - use a UPS with a "Master" plug
connection that powers everything off when the Server is powered down
(with the server connected to the master jack).


--
You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
Trust yourself.
(remove 999 for proper email address)

On 8/14/2010 11:32 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
> I've got a WHS box running 24-7.
>
> But during, say, the hours of 1am and 6am, it's not doing
> anything for me.
>
> 250 watts/1000 for the whole server closet * 6 hours/day * 365 *
> .28/kWhr = $150/year.
>
>
> Has anybody got a technique for auto-shutting down a whole server
> closet at a certain time and then starting it back up at a later
> time?

Providing that the computer can be awakened with the Real Time Clock the
Windows Task Scheduler can do both for you, it will wake the computer
with the ACPI Real Time Clock (BIOS Function).

John

Per John John -MVP:
>Providing that the computer can be awakened with the Real Time Clock the
>Windows Task Scheduler can do both for you, it will wake the computer
>with the ACPI Real Time Clock (BIOS Function).

Am I reading that correctly? Can the Windows Task Scheduler
somehow poke into the PC's BIOS to set the power management parms
to use RCT to start the PC?

I Googled a little bit, but did not come away any wiser.

Not a big deal in the long term, since I can just go into BIOS at
startup time as make the needed setting; but it would be a major
convenience for testing - avoiding multiple shutdowns/restarts to
test the scheme.
--
PeteCresswell

In message <>
"(PeteCresswell)" <> was claimed to have wrote:

>Per John John -MVP:
>>Providing that the computer can be awakened with the Real Time Clock the
>>Windows Task Scheduler can do both for you, it will wake the computer
>>with the ACPI Real Time Clock (BIOS Function).
>
>Am I reading that correctly? Can the Windows Task Scheduler
>somehow poke into the PC's BIOS to set the power management parms
>to use RCT to start the PC?

As a rule, yes. This requires hardware support, but most modern
hardware has the aforementioned support.

On 8/31/2010 6:39 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per John John -MVP:
>> Providing that the computer can be awakened with the Real Time Clock the
>> Windows Task Scheduler can do both for you, it will wake the computer
>> with the ACPI Real Time Clock (BIOS Function).
>
> Am I reading that correctly? Can the Windows Task Scheduler
> somehow poke into the PC's BIOS to set the power management parms
> to use RCT to start the PC?
>
> I Googled a little bit, but did not come away any wiser.
>
> Not a big deal in the long term, since I can just go into BIOS at
> startup time as make the needed setting; but it would be a major
> convenience for testing - avoiding multiple shutdowns/restarts to
> test the scheme.

Like Dave said, most modern computers support this, look in the task's
Advanced Properties for the setting.

http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=...p&fr=yfp-t-501

John