LM_NET: Library Media Networking
>On Sun, 2 Oct 1994 07:26:23 -0400
> Anne Hegel Clough wrote:
>Subject: Advice On File Server
>Greetings!
>I need advice on how often to shut down my file server.
The question on shutting down servers depends on a lot of preexisting
conditions. Do you have a battery backup with programmable shut-down
of the server? Have you or your dealer used the best Hard drives
money can buy? (high mean time between failures MTBF?)
If the answer is yes to both you are probably better off to leave the
system on. I typically never shut down my systems except for maintenance
and a few times a year as a precaution to what we used to call "memory
drift" where a few bytes could get "lost" after exceptionally long
periods of being left on (6 mo. to a year). With todays fast memory I
haven't even seen a case of memory drift in about 5 years. The benefit
is not to the switches but to the components of silicon on your mother-
boards and peripheral cards. These components do not wear out from use as
much as harsh conditions - shock heating and cooling, and rise time when
turned on.
When not to leave the server on? If you do not have the auto-shut down
feature on a battery backup, then you always face potential bindery and
file loss in the advent of a power failure. Also most damaging "spikes"
and surges happen after the power is restored. (Good battery backups have
a delay up to 6 min. programmable before they will turn on again)
If your dealer (even IBM can be guilty) used a low MTBF drive then every
extra day it is on adds to its quicker demise. I recommend in these cases
to shut down weekends and holidays. What is a low MTBF for a drive? I
consider it 50,000 hours (5.7 years)BMTF or less. The mfg. of the
drive can tell you its rating if you call them with the model number.
Hope that helps ...
Don Shields
Network Consultant
Mammoth Unified School Dist.
0006514431@mcimail.com
(619)934-6529
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