When do you turn off your Ubuntu boxes?

[David Restall - System Administrator]

Hi,

I leave mine on all the time - again because it runs services that are
used by others.  If it was just my desktop it would be turned off and
unplugged when not in use - why waste power ?

> > I leave my box on most of the time. It is probably because I believe
> > that there is more strain on components with switching on and off rather
> > than running constantly. 
> 
> I don't really believe that.  I think the components that are most
> likely to wear are the mechanical ones: drives and fans.  Those wear out
> with every spin. 

I worked with a brain dead systems manager years ago who had the same
idea and I got grief because on my shift at the end of the day I would go
round and turn off all the machines in his area.  He got really shirty
with me turning them off and I got the spiel about keeping them on,
less thermal shock etc.  I argued against it, i.e. extra running costs,
aircon needed all the time, machines doing nothing (this was pre seti so
even the idle time wasn't being constructive), global warming etc. but
was over ruled.  One night we had a power failure and next morning over
half the lab wouldn't start because the hard drives wouldn't spin up.
We ended up having to buy a lot of kit in one go because of the stupidity
of leaving stuff on, if we'd been turning the boxes off the disks may
well have lasted longer and it is very  unlikely that they would have
all broken on the same day :-)  I just kept quiet and didn't gloat ;-)

TTFN


D
ubuntu/2006-12-01.tx                                           ubuntu-users
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| Dave Restall, Computer Nerd, Cyclist, Radio Amateur G4 FCU, Bodger         |
| Mob +44 (0) 7973 831245      Skype: dave.restall             Radio: G4 FCU |
| email : dave at restall.net                     Web : http://dave.restall.net |
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| Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.                  |
|         -- Jules de Gaultier                                               |
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