Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!csri.toronto.edu!leemc
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
From: leemc@csri.toronto.edu (Matthew Lee)
Subject: Powering Network ON/OFF
Message-ID: <1990Jan3.122707.1625@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu>
Distribution: net
Date: 3 Jan 90 17:27:07 GMT
Lines: 24

I have been saddled with the privilege of investigating the following 
proposal:

We are currently running a Novell network with two servers and 40 NEC 386SX
*workstations* without hard disks. It has been suggested that since this
system is only in use from 8:00 a.m. to midnight that it be powered down for
the 8 hours at night that it is not in use, the reasoning being that by reducing
the period that the system is powered on by 1/3, the life of the machines will
be prolonged by a significant amount. The system would probably be powered on 
and off by some sort of timer installed in the breaker panel since there would
not be anybody around at the required times.

My question is: Is this really a worthwhile endeavour? I know this subject has
been discussed here before particularily with reference to the effects of
powering on/off on hard disks. Hence I suspect that the servers would be best
left on 24 hrs/day. However, since the 386's are hard diskLESS I have no idea
what the relative merits of this proposal are.

Anybody out there who has done something similar or is in a position to comment
knowledgably on the subject? Responses by e-mail would be welcomed and 
appreciated. I will summarize to the net if I get something worthwhile.

                      Matthew Lee
                      leemc@csri.toronto.edu