Set Hard Drive to Spin Down? 2kserver

[NightrainSrt4]

Now that I've been getting my server set up with the drives I will be using for a while, I have been contemplating setting the hard drives to spin down after an hour or so, as the server will be running 24/7, but there will be times where nothing gets accessed on the 1Tb data drive.

Is this possible in Windows Server 2000? I know Vista can do it, and you can also do it in Linux, but I can't find much on doing it in Server 2000.

[nevermind1534]

I think there's something in power options, but I'm not running it right now, so I couldn't tell you for sure.

[NightrainSrt4]

Thanks. I'll take a look. Posted last night when the 1Tb was going through its first full defrag. Just left it overnight lol.

[NightrainSrt4]

Ok, I went through power options to set the hard disks to turn off after an hour of use.

But, it doesn't have a setting for each hard drive. One hard drive has the OS on, which I'm sure will be keeping itself busy. When each hard drive hits an hour of not being used will they turn off independently after their own timer goes off? Or are the timers set together, as in, if the OS drive never calms for an hour the data drive will never spin down?

I know in linux you can set each drive independently of any other drive, but Windows just seemed to have a general setting for all drives, and didn't explain its multidrive functionality.

[nevermind1534]

I think it just loads what it needs into the ram. I don't know.

[NightrainSrt4]

Hmmm... It doesn't seem that using windows turn off hard disk thing is a workable option.

After the hour went by, and the hard disks turned off, I lost access to the disks on the server from my other computers. It wouldn't return until I went in and accessed them again.

Hmmmm....Oh well.

Is having 2 sata drives spin forever a bad thing? Am I shortening the lifespan by doing so? Seems to be conflicting views on this, but it seems its a reason to use scsi. Guess time will tell then.

[nevermind1534]

I think they only become active again when you move the mouse. no good. As long as they're not running too hot, they should be ok.

[OvRiDe]

I have had this conversation in my professional realm several times, and I have discovered there are 2 trains of thought.

1. is that you should turn off drives when they are not in use because there is a fixed amount of time that a drive will operate whlie its running. You can extend this time by having them off when not in use.

2. HDDs are like light bulbs, the more you turn them on and off, the less time they will last. Meaning that alot of drives fail due to thermal transients, where the fact that the drive is heating up and cooling off will degrade the mechanics of the drive.

I tend to follow #2. I have servers that have been running for 8 years, and have never been powered off. The drives are still running fine (knock on wood :D ). Granted they are SCSI drives which are definitely higher quality then your off the shelf SATA drive.

Really its still up in the air, there is no real physical evidence either way, so I guess it boils down to personal preference.

[NightrainSrt4]

I think they only become active again when you move the mouse. no good. As long as they're not running too hot, they should be ok.

Yup. The server runs headless so I don't have a keyboard and mouse right there to wiggle.

The conflicting views was all I was getting. I guess they are okay to run constantly. The crappy half broken '01 40Gb's were in there for 2 weeks with absolutely zero problems running constantly.

My 1Tb green drive has a 3 year warranty any who, so I guess its no use fussing over. I don't see a simple way to spin down without shutting off in server 2000 anyway.