G
Guest
Guest
Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,alt.video.ptv.tivo (More info?)
I have seen various comments like "we leave our servers running 24/7
because powering up a hard drive causes more wear than leaving it
running." I think it's mostly laziness and apathy about conserving
energy. The TiVo forums discuss it a lot because a standard TiVo HD
runs all the time, buffering 30 minutes of whatever channel it's left
on.
Do IT people who leave servers running 24/7 ever have much choice of
NOT leaving them on 24/7? If not, how can they make scientific
comparisons of drive-bearing life? As long as the head isn't moving,
bearing life seems to be the main concern. On a home PC left on all day
it's far less likely that the drive will be doing anything but spinning
at high RPM for no real reason.
I've heard similar claims that the "shock" of turning on a light bulb
is worse than leaving it on all the time. Usually those comments came
as a way to excuse energy consumption after a debate on the merits of
waste. In reality, bulbs have a finite hours rating and will burn out
faster the longer they are left on, as long as they aren't flipped on
and off as torture. CFL bulbs (w/ballast) don't like to be switched on
and off quickly, but I can't imagine them burning out faster if you
only cycle on/off once in 10 minutes or so.
Would anyone claim that car wheel bearings get as much wear when you
pull out of the driveway vs. a 500 mile nonstop trip? In that case, the
"spin up" would be when you first move the car after sitting. What
exactly causes the "big shock" when a hard drive spins up? The heat
generated from constant spinning would seem to far outweigh it. Why
does Windows have a "Turn off hard disks" feature in Power options if
not to reduce bearing wear?
If anyone has thorough technical articles on hard drive wear, please
post. Specifically, what is so torturous about spinning up the drive,
and how can that brief cycle be quantified, damage-wise against
constant spinning with higher heat levels?
Thanks.
JT
I have seen various comments like "we leave our servers running 24/7
because powering up a hard drive causes more wear than leaving it
running." I think it's mostly laziness and apathy about conserving
energy. The TiVo forums discuss it a lot because a standard TiVo HD
runs all the time, buffering 30 minutes of whatever channel it's left
on.
Do IT people who leave servers running 24/7 ever have much choice of
NOT leaving them on 24/7? If not, how can they make scientific
comparisons of drive-bearing life? As long as the head isn't moving,
bearing life seems to be the main concern. On a home PC left on all day
it's far less likely that the drive will be doing anything but spinning
at high RPM for no real reason.
I've heard similar claims that the "shock" of turning on a light bulb
is worse than leaving it on all the time. Usually those comments came
as a way to excuse energy consumption after a debate on the merits of
waste. In reality, bulbs have a finite hours rating and will burn out
faster the longer they are left on, as long as they aren't flipped on
and off as torture. CFL bulbs (w/ballast) don't like to be switched on
and off quickly, but I can't imagine them burning out faster if you
only cycle on/off once in 10 minutes or so.
Would anyone claim that car wheel bearings get as much wear when you
pull out of the driveway vs. a 500 mile nonstop trip? In that case, the
"spin up" would be when you first move the car after sitting. What
exactly causes the "big shock" when a hard drive spins up? The heat
generated from constant spinning would seem to far outweigh it. Why
does Windows have a "Turn off hard disks" feature in Power options if
not to reduce bearing wear?
If anyone has thorough technical articles on hard drive wear, please
post. Specifically, what is so torturous about spinning up the drive,
and how can that brief cycle be quantified, damage-wise against
constant spinning with higher heat levels?
Thanks.
JT