Hello, 

 

My first post here, and my first question(s), as I am building a new custom server and trying to use it with Unraid. The new server should work in a remote place and be able to automatically start up (scheduled), synchronize with shares on my local NAS and shutdown. Sleep state is not an option, as there might be power outages at the remote location, so it need to startup from a complete power off state. I would like to avoid scheduling it in BIOS, as the server will operate headless. WOL is also not an option. I am aware that advanced scheduled shutdown can be done via Dynamix plugin, so I am mostly interested in the startup capability from complete shutdown.

 

At the moment I am in the Synology ecosystem, and the two HP Microservers (gen8 & gen10+) running DSM (Xpenology) are both capable of scheduled shutdown and start up, even after power cycle, function integrated in the DSM. 

 

And the question: can Unraid have the same power schedule for start up?  E.g. can the Unraid schedule the BIOS via the ACPI / RTC Power On by OS? 

 

Thank you in advance!

? bios settings?
wol ?

This can be a bit tricky since Unraid itself doesn’t natively control hardware power-on after a shutdown. However, there are ways to achieve this functionality. Here's a helpful breakdown for their situation:

 

1. Scheduled Power-On with RTC (BIOS/UEFI Settings)

While they mention wanting to avoid using the BIOS for scheduling, enabling RTC (Real-Time Clock) Power-On in the BIOS is one of the most reliable methods. Unfortunately, Unraid doesn't have a built-in way to configure BIOS settings remotely, but they can:

Access the BIOS/UEFI and enable RTC Wakeup or Scheduled Power-On.

Set the desired time for the system to boot daily or weekly.

Some motherboards allow this setting to persist across power outages.

Pros:

Works independently of Unraid and OS.

Reliable even after power outages.

Cons:

Requires initial manual configuration.

Harder to update remotely.

 

2. Wake-on-LAN (WOL) Plugin

If they’re open to using Wake-on-LAN (WOL), it can serve as an alternative solution to bring the system online remotely. Here’s how:

Install the WOL Plugin:

From the Unraid web UI, navigate to the Community Apps and search for the Wake-on-LAN plugin.

Set Up WOL:

Ensure the motherboard and NIC (network interface card) support WOL and that it's enabled in the BIOS/UEFI.

Use another device (such as a local NAS or a Raspberry Pi) to send the WOL "magic packet" to power on the server.

Automate WOL Sending:

Use a cron job on the NAS or other device to send the magic packet at scheduled times.

Pros:

Works remotely without physical BIOS access.

Allows flexible scheduling through a controlling device.

Cons:

Relies on network availability at the remote location.

Power outages may disable WOL if the NIC loses standby power.

 

3. External Devices for Scheduling Power-On

For a more creative solution, they can use an external programmable device like a smart plug with a timer feature or a microcontroller:

Smart Plug with Power Cycling:

Use a smart plug to schedule power cycles. Some smart plugs allow for precise scheduling and can cycle the power at specific times.

After a power cycle, the server’s BIOS can be configured to "Power On after AC Loss," ensuring it boots whenever power is restored.

Microcontroller with GPIO:

Devices like a Raspberry Pi or Arduino can simulate a power-on button press via GPIO pins at scheduled intervals.

Pros:

Flexible and independent of Unraid or the BIOS.

Useful in remote locations without constant network access.

Cons:

Requires additional hardware and setup.

More complexity in maintenance.

 

4. Dynamix S3 Sleep (Alternative Consideration)

While the user ruled out sleep states, Dynamix S3 Sleep is worth mentioning for less severe power interruptions:

Allows the server to sleep instead of fully shutting down.

Automatically wakes on scheduled activity or LAN traffic.

Less power consumption than a full power state.

Note: They may reconsider this option if power outages are rare.

Conclusion

Since their primary goal is to automatically start the server after a complete shutdown, the best solutions are:

Use RTC scheduling in the BIOS (if initial manual configuration is acceptable).

Combine Wake-on-LAN with a controlling device for more flexibility.

Power on via a smart plug or microcontroller for complete automation

Many thanks for the detailed answer @bmartino1! Out of the 4 suggested ways to do the scheduled power-on & power-off, probably the ones I can use in my case are:

 

   1. BIOS settings is the last option I would use (for the reasons mentioned in the 1st post), if nothing else is going to work .
     Question (same in 1st post): can the Unraid schedule the BIOS via the ACPI / RTC Power On by OS?

   2. & 3. (WoL / external devices) both requires additional devices to start the server. If I can have this functionality implemented in the server, why should I bother? 

   4. Dynamix plugin for the shutdown.

 

I found suggested solutions (somehow related to point 1.), using rtcwake command as a scheduled user script, if the BIOS will support it (the server runs on an AsRock C246 WSI MB with latest BIOS from 2023). I will have to test this functionality.

 

It would have been nice to have a working solution already implemented in the OS (similar to synology). 

 

4 hours ago, vlgligor said:

1. BIOS settings is the last option I would use (for the reasons mentioned in the 1st post), if nothing else is going to work .

I use this on my servers that run headless.   I just temporarily plug in a monitor+keyboard to configure the BIOS, but then remove them afterwards.    If your server supports IPMI then you do not even need to plug a temporary monitor+keyboard as you can then configure the BIOS over the network.