In my go file is the sleep 30 line.  So after a long period of non-use like overnight my server appears to sleep but I can't wake it without shutting it off and turning it back on.  Is there an easy way to keep it active all the time but just have the drives spun down when not in use?

The sleep 30 line in your "go" file is a command to pause the execution of the "go" script at that point for 30 seconds.

It has absolutely nothing to do with your server going to sleep, or the disks in it.  The "go" script is only invoked when you reboot the server.  Once the server is booted, it has done its work.

 

Since the stock "go" script has no such line in it as "sleep 30" what do you have that follows that line in your "go" script.

The30 second pause is typically put there to allow time for the server to come-online before the next line after the "sleep 30" is executed.

 

There have been scripts posted to put the server into S3 sleep (a BIOS function) when idle, or at a certain time at night.  Do you have one of those installed?  There have been scripts posted to shut a server down at a certain time. do you have one of those in place?

 

For anything else, there is nothing in the stock unRAID that goes to sleep overnight.  Yes, the disks spin-down after a period of inactivity if you desire, but that is it...  they spin right back up when accessed.    Anything else sounds like a hardware issue.

 

Joe L.

Oh yes, if you did put your server into an S3 sleep state, to wake it you must send it a specially formatted magic packet of data. This is known as Wake-On-Lan, or WOL.  The Bios on your MB must support the feature, it must be enabled, and your networking chipset must be configured to be powered on even when the remainder of the server is sleeping, so it can listen for the WOL packet.

Hi S1DIMMER. Their is a whole thread on the S3/Sleep setup for unraid. It is quite an interesting read and it is good to have your server go to sleep once all your disks power down. Personally I have my server shut down at a certain time in the early hours of the morning using the 'echo "powerdown" at | 02:00' set in my 'go' script.

 

See the thread link below for the S3/Sleep setup for unraid:

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=3657.0

 

 

My problem is I don't want my server to go to sleep.  I'll take a look in the BIOS but I don't think I set anything special there to make it go to sleep.  That's why I thought it was something set in unraid.

My problem is I don't want my server to go to sleep.  I'll take a look in the BIOS but I don't think I set anything special there to make it go to sleep.  That's why I thought it was something set in unraid.

But you answered none of my questions...

 

To help you we must learn what is happening.  It could be something you installed?  We don't know because you did not provide any answers.

 

It could be hardware.  Have you performed a memory test?  Is your server overheating and shutting down?  Are you running out of memory?

Is the server really sleeping? Or has your network connection just dropped?    When you go to wake the server, is it performing a full parity check because it was not shut down cleanly?

 

On the system console, or in a telnet window type

tail -f /var/log/syslog

 

Let it run, if the server crashes overnight you might see the last clues it leaves you on the screen.  Worst case, you can take a picture of the screen and post it.

 

Post a syslog.  It might have clues even before the server goes to sleep.

 

Joe L.

My problem is I don't want my server to go to sleep.

S1DIMMER, post your 'go' file here and we'll see what you have installed.

(that's the file where you saw that command telling it to sleep till the thirtieth)

It may also come in handy if you post the syslog.

 

Sorry Joe.

 

The only thing I installed was unmenu.  That's it.  All I did was download the files from the google code page and put them on the root of my flash drive in a folder called unmenu.  I then edited the go file by adding the following lines:

 

sleep 30

/boot/unmenu/uu

 

I don't think it's hardware.  I looked in the BIOS and I had S1 and S3 standby disabled.  I don't see a WOL setting.

I have not performed a memory test.  I'm running a SUPERMICRO MBD-C2SBC-Q-O motherboard, Core 2 Duo 2.66 processor, 4GB of RAM, 2x Promise SATA300 TX4's, Adaptec 1430, and 17 drives of various size totaling about 13 TB.

 

I just rebooted the server and it came up normally.  I can access my shares fine.  I hooked it up to a monitor to keep an eye on it.  I just let it boot to the unraid login.  I let it sit there and after about 10 minutes the screen went black.  Not the black like a monitor goes to sleep but black like there is still a signal but all text is gone.  Just a solid black screen.  All the fans are still spinning and as of now my shares can still be accessed.

 

Also - how do I access the syslog?  Sorry for being such a newb.

 

Also - how do I access the syslog?

You can access your syslog directly by browsing to http://tower/log/syslog (substitute 'tower' with your server name).

http://lime-technology.com/wiki/index.php?title=Troubleshooting#Capturing_your_syslog

 

I have not performed a memory test.

You should do a memory test!  I can't overstate the importance of it.

 

Here is the syslog attached.  I think I might need to catch it before I reboot and after it has gone to sleep. 

syslog.txt

This might be a silly question/suggestion, but I've seen this happen to a Windows-based PC, so I'll ask the question anyways. Do you have a keyboard connected to your server, by any chance has a Sleep button on it? If this were the case, this button might be the fault, making your server sleep, or perhaps something is pressing it too? In BIOS (know you've been through this), but if you have this option or something involving Sleep Mode, for all of these option I'd just disable them. Just a thought, it might not be it, but worth a try.

If that were the case, it would stay awake, not sleep .

 

Is your unraid by any chance kept in your bedroom? As of the latest version it is very sensitive to snoring.

 

It did not have a keyboard connected.  I did go into the BIOS and change the setting from off to S3 and yesterday it appeared not to go to sleep, or it went to S3 and when I tried to access the shares it woke up.  I'm not sure it's fixed yet but I'm going to keep an eye on it. 

I believe it is a general rule of thumb to enable S3 over any power options in BIOS for unraid (I might of read it somewhere, not sure), but when I setup a unraid server, I always enable S3, diable any sleeping optins for peripherals onboard and for the mobo not to sleep, and finally enable the 'Wake on WOL' too. See how you run with your current BIOS settings, perhaps a BIOS update could help too, but if it running fine, leave it be. Keep us posted on how you go.

Well I went on a weekend trip and when I got back the server was unreachable again.  I had to power it down and back up.  I'm going to tinker with it again and see what BIOS settings I can dig up.  So far I love the available storage I just need this thing to stay awake all the time.

S1DIMMER, that's not sleep.  That's something else.

 

You never mentioned whether you ran a memtest overnight.

 

I have not.  I would think if it was bad memory it wouldn't boot or it would crash.  As long as I am using it the server works fine but when there are long periods of inactivity (like overnight) it becomes unreachable and has to be manually shut off and turned back on. 

I have not.  I would think if it was bad memory it wouldn't boot or it would crash.  As long as I am using it the server works fine but when there are long periods of inactivity (like overnight) it becomes unreachable and has to be manually shut off and turned back on. 

Do you have a system console connected?

At the time it goes to sleep I do not have the console up.  The computer I use to access the server gets turned off at night.  My 2 HTPC's and the server remain on at all times.

At the time it goes to sleep I do not have the console up.  The computer I use to access the server gets turned off at night.  My 2 HTPC's and the server remain on at all times.

I did not mean a telnet session, I meant a display connected to the video card of the server, and a system console keyboard.

 

If you have a system console you can log in and type

tail -f /var/log/syslog

and try to catch what is crashing your server. (should be on the screen in the AM when you wake)

I'll give that a try.  The server does have a keyboard connected and it's hooked to my TV via VGA cable but the TV is turned off overnight.  I've watched the server before with the TV on.  The screen will go from the UNRAID login prompt to just black.  If I hit enter on the keyboard withing a few minutes the login prompt comes back but if left long enough the server will not come back.

You never mentioned whether you ran a memtest overnight.

I have not.  I would think if it was bad memory it wouldn't boot or it would crash.  

Yes, it would crash, and not necessarily at boot time, which may be what's happening to you.

You are only foolong yourself if you assume the RAM is good without actually testing it for a few hours with the memtest tool from the boot menu.

 

Ok, got home tonight and the server was reachable.  No one accessed it all day but it did not crash or go to sleep.  I'm running memtest now so we'll see how it goes.  The RAM was free so I used it.  4GB of DDR2 333 when the board's specifications say DDR2 800.  I might have 2GB of DDR2 800 in my parts bin so if the memory fails I should be able to swap it out. 

Ok, got home tonight and the server was reachable.  No one accessed it all day but it did not crash or go to sleep.  I'm running memtest now so we'll see how it goes.  The RAM was free so I used it.  4GB of DDR2 333 when the board's specifications say DDR2 800.  I might have 2GB of DDR2 800 in my parts bin so if the memory fails I should be able to swap it out. 

Did you set the memory voltage, timing, and clock speed at least? (It must be set for your specific RAM strips, and if you are not using the memory recommended by the motherboard, odds are it may not set them correctly for you.) 

 

From what you are saying, you may be running the memory at over twice its rated clock speed.

 

 

3 passes in memtest and no errors.  How long should I let this run?

Joe - I didn't set anything special.  Just left things set to auto.  I could try the other Corsair RAM I have and see what happens.