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| ## page was renamed from lcict:pcs and laptops | |
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| Desktop computers are often left on all the time. The main reasons for this practice are: | '''This page is under construction!''' |
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| * An external service needs access the computer e.g. backup * An individual needs to access their computer e.g. to retrieve a file while at a conference * An individual wants to avoid waiting for a computer to start up As a result computers are often on, consuming electricity without doing any useful work. Unfortunately moving computers into low power states is more difficult than switching off a light bulb - something that most people are accustomed to. This section of the low carbon ICT wiki aims to provide information about tools that can be deployed to support organisations in reducing the costs and carbon footprint of their desktop computing infrastructure.[[TableOfContents([2])]] |
A single desktop computer will consume approximately £75 of electricity per year if they are left on all the time. If they are put in a low power state when not in use this cost is likely to fall to £15 for the majority of users (insert ref.).This figure extrapolated to all the estimated 720 000 computers in UK Universities equates to an annual saving of around £40 million. There are a wide range of assumptions in these headline figures so each organisation is advised to gather information about computer usage patterns, computer power consumption and electricity prices. |
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| Any organisation that wants to reduce the carbon footprint and financial cost associated with its desktop computing infrastructure will recognise at least some of the following problems: | |
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| * Users need to leave their computer on for at least one day a week so that a central backup service can make a copy of files overnight * Computers are left on all the time in case there is the need to install software updates or security patches * Users leave their computer of all the time so that they can use it remotely to for instance retrieve a file while at a conference * Computers are left on so that people do not have to wait for it to start up or boot * Desktop computers are used as a web server or file store * Desktop computer is used to keep another computer on ("keep alives") * Computer is used to constantly filter emails so that email folders are organised when accessing an inbox via the web * Spare computing capacity is used by computer modelling projects e.g. SETI, climateprediction.net and GRID experiments in general * Standby (S3) and hibernate (S4) power saving modes cannot be implemented reliably Many of these reasons mean that computers are being left on 'just in case' they are needed which means inevitably that there is likely to be extensive periods of time that computers are consuming electricity without doing useful work. Tools can be provided for IT managers and end-users that support the objective of minimising this wasted energy but organisations will also have to make decisions on whether practices need to change to save CO2 emissions and money. [[TableOfContents([2])]] |
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| == Enabling users to wake computers up remotely == It is possible to provide the ability for IT managers and end-users to wake computers that they own using another computer. By providing a facility to turn computers on remotely, it becomes possible to ask people to turn their computers to low power states more often. For instance, many organisations will ask their staff to leave their computers on so that the a backup service can access the hard drive and create a copy of files. If computers can be woken up by the backup service then users can switch them off without disrupting this essential activity. This same logic applies to other services that may need access to a computer more regularly e.g. services that install software updates, anti-virus checking and so on. |
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| == Automatic power management == Most desktop computers can be configured to move into low power states after a defined period of inactivity. Most operating systems can move a computer in S3 (often called "sleep" or "standby" ) or S4 ("hibernate"). Unfortunately computers may move into low power state when a process is running 1. Once in a low power state computers may not respond to being turned on remotely * Automatically putting a computer into S3, S4 or S5 power states * Issues * when in standby computers cannot easily be switched off automatically * computers don't wake from S3 or S4 reliably * don't want to interrupt services that may be running in background * Enable end-users to configure power management * Distribute power management setting centrally == Remote power management == === Switching computers on remotely === ==== Wake-on-LAN ==== * Introductory text * ["lcict:wol"] ==== VPro ==== * http://www.intel.com/technology/vpro/index.htm === Switching computers off remotely === 1. How to turn computer off remotely = Support = = More efficient working practices = create matrix of: (1) practice/ activity description (2) measure of how much energy will be saved (3) who the practice is relevant to * switching monitor off will prevent it turning on when accessing computer remotely |
=== Case study: University of Oxford === The University of Oxford developed a wake-on-LAN infrastructure that enables IT officers, end-users and 3rd party software to wake computers remotely. ["lcict:wol"] |
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| * implement power management * |
== Configuring computers to move into low power states automatically == |
This page is under construction!
A single desktop computer will consume approximately £75 of electricity per year if they are left on all the time. If they are put in a low power state when not in use this cost is likely to fall to £15 for the majority of users (insert ref.).This figure extrapolated to all the estimated 720 000 computers in UK Universities equates to an annual saving of around £40 million. There are a wide range of assumptions in these headline figures so each organisation is advised to gather information about computer usage patterns, computer power consumption and electricity prices.
Any organisation that wants to reduce the carbon footprint and financial cost associated with its desktop computing infrastructure will recognise at least some of the following problems:
- Users need to leave their computer on for at least one day a week so that a central backup service can make a copy of files overnight
- Computers are left on all the time in case there is the need to install software updates or security patches
- Users leave their computer of all the time so that they can use it remotely to for instance retrieve a file while at a conference
- Computers are left on so that people do not have to wait for it to start up or boot
- Desktop computers are used as a web server or file store
- Desktop computer is used to keep another computer on ("keep alives")
- Computer is used to constantly filter emails so that email folders are organised when accessing an inbox via the web
- Spare computing capacity is used by computer modelling projects e.g. SETI, climateprediction.net and GRID experiments in general
- Standby (S3) and hibernate (S4) power saving modes cannot be implemented reliably
Many of these reasons mean that computers are being left on 'just in case' they are needed which means inevitably that there is likely to be extensive periods of time that computers are consuming electricity without doing useful work. Tools can be provided for IT managers and end-users that support the objective of minimising this wasted energy but organisations will also have to make decisions on whether practices need to change to save CO2 emissions and money.
Tools and techniques
Enabling users to wake computers up remotely
It is possible to provide the ability for IT managers and end-users to wake computers that they own using another computer. By providing a facility to turn computers on remotely, it becomes possible to ask people to turn their computers to low power states more often. For instance, many organisations will ask their staff to leave their computers on so that the a backup service can access the hard drive and create a copy of files. If computers can be woken up by the backup service then users can switch them off without disrupting this essential activity. This same logic applies to other services that may need access to a computer more regularly e.g. services that install software updates, anti-virus checking and so on.
Case study: University of Oxford
The University of Oxford developed a wake-on-LAN infrastructure that enables IT officers, end-users and 3rd party software to wake computers remotely. ["lcict:wol"]