I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

smb wrote:
> I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
> demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
> inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
> help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

Heh, I couldn't figure this out on my laptop either, and my laptop drive
doesn't have many days left, so whenever I leave it on overnight, I hear
is working every few minutes, for just a brief moment. I suspect its
some kind of log files being written, disk syncing, idunno... oh well.

Also keep in mind that the slocate database gets updated daily (or at
least weekly, I forget) at 4 am. This usually lets me know its time for bed.

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 16:31:44 -0500, smb <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
> demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
> inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
> help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

Been a long time since I read the explanation, something like, file
gets written, some time later 'atime' needs update, that triggers
directory got written, needs 'atime' update, rinse, repeat... Yes?

Search for your issue in context of conserving battery on laptops
by reducing hard disk activity. That's the usual group who care.

Disk spin-up time to satisfy request may take you over acceptable
response latencies? Although longer term everything served might
stay in memory cache automagically for you.

Then you have the log: -- MARK -- to think about

--Grant.

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 16:31:44 -0500, smb wrote:

> I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so.

If you're running a journalled filesystem, it could be that.

--

..

smb wrote:
> On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this.

Well smb the answer is quite simple. Certain authorities view the
connection of servers 24/7 to the net to be indicative of potential
terrorist activity. Using specially crafted code, your server is being
constantly monitored by...certain authorities...to ensure that it
doesn't represent any type of threat.

On 2005-06-06, smb <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
> demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
> inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
> help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

Something is being written to a log file, probably. Sync runs every
few seconds and writes to disk the dirty buffers.

--
e-Harmony.com called the cops after I sent in my personality profile.

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 16:31:44 -0500, smb <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:
> I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
> demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
> inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
> help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

Been a long time since I read the explanation, something like, file
gets written, some time later 'atime' needs update, that triggers
directory got written, needs 'atime' update, rinse, repeat... Yes?

Search for your issue in context of conserving battery on laptops
by reducing hard disk activity. That's the usual group who care.

Disk spin-up time to satisfy request may take you over acceptable
response latencies? Although longer term everything served might
stay in memory cache automagically for you.

Then you have the log: -- MARK -- to think about

--Grant.

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 22:31:44 +0100, smb <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> I have a server than runs 24/7, but much of the time there isn't much
> demand placed on it. I have set the disk to spin down after 20min of
> inactivity, but it never seems to reach this threshold. On closer
> inspection, I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
> so. I can't think what would cause this. Are there any tools that can
> help my trace what is causing this disk activity?

In my case, the disks works every 2 secs. I dont know, since it's a
server, if it has kde or if it's on init 4, but the disk activity stops if
i turn off the KDE Media manager (Control Center/KDE Components/Service
Manager). I'm using KDE 3.4.0.

--
Claudio Silva

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 16:19:16 +0100, "Claudio Silva" <phoenix.power@hotpop.com> wrote:
>
> In my case, the disks works every 2 secs. I dont know, since it's a
> server, if it has kde or if it's on init 4, but the disk activity stops if
> i turn off the KDE Media manager (Control Center/KDE Components/Service
> Manager). I'm using KDE 3.4.0.

Different issue, that's polling for removable media (CDROM). No server.

--Grant.

On Tue, 07 Jun 2005 00:27:06 +0100, Vigil wrote:
> On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 16:31:44 -0500, smb wrote:
>
>> I see the hard disk light flicks on briefly every 5 secs or
>> so.
>
> If you're running a journalled filesystem, it could be that.
>

I don't think that's it, as I've two disks and they are both formatted
with the same filesystem. One spins down just fine.