[mythtv-users] raid array spin down possible?

[Ian Clark]

On 27 September 2011 10:56, digid myth <digidmyth at gmail.com> wrote:
[snip good advice]
>  If your drives are getting too hot when they are running
> then you need to find some way to cool them down!!!!!!! Heat will destroy
> the drives.

Whilst you don't want your drives overheating, I wouldn't worry too
much about them becoming too hot, most drives are comfortable
operating with temps that many people would consider too high.

Just had a quick look at the datasheet for the Hitachi 2T drives I
use[1], they have an operating ambient temp range of  5 to 60 degrees
C, which is fairly wide. I'd be suprised if your case temp gets any
close to 60 degrees. (Hot water from my hot tap tops out around 55 and
I can't put my hand under that for long.)

Also, there's some evidence to suggest that higher temps aren't as
important in drive failure rates as often thought.[2]

I wonder how much energy would be saved if the worlds datacenters just
operated a few degrees hotter. (and stopped cooling dead underfloor
space, but that's another issue.)

Cheers,

Ian

[1] http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/labs.google.com/en//papers/disk_failures.pdf
[2] http://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/labs.google.com/en//papers/disk_failures.pdf