Hi,

I have got a DELL Server with a Windows 2003 Server platform. Some of my colleagues work beyond the schedule to achieve the daily targetted tasks, but I have to leave earlier than them.

In short, we have a server that needs to be turned ON till all staff leaves and after that there is no one technical who can turn the Server OFF.

What I want is here; I want to put a script or a policy onto the server to make it TURN OFF on the specific Time & Date I assign for it.

Can anyone tell me how to schedule a TURN OFF for this baby "Server"

CHEERS,

Curlyben

I know this may sounds odd, but WHY are you turning this server off every night ??
Servers are designed to be ALWAYS on and not continually restarted.

Ramish

well, yes. it is odd, but not unusual when we talk about servers based in remote areas where electricity does not exist, but need to use Power Generators to stablize the electricity in there.

Anyways, same situation is with me. we are using generators and during the night, we are not allowed to keep the generator ON, so I need to turn OFF the server before the Generator and/or the UPS connected to the server GOES OFF.

Please help!

Scleros

I think your simplest and least costly solution is to train someone or everyone to be technical enough to manually turn the server off.

There is a command-line shutdown command that could possibly be wrapped up in a batch file and scheduled to run automatically with the task scheduler, but I don't think this would be reliable enough for your situation. Windows Servers may occasionally not shut down properly in an orderly fashion without complaining about something and requiring user input.

Additionally, the UPS might include an agent or software that could be installed to shutdown the server when the battery gets depleted. You could perhaps configure it at a high threshold so shutdown is initiated before the battery gets significantly depleted or at all. Oversizing the UPS and configuring power management might also allow the server to run overnight.

A small separate generator just for the server and technology assets is another option.

As Curly alluded to, it is usually significantly less hassle, risk, and sometimes cost to keep servers running. Is the cost of the server failing to boot up one day less than the cost to keep it running?

spewdemon

you can use the "at" command to ad Shutdown /f /s to the windows scheduler. this would rune the shutdown /f /s command at a specific time.

so to force a shutdown at 6 pm everyday

AT 18:00 /EVERY:m,t,w,th,f,s,su shutdown /f /s

hope this helps

FrankZ

Why not put a paper on the wall that says last guy to leave RDP to the server and type in shutdown -t 100 then walk away. That will shut down the server in 100 seconds. Done. No script no nonsense.

Ramish

Thanks, it helped!!! Thanks a billion

Regards;