ADSM-L

Re: TSM and Wake-on-LAN

2006-07-10 16:01:13
Subject: Re: TSM and Wake-on-LAN
From: Richard Sims <rbs AT BU DOT EDU>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:00:11 -0400
On Jul 10, 2006, at 1:49 PM, Michal Mertl wrote:

There is about 20 Windows workstations configured to be backed up
by TSM
server during the night. The users often turn them off when leaving
the
office and backup thus fails (the server can't contact them). If
TSM (or
some 3rd party application executed by pre-backup script or something)
sent WOL packets to the workstations and they were correctly
configured
the backup will succeed.

Michal - Thanks for the additional info, for us to evaluate the essence
         of the scenario.

Based upon my experience in the industry, I think it's a Bad Idea to
have shut down computers come to life in the middle of the night, for
several reasons.  The first and most apparent is security -
particularly with Windows systems.  There have been many occasions
where viruses and worms have introduced overnight: literally.
Picture the scenario where an office shuts down at 5 pm, turning off
their Windows PCs.  A new Internet mechanism for attacking Windows
PCs is implemented starting at 8 pm.  These office PCs come to life
at 1 am and are almost immediately hit - before the backups get a
chance to get started.  Not only are the PCs corrupted when staff
arrives the next morning, but there is no chance of recovering recent
data.  I can't imagine any Security Department being happy with WOL.
Where offices are unattended, PCs should be turned off for the day,
providing the opportunity for support personnel to act on security
alerts before PCs are turned on the next day.

Another issue is safety.  Computers and their peripherals are
connected to substantial electrical energy sources, and generate
heat.  Imagine some custodial staff or movers coming into the vacated
office area to do some work, where they push things around or pile
material on top of "turned off" equipment.  That equipment comes on
and, after a while, overheats.  Lots of opportunity for calamity there.

What would make more sense is for the office PCs to be equipped with
software which will perform a set of day-end housekeeping tasks, and
then shut down.  One of those tasks would be backup.  I'm not a
Windows expert, but software of that nature must be out there.

   Richard Sims

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>