Scheduled Re-Boot Possible?

[DSutcliffe]

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help configure a server to automatically re-boot on a daily or every other daily basis.

I could possible use the AT command but I will need to create a batch file that contains the shut down command and I don't know what that might be.

If anyone knows how to install the Windows Task Scheduler, that would also be acceptable as I believe one of the template tasks is to reboot the server.

Any help would be appreciated.

Check out my rig:
<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737</A>

 

[NickM]

Not suggesting a solution, just asking for clarity:
with autologon enabled, you mean?
What's the purpose for that?

 

[DSutcliffe]

For clarity's sake:

I have a PII 300 on a BX motherboard for a fax server that I built a couple years ago.

I am using 2 different Brook-Trout cards (about $3,000 USD apiece). One 4 channel DID card for receiving faxes and one 4 channel loop-start card for sending faxes.

There has always been an issue with the DID channels getting "locked up" in a negotiating state and re-booting has always brought the channels back to normal.

I used to only need to re-boot once every 3 weeks at the beginning but now it is an almost daily basis.

If the server could re-boot itself every night, I would not have an issue. Rebuilding the server is not an option at this time as I am missing some key software components to get the fax server up and running again on a newly installed OS.

If you need more info, let me know. I just want to restart on a regular basis without input from my end.

I do not need an autologon as the services for faxing start automatically without anyone being logged on at all.

Check out my rig:
<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737</A>

 

[hypnotic_kumquat]

There's a shutdown.exe in the Resource Kit you can use. Schedule it via AT. Check the switches out, one forces all apps to terminate, another restarts...

FYI - You can install Task Scheduler for NT4. (At least I could find it on MS's website about a year ago.) The version I used was pretty buggy, so I would recommend against it unless there's a newer version of it out there now.

"Let's take the warning labels off everything and let natural selection clean the gene pool!"

 

[Lucol]

Just out of curiosity, what fax server software are you using. Where I work, we sell and distribute these kinds of solutions, and we've never encountered that kind of problem with the Brooktrout boards.

 

[DSutcliffe]

I am using FACSys v 4.7.

I know the board is the issue, it is a refurb of a board that was bad. We sent it to BrookTrout when it was still under warranty but that warranty ran out a couple years ago now.

Check out my rig:
<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737</A>

 

[Lucol]

Good software. That's what we use and sell. Anyhow, so I take it restarting the FACSys Device Manager doesn't fix it either, because 4.7 has a "work around" for another problem that restarts the Device Manager service around midnight each night. Give it a try maybe if you haven't already. Using FACSys Administrator, under server properties under the Alerts Tab, you should see a "Restart Server Services as needed" or something of that nature. Just select this and the service will restart by itself at night around midnight.

 

[DSutcliffe]

Re-starting the facsys device manager fixes the issue for about a month's worth of channel lock-ups, then I just get errors and must reboot anyway.

Anyway, I found the shutdown.exe on the resource kit and I am using it with a batch file and the AT command. It works great. Shuts down every night at midnight and no more locking channel issues.

I am curious how much you guys charge for your faxing solutions as I regularily build fax servers for work and figured I could make 5-7 thousand dollars per server if I sold them to other companies.

Thanks in advance.

Check out my rig:
<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=3737</A>

 

[Lucol]

We charge about 5k (Server not included) for a 10 license FACSys server with a Brooktrout P2L. It's usually higher because our clients want us to automate fax sending with some of their apps and stuff like that, and they usually want some sort of training, well, it can go up from there. We also usually sell it with other products, like FileNet Panagon Content Services, but we have sold it just by itself, though the profit's aren't nearly as high, so our sales aren't that determined to just sell this as a standalone solution. Anyhow, it sounds like a good idea, you could definitely make some good money with it.