Desktop
From greensoda
"Green Windows" is one step toward making Soda green on the inside. We can save close to 100 kw by just configuring all our desktops and laptops so that they drop into standby when they are idle. You probably already have your computer configured to turn off the monitor when it is idle for several minutes. That saves the first 25 watts; a small additional effort will save the other 175.
The challenge is that "idle computer" is not as simple as it seems.
Even when you are not using your computer it is doing lots of things -
scanning for viruses, participating in software udpates, and
responding to departmental security queries. These things all still
need to happen. And, you may be actively using your computer even
though no keys are typed and the mouse does not move, since it may be
streaming audio or video, or downloading files. A fixed schedule is
never quite right either. Nobody can stand a power management tool
that drops your machine into standby when you're actually using it. And, a tool that
leaves the machine on all the time does no good.
After trying out a lot of tools on the market (and contemplating building our own) we have found a power management tool that is both easy to use and powerful enough to meet our diverse needs. It is called AutoShutDownManager from www.enviprot.com. We hope you will join us in running it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or laptop computer.
Simple 3-Step AutoShutDownManager Client
- Start -> Run... -> \\winsww.eecs.berkeley.edu\sww\public\AutoShutdown\Soda
- Double-click on AutoShutDownManager.msi and follow steps to install
- Double-click on netadapter.reg, and click 'Run', 'Yes' and 'OK'. (skip this if using a laptop as your desk machine)
AutoShutDownManager will appear as a green icon on your launch pad. If you open it you will see how much energy you are saving by using it. You will also see its rich set of configuration options if you'd like to specialize your installation.
Contents |
Installation in more detail
- Start -> Run... -> \\winsww.eecs.berkeley.edu\sww\public\AutoShutdown\Soda
- If you are outside of EECS domain, you might need to use VPN - Accept license agreement, and press Next until Close. - Windows .NET Framework will be installed if not already. - If notified that you must install it on your own, double-click on dotnetfx.exe in the same folder. After install is finished, restart computer and proceed.
- Double-click on AutoShutDownManager.msi
- If your firewall program informs you its blocking the program, you will need allow it to unblock it. - The program will start in the taskbar (green icon). There is no need to open it at this time.
- Double-click on netadapter.reg
- click 'Run', 'Yes' and 'OK'. - most laptop machines are already configure to sleep in this manner, so you can skip this step if using a laptop as your desk machine
- Reboot
- Wait at least 10 minutes, before restarting your computer. It is a good idea to reboot eventually, but there is no hurry. It takes a little while for the license server to record the configuration.
- It is running
- AutoShutDownManager will appear as a green icon on your launch pad.
Monitoring your Desktop with ACme
Another GreenSoda project involves monitoring of power consumption. If you have an ACme wireless AC meter and would like to see the real time power consumption of your desktop equipment (or other consumers of electricity) this is a good time to install it. Follow the instructions at ACme.
You can view your power usage any time by going to the ACme Portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I enter power value into AutoShutdownManager.
- Open AutoShutdownManager by double clicking on the icon in the windows notification tray (bottom right). - Click on the "Protocol" tab and enter the power value into "avg. Power Consumption (W)". - Click on "Save Settings" (button on left bottom in red) and you are done!
- Why not just use windows power management?
Windows power management does allow you to turn off the display, spin down the hard drive, and standby the processor after an idle period. But it provides very limited ability to define what constitutes "idle". For most desktop systems, if you set this idle time to more than 2 minutes the machine never goes into standby. But 2 minutes is way too short a time, so it never goes into standby.
- Should I install this on my laptop?
Laptop power consumption is typically lower than that of desktops and the power management tools work better. However, when we use them at our desk we ususally have them connect to a power adapter and "always on". The AutoShutDownManager configuration allows you to harvest idle savings even when it is plugged in. (You will also find that it has some feature that make it do what you want the rest of time, for example to stay active if you are running powerpoint whether you happen to be plugged in or not.) So, Yes, it makes sense to install it on laptops too.
- Can I tell how much I've saved?
The display at the bottom of the AutoShutDownManager window shows an estimate in dollars, electricity (kWh) and carbon emissions (lbs CO2). The Green Soda page shows the real metering of the whole building, so as more of us do more to reduce demand, we will be able to see that needle drop. We will also be putting together an aggregate picture of how much we are saving by this initiative. What the GreenSoda Main Page.
- How does it know how much power my machine uses when active?
It doesn't, but you can help with that. It has constants on the Protocol tab for active power, standby power, and price per kwh. The default configuration sets these to typical values. If you would like to know exactly what your machine uses, you can particpate in our AC metering (ACme) project. See http://acme.cs.berkeley.edu for more details. Or you can locate your configuration in the table below. (If you have a configuration that doesn't appear there, please add it.)
- Is this a "managed" or "stand alone" power management solution?
The same tool can operate in either mode. To simplify installation and maintenance, and to provide collective monitoring, we are running it in managed mode. This is what is typically described as an Enterprise Solution. But most of the Enterprise Solutions expect everybody to be operating exactly according to the IT configuration. The setup we are using reflects our much more decentralized, user-oriented style of system administration.
- Can I set my own personal settings?
Certainly. The configuration provided by the server just provides a convenient starting point. There is a rich set up configuration options provided by the application. You can set them as you like. For example, you may have particular applications that, when running, should prevent your machine from going into standby even if it otherwise is idle. With the application running, go to the Applications tab of the AutoShutdownManager. You'll see the application in the box on the right. Add it to the set of applications that prevent shutdown.
- Why does AutoShutDown Manager ask for a password when I try to open it up?
You can simply press continue and bypass the password screen.
- Can a group of users with similar needs have a specific default configuration?
Yes, this tool supports groups of users, so we could configure administration, instruction and research all differently, for example. We can also use this for test groups.
- How is this tool different from the freeware and commercial products out there?
Most of the tools define idle either in terms of keystrokes, CPU utilization, or schedule. Some let you pick among these. Our experience is that those capabilities are insufficient. The machine goes into standby when you don't want it to and fails to go into standby when you do. AutoShutDown seems to be unique in its a approach. It is ALWAYS trying to drop the machine into standby but it has a rich set of events, any combination of which can keep it active for a little longer. On the Timer tab you can see the reason that it currently isn't in standby.
- Is this going to be used more broadly across campus?
We hope so. We are building up experience with it in smaller groups first.
Typical Desktop Energy Consumption
| System Type | Active Power (kw) | Standby Power (kw) |
|---|---|---|
| Dell Dimension 2400 | 125 | 6 |
| Dell Dimension 3000 | 160 | 6 |
| HP Workstation 4200 | 150 | 3 |
Useful Links
- [1] Enviprot.com produces AutoShutDownManager
