Shutting down Nextcloud when not in use

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The Basics

  • Nextcloud Server version (e.g., 29.x.x): Nextcloud Hub 9 (30.0.6)
    • replace me
  • Operating system and version (e.g., Ubuntu 24.04):Ubuntu 22.04
    • replace me
  • Web server and version (e.g, Apache 2.4.25): Apache2
    • replace me
  • Reverse proxy and version _(e.g. nginx 1.27.2)
    • replace me
  • PHP version (e.g, 8.3):
    8.3
  • Is this the first time you’ve seen this error? (Yes / No):
    • replace me
  • When did this problem seem to first start?
    • replace me
  • Installation method (e.g. AlO, NCP, Bare Metal/Archive, etc.)
    • replace me
  • Are you using CloudfIare, mod_security, or similar? (Yes / No)
    • replace me

Summary of the issue you are facing:

I am not facing an issue but seek advice.
I am running Nextcloud (box 1) behind a proxy server (box 2) which does a whole bunch of other things. I am also going to try to setup LLM2 (box 3) to work with Nextcloud Assistant’s AI capabilities.
This means 3 separate machines all using electricity, making a noise and depreciating 24/7. Do you experts out there think it would be sensible to shut them all down at night? I don’t use any of them at night and if I am in another time zone I can keep them running while I am away.
If my plan seems sensible, it would be to shut them down with a cron job and then physically start them up in the morning. It would be good if there was a way to start them all up remotely and maybe someone has some ideas about that.

Steps to replicate it (hint: details matter!):

Log entries

Nextcloud

Please provide the log entries from your Nextcloud log that are generated during the time of problem (via the Copy raw option from Administration settings->Logging screen or from your nextcloud.log located in your data directory). Feel free to use a pastebin/gist service if necessary.

PASTE HERE

Web Browser

If the problem is related to the Web interface, open your browser inspector Console and Network tabs while refreshing (reloading) and reproducing the problem. Provide any relevant output/errors here that appear.

PASTE

Web server / Reverse Proxy

The output of your Apache/nginx/system log in /var/log/____:

PASTE HERE

Configuration

Nextcloud

The output of occ config:list system or similar is best, but, if not possible, the contents of your config.php file from /path/to/nextcloud is fine (make sure to remove any identifiable information!):

PASTE HERE

Apps

The output of occ app:list (if possible).

Tips for increasing the likelihood of a response

  • Use the preformatted text formatting option in the editor for all log entries and configuration output.
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2

I think one of the most important factors of running applications at home is the power consumption when not in use. 24/7 is mostly unnecessary. Maybe that’s why cloud solutions have become established on the internet, which of course also cost a lot of electricity.

You may be able to use technologies such as Power over Ethernet (PoE). Alternatively, you can also have the systems shut down automatically at a certain time and switch off the power strip using a timer for 10 minutes, for example, and switch it back on again tomorrow.

These are often just gaming projects at home. Perhaps it makes sense to switch the devices on and off manually. If you consider, for example, that you don’t manage your emails yourself at home either, a Nextcloud account on the Internet for 24/7 data might make sense. This is often available free of charge for smaller amounts of data.

Please note that Nextcloud is a PHP application. If you are not accessing Nextcloud, then only the operating system, the web server process and perhaps CRON in the meantime are running to execute certain Nextcloud actions. An action is only carried out via PHP when it is accessed.

3

I also have a self-hosted server at home and wondered if I should shut it down whenever I’m not actively using it to save electricity. Before making any decisions, though, I decided to do some research and measurements.

1. Measure Actual Power Consumption

  • Wattmeter Usage: If possible, borrow or purchase a simple wattmeter. Connect it to your server (be it a Raspberry Pi, NUC, or any other device running Nextcloud) for a few days.
  • Gather Data: Determine the exact power draw (in watts) over a set period. This way, you can calculate monthly and yearly costs for running it continuously.

2. Compare Costs vs. Convenience

  • Upfront Calculation: With actual data from the wattmeter, you can objectively see if the savings from turning the server off are significant.
  • Availability & Sync: Keep in mind that turning your Nextcloud server off will delay or interrupt synchronizations, backups, and other automated processes (e.g., uploading photos from your phone).
  • Comfort Level: Assess if the trade-off between saving electricity and having 24/7 access to your files is worth it.

3. Evaluate Real-World Impact

  • Low Power Draw?: If your measurements show that the server’s power consumption is relatively low and your electricity costs are not too high, you might find that the savings are minimal.
  • Maintenance & Wear: Repeatedly powering the device on and off may add a bit of wear and tear over time, although modern hardware generally handles this well.

Conclusion

In many cases, once you do the math, the convenience of having Nextcloud always available outweighs the relatively modest savings. However, if your power costs are high or your hardware uses significant energy, powering down when not in use could be a sensible choice.

Good luck with your measurements and decision!

4

I really appreciate this feedback. I think I do need to do some homework i.e. find out exactly how much electricity these two (soon to be three) servers use. Thanks again.

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