SUPERUSER vs NON-SUPERUSER SHUTDOWN OF PDP11/44

[Terry L. Ridder]

	Hello Fellow Wizards;

	I have a request to make of you, but first I will give you
	some background information.

	Background info:

	System Hardware: PDP11/44
			 Cipher dual density tape unit emulating a TS11
			 Controller for tape unit is Emulex TC12
			 4 RL02 disk drives, and DEC controller
			 Qualogy (DSD) DSD440 unit ( dual 8 in floppy unit)
			 2 RK05 units.
			 Console unit is an LA120.

	System Software: UNIX Version 6, with numerous modifications

	Operations:	 The computer is brought up each weekday morning
			 any where from 6:00 am to 7:30 am. The system
			 receives moderate use during the day. The system
			 is shutdown each night by the last superuser
			 leaving for the day. He must do the daily back
			 up (if it is Monday-Thrusday, on Friday a weekly
			 backup is performed.)
			 The system cannot be left on if no one is there
			 to supervise operations.

	Problem:	 There has been an increase in the office size and
			 therefore more users on the system. The office
			 has a variable day, i.e. 
				arrive		leave
				======		=====
				6:00		2:30
				6:30		3:00
				7:00		3:30
				7:30		4:00
				8:00		4:30
				8:30		5:00
				9:00		5:30
				9:30		6:00
				10:00		6:30
				10:30		7:00
				11:00		7:30

			 The new people tend to work late. (6-7:00pm)
			 The present superusers tend to work til 2:30 -
			 5:00pm.
			 
			 The last superuser takes the system down before
			 he leaves, therefore the new people do not have
			 the system available to do work on. BOTTOM LINE
			 THIS DOES NOT MAKE MANAGEMENT HAPPY.

		         My task as System Admin, is to come up with a
			 method whereby the non-superuser user would be
			 able to take the system down and preform the backups.

			 My concerns are as follows:
			 By allowing non-superusers to take the system down, I
			 am afraid that we will be risking system crashes.
			 Someone could take the system down during prime time
			 use.

			 Tape backups will not be done.

			 The system will not be turned off in the proper
			 order. (When I refer to the system being take down
			 I mean that the system is turned off at the key,
			 the key is removed and locked away in a safe. Then
			 the circuit breakers are tripped.)

			 I see no away to prevent the non-superuser from
			 having superuser rights at some point in the 
			 process of taking the system down. I consider this
			 extremely dangerous.
			 
			 The shutdown process is not friendly one bit.
			 You have to change the switch register, numerous
			 times during the process.

			 My REQUEST:
			 Do any of my fellow wizards have any idea as to 
			 how a system can be arranged so that a system 
			 can be taken down by a non-superuser.

			 If not could you send E-mail which I could use
			 in my report as to why we really do not want
			 non-superusers taking the system down.

		I thank you for any and all help.
		
		Terry L. Ridder
		seismo!neurad!bilbo!root

		Presently at the DOD funny farm on Ft. Meade, Maryland
 


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