Off topic - Slow batch processing

[Rob Poe]

>
> Many diagnostics were run and metrics were gathered.  For some
 >reason, the CPU would spike about 30 minutes after everybody left for 
>the day, and wouldn't drop again until the first people came back the 
>next morning.  Oddly enough, it seemed to exhibit this behaviour ALL 
>day on Sunday as well!
>
> Has anybody guessed what it is yet?  :)  That's right - it was the 
>Windows "pipes" screensaver.  Somebody had turned on the maximum 
>number of joints, colours, and pipes; and it ate all of the CPU power just
> to render the graphics when nobody was around.

Had that exact thing happen.  Delivered a "high end" (486-66) server to a client.  They put it in but were complaining of slowness.  When you'd go up to it and do a directory list, it was extremely fast.  The computer next to it was ok.  You'd get downstairs it would be fast, for a minute or two longer, then it would slow down.  We'd get upstairs, cancel the screen saver, check the server, all was OK.

I was just a snot nosed kid (so to speak) but I suggested to them it was the screensaver - to which the not-so-snot nosed guys told me it wasn't (and couldn't be).