[K12OSN] Splitting the load (ie, oo.org server)

[Petre Scheie]

I don't think there's a formal how-to anywhere about splitting the load by using 
app servers.  I believe the folks in Largo, FL use rsh run each application on 
its own server, with the terminal server just providing the desktop/windowing 
environment, such that they get a couple hundred users on a two terminal 
servers, averaging about 15MB of memory per user (and I think that was with KDE).

I would vote for the separate servers for specific applications route, as I 
think it will scale up better in the long run.  It also makes maintenance easier 
in that if you have to down a server it only affects one application (and maybe 
not even that if you built a temporary stand in for it) rather than a whole 
bunch of users.

Petre

Shawn Powers wrote:
> Is there anywhere that how exactly to "split the load" is documented?  In my 
> latest meeting about implementing LTSP, the decision has been to have the 
> entire district running thin clients.  (this means I get to upgrade our 
> entire LAN to gig backbone, which is cool)  Anyway, to service 150ish 
> clients, I'll need to break up the load significantly.
> 
> Is it documented how to divide what clients boot from what server?  Or how to 
> do the SSH forwarding to get a "mozilla" server and a "ooo" server?  I'm not 
> really interested in dynamically picking a server, but rather, just saying 
> LAB-A boots from SERVER-1 and LAB-B boots from SERVER-2 -- even though they 
> are all in the same LAN.
> 
> Also, which method is better?  Separate servers for specific applications, or 
> separate servers for groups of clients (each server running everything)?
> 
> I assume a central DHCP server could delegate these things to each client -- 
> am I right?  If so, how?  Where do I look to find this out?
> 
> Thanks to all,
> -Shawn
>