[K12OSN] LTSP on same network as Windows

Sun Aug 22 19:18:21 UTC 2004

Agreed.

The problem here is when some teacher wants to use an application like 
TuxType or TuxMath, and we get to seeing that 73Mb of used bandwidth per 
workstation (my analysis results are in the archives--mid to late 
January 2004, I think).  I agree that, for apps like OO.o and Web 
surfing, even 10Mb half-duplex is usable; I do this on old PMacs with 
KDE.  However, anything that does a lot of screen updates is going to be 
brutal on 10Mb, possibly even unusable.

Let's see...you're instructing fifteen 3rd or 4th graders with TuxType, 
times 73Mb/sec BW usage.  That comes to 1,095Mb/sec, or just over 1Gb.  
Now I've got to remember that my computer labs have 25 or more stations 
in them.  Yikes!

As always, it depends on your application.  In high schools, I don't see 
this issue mattering as much, more like a business.  In elementary 
schools and some middle schools, though, it could.

--TP

Jim McQuillan wrote:

>guys,  Don't lose sight of the fact that one of the important things to
>think about is "Expected level of performance".
>
>I'm seeing recommendations of gigabit uplinks for more than 10 clients.
>
>I've got 140 thin clients on a single network.  about 60 of those are
>running at 10 mbit/sec, while the rest are running at 100 mbit/sec.
>No gigabit, anywhere on the network.
>
>And...... The performance is fine.  They aren't running fancy multimedia
>apps, but they are doing OpenOffice and Mozilla, and a bunch of Xterms.
>
>Now granted, this is a business installation, and schools are a bit more
>demanding, but it is still amazing how many thin clients you can run
>with fairly modest hardware and networking infrastructure.
>
>If you are in a position where you are starting out with all new
>equipment, then you might as well go for the gigabit network.
>
>But, if cost is really an issue, and you are using existing hardware,
>don't be afraid to just set it up and use it.  The performance will
>likely be adequate.
>
>In most cases, people are plenty happy to have any computers at all,
>even if they aren't the fastest computers available.
>
>Jim McQuillan
>jam at Ltsp.org
>
>
>On Sat, Aug 21, 2004 at 04:52:52PM -0500, Les Mikesell wrote:
>  
>
>>On Sat, 2004-08-21 at 15:04, Yancey B. Jones wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I have installed gigabit switches on each floor with full compliance CAT5E
>>>cable running to the server room. We are looking at about 50-75 thin clients
>>>spread throughout the school. I can add separate switches if necessary, I
>>>just want to make sure that it is necessary before I ask for them. The
>>>entire network will consist of approximately 100 Windows XP Pro clients for
>>>students, 50 Windows clients for teachers/staff, and eventually about 75
>>>thin clients.
>>>      
>>>
>>Gig uplinks from the server and a gig backbone across switches
>>sounds like enough.  The client nics will probably be 100M
>>anyway.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>The thin clients will be in "clusters" of 3-4 and I am planning on using a
>>>5-port 10/100 switch at each "cluster" to reduce the number of cable runs.
>>>      
>>>
>>Still should be OK - at somewhere around 10 clients you might want
>>a switch with a gig uplink.
>>
>>    
>>
>>>We will install one LTSP server at first,
>>>when we reach capacity on that one then we will put a second one in. Will a
>>>need a separate network for each LTSP server or can the be load balanced
>>>somehow?
>>>      
>>>
>>The 'thin client lab' might be the place to drop the 2nd server
>>since it would be convenient to isolate that traffic with a
>>2-NIC setup and separate switch.  Are you going to have a
>>separate server for home directories?  That way they could be
>>samba-shared to the windows clients without additional load on
>>the k12ltsp server and it will make it easy to add the 2nd
>>ltsp server.
>>
>>----
>>  Les Mikesell
>>    les at futuresource.com
>>
>>
>>
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>>    
>>
>
>
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>  
>

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