Minimum Server Specs (was Re: [K12OSN] A couple of questions)

[John Simovic]

Hey SHawn, how are you allowing users to use apps form one server to the
next? ssh?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shawn Powers" <spowers at inlandlakes.org>
To: "Support list for opensource software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: Minimum Server Specs (was Re: [K12OSN] A couple of questions)


> I'm home sick today, missed church and everything, so I'll happily
> elaborate on one of the most-asked-hardest-to-answer questions.
>
> The problem is that it depends SO MUCH on what the configuration and use
> of the clients are.  Also, is the /home directory on the server, or
> mounted from another file server.  Also, is everyone on the computers
> doing the same thing (ie, mozilla running 30 times is easier than 15
> different applications running)
>
> I think the RAM rule is to have 50 or 100 MB per client, and 512 for the
> server itself.  That rule may be outdated, and disputed slightly, but
> it's a pretty good rule to go by.
>
> The drive space rule is that if you have more than 8 clients or so, you
> NEED to have a SCSI based /home directory -- preferably in a RAID array.
>
> The CPU rule is that you get as much as you can afford. :)  I don't have
> any real-world track record to go from here.  My first large scale
> deployment will come online in about a month.  I bought (3) Dual Xeon
> 3.2Ghz servers, and I'm running JUST openoffice on one of them, and JUST
> mozilla on one of them.  That's not the "normal" setup -- but I hope it
> will let me grow.
>
> My suggestions, if you're talking about 30 clients -- get 2-3 GB of RAM,
> Gig ethernet, SCSI based /home directory (15,000RPM drives if possible),
> and a dual xeon CPU if you can afford it.  That might be overkill, I
> really don't know.  I always like to err on the side of safety. :)
> You'll also need a switch with a gig uplink port for the server.  You
> really don't want to cut corners there, you need a switch, and it has to
> hook to the server via gigabit.
>
> I know that a PIII 1Ghz with 512MB RAM will happily support 4 clients
> over 100mbit with an IDE drive.  That's about the biggest deployment
> I've had to date. :)   You can be sure I'll report after the school year
> starts as to how my servers are handling it.
>
> Maybe this thread could turn into a "you show me yours I'll show you
> mine" thread, so we can all see what size servers are handling what
> loads how well.  I know there is a spot on the k12ltsp site for case
> studies, but I've never had a chance to post my setups.
>
> Anybody else want to describe their setups?
>
> -Shawn
>
>
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