[K12OSN] I need opinions....backup idea for when Terminal server down and I'm not around

[Dave Hopkins]

David Trask wrote:

>This year I'm doing my first totally dedicated thin-client lab....until
>this year we've had the ability to dual boot....WinXP or LTSP....(which we
>used most of the time).  I'm try to decide on a thin-client model such as
>the LTSP Term 150 (I have no more than $279 per unit budgeted....and I
>need 28 or so...I already have monitors and keyboards/mice)  Anyway...two
>dilemmas....I worry about what happens if the Terminal Server fails while
>I'm far away (like at Linux World).  Until now they could boot into
>Windows and still have the class go on (remember I'm a computer teacher as
>well as the tech director and have a full slate of classes...grades K-8
>over the course of a week....I see about 450-600 kids)  When I go to
>dedicated thin-clients...K12LTSP server goes down...they're dead in the
>water.  So....
>
>3.  Buy a mini-ITX barebones like this one
>http://www.caseoutlet.com/shopexd.asp?id=203  (I have one so I know they
>work...though mine has no CD drive) and add a CD drive along with 256 mb
>RAM and make my own LIVE CD from Knoppix or better yet....PCLinuxOS (very
>easy to make your own Live CD with all your own configs in place)....that
>way if the server goes down...just pop in the disc and they can boot into
>a Live CD
>
>Remember, this is my lab I'm mostly worried about....I'm open to all sorts
>of suggestions....my biggest things that are truly important....small size
>and very quiet.  I'm even willing to entertain a unit with a HD and a
>locally loaded version of Linux (for emergencies) if it's VERY quiet
>(fanless or very quiet)...and small.  So....fire away!  I could use some
>ideas, thoughts, and opinions.
>
>
>  
>
David,

NCS has been running a dedicated thin client lab for 2 years now, and 
the server has only gone down hard once (for 1 day).  At present there 
aren't any MS-based PC's on any desks except the front office/staff 
areas (all the teachers use thin clients as well).  We use Casetronic 
mini-itx systems (no floppy, no cdrom, just a single stick of 128Mb 
memory and USB ports) for lab, recycled systems elsewhere.  In an 
emergency, I can flip the thin clients to a second (backup) k12ltsp 
server which exists 'just in case'.  It also does some other things, but 
can pick up the slack in an emergency by switching the cable from the 
failed server to the second NIC and just reboot the clients (have to 
keep some conf files in sync to make this work).  For our setup, the key 
issue has been redundancy/backup solutions. (This is a big reason for 
the new server that is going on-line this fall.)   If you are getting a 
new server for the lab (with redundant power, Raid 1/5 for OS/home + hot 
spare + UPS), it takes alot to take such a system completely down (in my 
experience to date).  The students/teachers just expect that the system 
works at this point without any suprises.

Given my choice, I would choose something fanless, and small footprint 
(we put LCD monitors in the lab).  I would also look at putting a second 
server on-line if your budget allows it.  For the cdroms, we have put 
ISO images on the file server, loopback mounted them, and then just 
access them 'as if' it was the cdrom drive for those that need them.  It 
works, but we haven't had a real need to do anything with MS-based 
software that needs a dedicated cdrom.

Also, I thought you were using rdesktop to access a Win2K server for 
some apps. And don't you also have all those student laptop systems as 
well?  Could they fill in an emergency to connect to some other server?

Sincerely,
Dave Hopkins