[K12OSN] 64 bit vs 32 bit K12LTSP

[Dan Visentin]

Our school board has been piloting various thin-client systems with the long term goal of creating a centralized thin-client service to be provided by the WAN to the schools within the board (we recently upgraded the pipeline to the schools to 1GB). 
Does this seem possible?  Can this be done with K12LTSP?

I've been running a 32bit K12LTSP implementation very successfully in my school since Feb 2005.  The server is a dual opteron with 6 GB of RAM, Tyan motherboard with 2x250 GB SATA drives serving 56 clients in two different labs (32 and 24 machines) which
PXE boot through a segregated switch.  The current implementation was readily accepted by staff and students and we run several introductory computer courses in the labs as well as general use by students and teachers.  I'm thinking of rebuilding it with
the latest x86_64 bit implementation to take full advantage of the server hardware but am wondering if I might be creating more problems for myself.  I've learned a great deal but I'm hampered by lack of time to really develop my Linux server skills as I
teach full time and am a department head and maintain the other windows labs in the school.  We run several windows apps through WINE which are required by some courses and the lab must remain functional for the courses which are running in those labs. 
Any thoughts?

btw, it is very difficult to convince the board IT folks (who are MS Windows evangelists) that this solution is better than the Propalms solution which is the direction they seem to be leaning towards.  It's been and continues to be quite the battle and
they insist that the system must authenticate to windows and all student files need to be on a windows file server.  What do you think my chances of success will be?  ;)

Dan Visentin
M. M. Robinson H.S.
"As a computer, I find your faith in technology amusing."

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