[K12OSN] Performance Issue

[Liam Marshall]

I administer a network at a K-12 school in Winnipeg Manitoba.  I also teach
grades 9-12 computer classes, while other teachers use the lab for their
classes.

 

I am currently running K12LTSP (ver 4.4.1 I believe) on a dual xeon 3.06 MHz
computer with 4-80 Gb SATA drives configured on a megaraid-4 controller raid
1+0.  2 nics, and 1 is even a gigabyte nic, but all the switches involved in
my network are 10/100, so it is not being utilized   

 

All applications are run from this one server, except I have a stand alone
box that does nothing except host our school’s mail.  Currently connecting
35 thin clients which run a variety of applications the most important of
which are StarOffice 7 applications, Firefox for surfing/research/ etc, and
NetBeans 3.6 IDE for java programming, and KTOUCH.  Elementary classes use
such things as TuxPaint, TuxType.

 

When I teach, I frequently run into situations where the kids are
doing/accessing the same thing at virtually the same time.  For example,
they might all try to start StarOffice Text at more or less the same time.
Regardless of the app, near simultaneous execution of the program bogs down
network.  Once in, most apps perform well enough, some notable ones do not,
like NetBeans. (it is fine with 5-10 but a pig when 20 use it at the same
time.)  And at the end of any class, when 30 ish users all try to log out,
the log out process itself is quite slow.

 

I am looking for ways to increase speed/traffic throughput.  This is what I
plan to do.  Please tell me if I am on the right track.

 

Run DSL modem into a 8 port 10/100/1000 switch.

Plug a Linksys router into switch to grab the outside IP.  Plug the slower
10/100 nic from the server into the Linksys router (internet is limited
anyway, so a gigabyte connection would be wasted, right)

Run the gigabyte nic from the server into the gigabyte switch.

Upgrade my lab switches to 10/100 ‘s but with Gigabyte backbones, which I
will use to connect them to the Gigabyte switch

Any expansion in the school will use switches with gigabyte backbones to
connect to the main, all gigabyte switch

 

I planned to do this because from my reading of this list, and others, I had
gathered/assumed that this would have a significant positive impact on
speed/throughput.  But today I talked to someone who told me that this won’t
help all that much because my biggest problem/bottleneck is not the lack of
a Gigabyte backbone, but is the hard drive accessbottleneck on the server

 

 The solution I was planning above is far less expensive than say adding a
few more servers to do clustering.  I have the ok for the Gigabyte solution,
but doubt I would get the funds for the clustering option, or have the space
currently, to host the extra boxes.  (space is that tight!) Will my plan
help at all?  Or am I wasting time/money.

 

Please advice.  Advice/opinions are welcome

__________________________________________

I am Homer of Borg.  You will be assimilated.

Resistance is fut......Hmmmm....DONUTS!

 


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