[K12OSN] Performance Issue

[David Trask]

You are on the right track....the gig card (serving the apps to the
terminals) needs to come out of the server and go into a gig port on a
switch.....after that you can go 100baseT....at least the data coming from
the server is at full speed.


"Support list for opensource software in schools." <k12osn at redhat.com> on
Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 12:31 AM +0000 wrote:
>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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David N. Trask
Technology Teacher/Director
Vassalboro Community School
dtrask at vcsvikings.org
(207)923-3100