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Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question



Dear Bill,

----- Message from steelhoof@xxxxxxxxx ---------
    Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:31:50 -0800
    From: Bill Ries-Knight <steelhoof@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question
      To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

as far as web traffic.  I would like to suggest that you use a second Nick and proxy access the internet content through a program like  http://dansguardian.org.  I have had excellent results in the past filtering a school with diversion program of JSO's.  It kept the content tracked and filtered with no issues. 

*** Yes, that's exactly what we do now.  A second Nick and Dansguardian.  Have used it for years and love it.


If you can snag  a separate server to handle just the internet content it would be a better solution.  I can send you a new older Intel P4MB wCPU, dated but healthy if you can get the ram, 2nd NIC, CPU cooler, case and Power supply to build one. firewall.

***That's incredibly generous, Bill!  Actually, we have that, too, so perhaps someone else on the list would need it more.

The LTSP server will need to manage connections and feed the content back to the students.  If you will be providing significant MutiMedia content you WILL find the network bogging dow,  A Gigabit Nic and Router with Gigabit switches feeding it would be advise. 

*** Yes, others have said this, too, so this gave me pause.  However, isn't it true that a the network operates on the lowest common denominator?  If there's a slow NIC on the network, then the network will take that speed?


Most of the content you will deal with, I expect, is likely to not require huge files and such, but the sheer number of connection requests can become overwhelming depending on what you ask them to get during the class sessions.  In general any decent i% system with Maximum ram running in a well ventilated corner should suffice.  I would also suggest that you consider adding on an external 1gb drive to act as a backup repository with good backup solution working overnight.

*** Yes, wize words accepted.  We have the external drive set up, now, because we were backing up to another server that we could just swap into place in the event of failure -- but that box is very old now which is the real reason we got into this.  We thought that while replacing that backup server, we might as well make the older clients useful again, too.


Lemmi know if you need the board.  Too power hungry for my needs and just sitting on a shelf.

*** Thank you again for this incredibly generous offer; I hope someone with greater needs living closer to Stockton will contact you.

Many thanks again,

David
Bill Ries-Knight
stockton.

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 7:03 PM, David Bucknell <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Dear Schoolforgers,

Thanks to all for all these great answers.  The guy buying the box jumped and bought it rather than trying to change the specs, but, in general, it's ok.  Your comments reminded me of the old rule: more RAM is better.   But we're going with the middle estimates first.  Hopefully, we'll be able to report nice performance.  We'll see.  I've done this before, but ten years agao, so I needed an update and the comments have been very useful.  We've been following them up.  The box is already bought; we're going with LTSP for now.  It's a file server on the LAN, of course.  Its use is standard k-12 school, Tim.  It's heavy on the Web and the main thing is usable file sharing via NFS.

Best wishes,

David

----- Message from johndenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------
    Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:03:09 +0700
    From: "j. Tim Denny" <johndenny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question
      To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

David 

I think a more important way to go is to explain what the use of the server will be.    you mention 50 clients..   so please tell us what those clients will access on the server.   Since you say only 25% at a time I can immediately cross out the potential that they are thin clients, yet it still leaves us guessing...   what is the intended use of the server...   

what type of box is this server to be housed in?  will it run 24/7?     etc...


Tim
_________________________________
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Consultant - International Development, Education  and ICT
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On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 13:28, David Bucknell <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Schoolforge,

If you have experience with ltsp, would you comment on the following specs for a new server for a small school (50 clients and another possible 100 laptops ... usually only 25% of those on-line).

DA SPECS:

CPU I5-2400                 3y warranty
MB asus p8z68-v lx      3y
RAM 4GB                     LT
Power Supply 850W      5y
two 500GB HDs 7200RPM
no dvd drive
no graphics card, onboard graphics only

We're asking because this page is a bit old:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToCookEdubuntu/Chapters/HardwareRequirements

Thank you,

David
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http://intknowledge.com
91 Suthisan, Dindaeng, Bangkok 10400
+66(0)84 329 1183 (cell); +66(0)2 693 8144 (Don't dial the zero (0)
outside of Thailand.)

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Bill Ries-Knight
Stockton, CA

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http://intknowledge.com
91 Suthisan, Dindaeng, Bangkok 10400
+66(0)84 329 1183 (cell); +66(0)2 693 8144 (Don't dial the zero (0) outside of Thailand.)



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