Re: Basic requirements for server

[Peter Eckersley <pde@vmore.org.au>]

On 31 Jan 1999, Tony Langdon wrote:

> 
> It's 31 Jan 99  20:35:09,
> We'll return to billmac@abi.com.au and All's
> discussion of Basic requirements for server
> 
>  bi> Suggested is 4 desktop units from a server. They will connect to the
>  bi> Net = through their link at Carlton and Moreland at their own expense.
> 
>  bi> They have access to some 486 machines and I'm wondering what our tech
>  bi> = team would suggest for the server.
> 
> Depends on how much it is to do.  Any Pentium class machine would
> probably do the job, it doesn't sound like heavy going.  Maybe even a
> fast 486, if X isn't needed for administration.  Good thing about
> Linux... light server load. :)
>
If the server is a pentium with enough RAM on it, you ought to be able to
run netscape and/or gui-based mail clients like xfmail very nicely for all
the clients.  Reliability could be a bit of an issue with servers using
second hand hard disks, though.
 
>  bi> It's not likely that they would increase the number of terminals and
>  bi> if = they did they could upgrade the server at that time. It would need
>  bi> to be = remotely managed.
> 
> Hmm, we may need an admin team, armed with ssh clients. :-)
> 
Agreed.  I believe we now have somebody (Craig from vicnet, I forget the
surname) who is working on setting up some standards for the machines we
install, that will cover things like remote maintainability.  

Interestingly enough, I think I've seen a system that has managed to
encrypt a login using an ordinary telnet client.  I'm just chasing that up
though....

>  bi> I would hope they would write some letters which makes a printer =
>  bi> obligatory, which brings me to how will we obtain printers as anyone =
>  bi> receiving one of our machines will probably want to write a letter.
> 
> That's a good question.  Dot matrix would be easy to obtain, but laser
> and inkjet might be a problem.
> 
There are a reasonable number of old laser printers being thrown out
these days.  Not enough for every student we help out to get one, but
certainly enough for community groups with servers and LANs.

Peter