Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question

[Dean Montgomery <dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx>]

School District 73 found that diskless clients work much better than LTSP.  Server has less load therefore does not have to be as fast/expensive.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diskless_node
* software runs locally on the client which gives you many benefits:
** 3d acceleration
** sound support
** very little load on the server.
** one student cannot bring the server/network to a crawl.


But default all linux computers on the LAN boot into as a full desktop diskless client from the server.

However for older machines, laptops, @home access you create a fallback to thin-client protocols.
It is easy to include thin-LTSP type clients to a diskless system by:

1) on server: make your /nfsroot a virtual machine. (vserver,vmware,openbox etc)
2) on your virtual machine: install/run nxserver or xrdp or xdmcp or vncserver.
3) on remote client: connect to your virtual machine desktop.

* OR *

1) on one diskless client: run nxserver or xrdp or xdmcp or vncserver.
2) on remote client: connect to your diskless client.

This will provide load balancing - by adding more inexpensive disk-less clients to your server pool will allow for future growth.

So having default fat-client-diskless nodes with a fallback to thin-client-nodes allows for less expensive server.


----- "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
> -- 
> http://intknowledge.com
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-- 
Dean Montgomery
Network Support Tech./Programmer
http://dmonty.blogs.sd73.bc.ca/
dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx
School District #73

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