Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question

[David Bucknell <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Dean,

Thanks for this thoughtful suggestion.  I have noticed several others going the same direction you chose.  I believe I've noticed one of your compatriots on the list doing the same.  I will look into it more.  For now, we are focused on revitalizing the old machines and putting money into the server-only; hence the LTSP choice.    

Do you think that's wrong?

 My own experience has been that we just couldn't diskless clients to go
 fast enough for our patience with even a very cut down desktop and as 
much RAM as we could afford.   Still, this does not mean we did it right.

Best wishes,

David

 ----- Message from dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx ---------
    Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:54:00 -0800 (PST)
    From: Dean Montgomery <dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 Subject: Re: [school-discuss] ltsp server specs question
      To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
 
> 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
>> 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.)
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>> This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
>>
>> ###
>> To unsubscribe from the schoolforge-discuss mailing list:
>> Send an e-mail message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with no subject
>> and a body of "unsubscribe schoolforge-discuss"
>
> --
> Dean Montgomery
> Network Support Tech./Programmer
> http://dmonty.blogs.sd73.bc.ca/
> dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx
> School District #73
>
> ###
> To unsubscribe from the schoolforge-discuss mailing list:
> Send an e-mail message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with no subject
> and a body of "unsubscribe schoolforge-discuss"
>
 
 
----- End message from dmonty@xxxxxxxxxx -----

--
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.)

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.