Re: [K12OSN] More or less servers?

[Jim Hays <haysja sages us>]

If all you have is about 30 computers, I would go with one central server.  It
would me much easier to manage.  You should be able to get a server for this for
about $3000.  

Putting a server in each classroom doesn't buy you much in this situation.  You
could just put Linux on the computers themselves (to get rid of MS).  The idea
it to leverage the power of the server to make the older computers run better. 
Running a single server with more power would make more sense to me.

I am running 35 computers in a term server situation on a single server and it
works very well.

I wouldn't consider a second server until I got over 50 clients.


Quoting Barry Solof <barry yellowdog com>:

> Hi,
> 
> We've finally been given the go ahead to "try" a K12ltsp system in a 
> local school. The administrators have been turning the project down for 
> two years now because it wasn't Microsoft based.  Now that the school is 
> in dire financial trouble and IBM is advertising linux the 
> administrators are more willing to "look ahead and be progressive". 
> 
> Don't ya love it?
> 
> Anyway, there are about 6 classrooms.  Each room will probably get *one* 
> cat5 cable installed to a central switch as a favor/donation to the 
> school.  It doesn't seem likely we can run a seperate line for every 
> computer or terminal to a central switch.
> 
> With these limitations in mind, what sort of scenario makes more sense:
> 
> a) put one (or two) fast, scsi, ram-heavy costly servers in one location 
> to handle 30+ clients?
> or
> b) put one reasonably quick, ide, ram sufficient cheap server in each 
> classroom (with a cheap switch) for 3 -5 clients?
> 
> The selling point of the one server per room scenario is that the server 
> can easily handle cdroms, usb flash drives, printers, etc.  The floppy 
> access of the clients will be sufficient most of the time but there will 
> always be somebody needing access to a cd burner or zip device.  Putting 
> a server in the classroom makes peripherals a lot simpler in a school 
> that has no computer technician available on a day-to-day basis.
> 
> Finally, if we go with muliple classroom servers, is it ok to use the 
> server as a workstation, too?  Generally the students work consists of 
> word processing and web surfing so the load isn't too great.  However, 
> it is reasonable to expect the load to increase when they figure out how 
> to use things like the gimp.
> 
> Many thanks,
> Barry Solof
> 
> 
> 
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-----------------------------------------
Jim Hays
Technology Director
Monticello CUSD#25
Monticello, IL  61856
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