[K12OSN] Minimum Server Config

[Calvin Park]

Well, the system we use for ~20 terminals is,

IBM eServer Xseries 306
3.0Ghz Pentium 4
2Gigs RAM (we are seriously considering going to 4Gigs though, since we use
KDE and not iceWM or some such)
80GB SATA HDD
It has dual integrated Gigabit ethernet adapters

It works really well for us. I'd imagine you might get away with a little
less RAM. The price tag for the server itself is $1150.00, you'll spend
about $100.00 on a 160Gig SATA drive, and depending on how much RAM you want
any where from $50 on up.

http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=-8
40&productId=8705221&storeId=1&langId=-1&dualCurrId=73&categoryId=2588410
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144415
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820141508

Those are links to some relevant hardward vendors. I'm guessing we're
talking $1500.00 after it's all said and done, maybe a little more. So, it
might still be a bit steep. But I'd also say that for only 10 stations you
could probably get away with something like,

1.8Ghz Athlon
1-1.5 Gigs RAM
80GB IDE HDD
10/100Mbps NICs

Now, others who have set up more systems then I have (I've only done about 5
or 6) may point out clear flaws in my thoughts. :)

-Calvin

-----Original Message-----
From: k12osn-bounces at redhat.com [mailto:k12osn-bounces at redhat.com]On
Behalf Of Henry Hartley
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 3:05 PM
To: Support list for opensource software in schools.
Subject: [K12OSN] Minimum Server Config



I've been asked to design a small computer lab for a non-profit in St.
Vincent.  I'd like to deliver a reasonable LTSP lab but my budget is
currently exactly zero.  Getting donations of virtually any number of
adequate thin client machines is not a problem.  We'll probably end up
soliciting funds for the server and I want to recommend as low-end a
machine as I can get away with.  I don't want to scare them away with a
$3,000 price tag.  We can always do more if we raise more but we need to
start very small.  I'm expecting to need to power only about 10
workstations and I think we can live with the system being on the slow
side, as long as it doesn't lock up for five or ten minutes at a time.

I understand that RAM is probably more important here than CPU speed.
Is AMD going to save me anything over Intel?  Assuming I cannot afford
SCSI drives, would it make sense to get multiple IDE drives and do RAID
in some form or just live with standard IDE drives?  Would a fast PIII
give me better cost/performance as compared to a P4?  I appreciate any
and all advice you can give.  Anyone willing to spec out a machine in
detail earns extra points.

--
Henry

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