[K12OSN] LTSP server with 3 NICs?

Fri Dec 19 18:12:11 UTC 2008

This is exactly how I did the PPC/x86/SPARC K12LTSP server a while back, 
and yes, it would work wonderfully for your situation.

Basically, you'd need to do this:

1.)  Set up your third NIC for another client subnet (e. g. 
192.168.4.0/24), and hook 'er up to that switch.

2.)  Modify /etc/hosts to include host entries for the 192.168.4.0 
range, just like the ones for 192.168.0.0 are today.

3.)  Create a second DHCP scope in your /etc/dhcpd.conf file.  I just 
copied the info from the first scope, changing "192.168.0" to 
"192.168.4".  Since all the clients are x86 in your case, you don't need 
to change any directory path info (just keep using /opt/ltsp/i386).

4.)  TRIPLE-CHECK THAT YOUR THIRD NIC IS PLUGGED INTO THE RIGHT SWITCH!  
You don't want to be handing out LTSP client addresses to the main LAN.  
That would be bad.

5.)  Restart DHCPD and try booting a client.

And you're right, 802.1q is indeed VLANs, and yes, it would work if you 
had the hardware.  But then you run into a scalability problem.  I'm 
assuming that the interfaces on your server are Gig-E or lower (Ten 
Gig-E is still very expensive).  Thus, it's not too hard to put enough 
clients on a LAN segment to saturate that Gig-E line.  Fifteen 
simultaneous TuxType sessions will do it, as would anything else with 
lots of screen updates (e. g. video streaming or ChildsPlay).  Using 
that second NIC will give you the bandwidth needed to support that 
second set of clients in the other room.

Note that this is not channel-bonding.  This is just good ol' fashioned 
separate interfaces on separate broadcast domains.  There doesn't seem 
to be any need to channel-bond here.

--TP
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Joseph Bishay wrote:
> Hello,
>
> 802.1q, or as I understand it -- VLANS -- would also do the same idea
> so to speak.  The issue is the hardware.  We don't have anything that
> is capable of doing VLANS.  I thought since this isn't the case of a
> large single network that I'm trying to break up into two smaller
> virtual networks, but rather two distinct rooms that are coming
> together, I could use the 2 NICs to resolve it?
>
> Joseph
>
> On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 8:20 AM, Paul VanGundy
> <pvangundy at bradfordnetworks.com> wrote:
>   
>> Joseph,
>>
>> Would 802.1q be a better solution instead of having two cards to
>> separate two environments and a third NIC to act as your access to the
>> outside world?
>>
>> /paul
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 12:30 AM, Joseph Bishay <joseph.bishay at gmail.com> wrote:
>>     
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> How are you? I hope you are all doing well.
>>>
>>> I figure after lurking for a while it was time to get all my questions out. :)
>>>
>>> It ends up that our new LTSP network has two groups of clients
>>> (currently existing LTSP room A and a new room of thin clients in room
>>> B).  Each room has a switch.  There are 2 cables that then run from
>>> room A and B to a common server room where the LTSP server is.
>>> Originally the LTSP server was in room A serving only that room.
>>>
>>> Our LTSP server has 3 network cards.  Currently one of those cards is
>>> not active.  The second NIC plugs into the switch for the thin clients
>>> and the last NIC plugs into the router for Internet access.
>>>
>>> How do I activate that 3rd NIC card as a second thin client card?
>>> That way NIC A serves room A and NIC B serves room B and NIC C access
>>> the internet for room A & B?
>>>
>>> I wasn't able to search for this because I didn't know what this
>>> process was called -- I didn't think it was network bonding.
>>>
>>> Thank you.
>>> Joseph
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>       
>>
>> --
>> Paul VanGundy
>> Senior Network Engineer
>> BRADFORD NETWORKS
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>
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