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From: phil@apple.UUCP (Phil Ronzone)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: diskless mac-II A/UX
Message-ID: <6655@apple.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 6-Nov-87 13:39:01 EST
Article-I.D.: apple.6655
Posted: Fri Nov  6 13:39:01 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 8-Nov-87 16:48:55 EST
References: <235@bernina.UUCP> <933@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <6633@apple.UUCP> <5790@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> <33128@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: phil@apple.UUCP (Phil Ronzone)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 37
Keywords: NFS, diskless, A/UX

In article <33128@sun.uucp> chuq@sun.UUCP (Chuq Von Rospach) writes:
>I don't want to get into the good points and bad points of ND (I own three
>"No ND" buttons, personally...) but I do want to point out that Apple
>couldn't port ND if they wanted to, because ND isn't a technology that Sun
>make available to outside parties (unlike NFS, YP, RPC, XDR, and NFS). 
>
>Of course, with SunOS 4.0, ND will be going away, and NFS enhanced so
>that it will take over all the functionality of ND, clean up some of
>the administrative glitches that ND users learn to love, and will
>remove any excuse for Apple to not support diskless machines (hee-hee).
>
Yeah - that's the way I should have phrased it in the first place.
To duplicate ND would not have been worth it given what is coming
down the pike.

However, changing context a bit:

If SUN 3/260 can really only handle 10-12 diskless before sluggishness
overwhelms, then isn't the true cost of those 10-12 diskless workstations
= workstation_cost + 1/10 or 1/12 of 3/260 cost?

And what if a hard disk is much less than 1/10 or 1/12 of a 3/260, and
said hard disk allows 20-24 workstations per server?

I am very interested in the performance and cost tradeoffs in this area
and would like input - it will affect Apple A/UX development priorities.
                          ----
Philip K. Ronzone
A/UX Technical Manager

MAIL:  Philip K. Ronzone
       Apple Computer
       Mail Stop 27AJ
       10500 N. DeAnza Blvd.
       Cupertino, CA  95014

PHONE: (408) 973-2509
UUCP:  ...!{sun,voder,nsc,mtxinu,dual,unisoft}!apple!phil