Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ukma!gatech!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Re: Request for Opinions, LAN vs MULTI-USER Summary: This decision is a trade off; many factors need consideration Message-ID: <2977@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Date: 20 Feb 89 19:59:44 GMT References: Reply-To: karl@ddsw1.UUCP (Karl Denninger) Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc., Mundelein, IL Lines: 92 I was going to mail this, but then realized that there have to be others out there that can use this kind of advice. Of course, it's worth what you pay for it coming off the net :-) In article jc58+@andrew.cmu.edu (Johnny J. Chin) writes: >Fellow readers: > >First, I'd like to make it clear that what I state here are strictly my own >opinion. Please DO NOT flame or gripe about it. > >In general, if you are going to have a lot of users, you will probably be >better off with a LAN. Unless you're going to pay the bill for that LAN...... (no smiley folks!) Think local area network with reasonable performance. This means an AT on every desk, with some form of (small) local fixed disk to get reasonable speed on most of the I/O (system programs). Assuming $1200 per AT, you get: o $1200 (AT compatible) o $200 (Fixed disk for the AT, 20MB) o $250 (Adapter board, WD Ethernet, for the AT) This brings your cost per station, independant of cable factors, to nearly $1700 per station, and you haven't purchased a server yet! Let's take a small network: 10 stations @ 1700 per 17,000 1 Big File Server (300MB or so) 10,000 ------ 27,000 Each additional station adds $1700 to the cost (OUCH!). Now, Multiuser on the same size setup: o One big fast honking '386 system w/Unix or Xenix $15,000 (This assumes a _DECKED_ machine; 25Mhz, ESDI disk, tape, math processor, etc). o 10 Terminals @ 500 per (WY85 or equivalent) 5,000 ------- $20,000 This leaves you seven thousand dollars to play with to up the performance of that nice Multiuser system! As an example, we could spend the $7k outfitting the Unix machine with Sun River Fiber optic EGA workstations instead of some of the terminals....... and now you have EGA PC capability as well as a nice color display for the Unix programs! Larger systems have similar cost/performance differences. PC Ethernet's biggest limitation is in the I/O channel capability of the present cards. They just don't perform like a VAX on the ether, and trying to make them do so will damage your pocketbook real quick! Now, this assumes a typical workload (office-type work). If you already own the PC's, then the entire situation changes (since you already _have_ the expensive parts). In that situation it may be less expensive to go with the LAN. Note that the LAN system generally doesn't come with much in the way of useful software out of the box, while a Unix machine certainly does (mail, communications software, compiler(s), text procesisng, etc). Remember, too, that a DOS-based solution will only give you single-tasking processing. A multiuser solution allows multiple windows or jobs per terminal; both VMS and UNIX machines can do this with relatively little effort....... There is no one "right" answer. Factors such as the three guys who need to run DOS CAD packages tend to make the decision easy -- but when there is no such requirement, the choice tends to come down to a matter of economics. Study your requirements in detail before you make a decision, and consult a professional if you're not sure which way to turn. There's enough money involved in these system installations that a few hundred dollars spent on a pro's time and expertise is well worth the possibly heartburn you may endure if you "roll your own". One quick note: Lots of LAN salesmen sell you a LAN based on the "superior fault tolerance". Well, unless you buy two servers, if you load your LAN like most people (software & especially data goes on the server disks) you're screwed if the server crashes anyways! Don't buy that argument -- both Multiuser and LAN approaches can be single-point failed, and BOTH can have this possibility circumvented (at horrendous additional cost). -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl) Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality solutions at a fair price"