Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!boulder!pikes!udenva!bshafer
From: bshafer@udenva.cair.du.edu (Bob Shafer)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.nfs
Subject: Server hardware/software query
Message-ID: <11677@duorion.cair.du.edu>
Date: 12 May 89 20:48:07 GMT
Reply-To: bshafer@du.edu (Bob Shafer)
Distribution: usa
Organization: U of Denver
Lines: 110

We  are  looking  at  the  possibility  of using NFS for software
distribution to networked PC's in student  labs in  a building on
our campus and have a few questions.

The  software  we  wish  to  distribute  are  things  such as the
executables for WordPerfect, a spreadsheet and maybe Turbo Pascal
and/or C.

For the most part, students will carry around diskettes for their
data.

Each of  the workstations  shares a  dot matrix  printer with one
other workstation.

There will be ~60 IBM PS/2 Model 30286 systems distributed over
3 labs  on a  single logical  ethernet.  There will be a few more
powerful workstations on the  same network  (Sun's, VAXStation's,
etc.) as  well as  a Pyramid 90X.  The ethernet will also be tied
to the campus backbone with a router or bridge of some sort.

So the network will typically get  a  bunch  of  activity  at the
beginning of a lab  (while students load executables) followed by
very little activity for the rest of the time.

Our concerns are:

Server hardware/software:

Options:

     1)   We have a spare uVAX II sitting around.   We  could run
          Ultrix 3.0  with NFS  or Mt.  Xinu (BSD4.3 with NFS) on
          this system and use it as a dedicated server.   We need
          some more  memory and  disk so  it might run as much as
          $6000 to upgrade this system.

     2)   We might be able to shake loose an IBM RT  model 125 or
          135 with  plenty of  memory and disk.  The problem here
          is  the  operating  system  software.    AIX  2.2.1  is
          immature  and  AOS  (IBM's  BSD  4.3) is not a complete
          implementation of 4.3.  Both  have  NFS.    We  have no
          experience with NFS on AIX.  Our experience with NFS on
          AOS seems to indicate that  it  is  based  on  an older
          version of NFS.

          With IBM's  strong commitment  to AIX,  AIX is probably
          the way to go.  But only after  the software  matures a
          bit.   That may  be too late for this project.  We want
          things in, working and stable the  middle to  late part
          of this summer.

          Another possibility  is to  use AIX  access in place of
          NFS - the problem  with  this  is  that  it  is  not as
          generic a solution as NFS.

          And while there will be no additional cost I might find
          it difficult to pry  loose the  fingers of  the systems
          person  that  works  on  it  so  we  can move it to the
          building.

     3)   Use the Pyramid.  The problem  here is  that the system
          could not  be dedicated to server use only.  It is used
          for crunching upon occasion  and both  the cruncher and
          the  people  on  workstations  would  suffer  a  bit in
          performance.  Though it  might  be  okay  to  use  as a
          backup server.

     4)   Buy two  fast 80386 systems to use as servers.  This is
          new territory for us and I  have no  idea what software
          to  run  on  them.    I  know  there is some NFS server
          software from FTP and  I have  heard a  PD or shareware
          version called SOS.  I do not know anything about them.
          I am sure there are other commercial versions as well.

     5)   Buy something else (such as a  Sun) as  a server.   The
          problem here is that we have a limited budget and would
          like to solve the problem (for now) in  as economical a
          method as possible.

So our questions are:

What server  hardware/software combination is both cost effective
and capable of doing the job (i.e. does  the uVAX  II have enough
horses to serve this number of workstations, etc)?

What other  software is  out there  (and how  good is it), either
commercial or PD, for an 80386  server  solution  (if  that  is a
reasonable thing to do)?

Comments regarding experiences with server software would also be
appreciated.  We would particularly be interested if there is an
implementation or an add-on that would allow the system to track
number of copies of executable that  are checked  out and prevent
a  user  from  checking  a  copy  out  if  it  exceeds the number
licensed.

Client software:

Mostly: What PC client software is the best (read easiest to use,
leaves  the   most  memory   for  user  applications,  reasonably
efficient, etc.)?  Are there any PD or  shareware implementations
of client software (good or bad)?

Thanks,

Bob Shafer

bshafer@du.edu
bshafer@ducair.bitnet
ncar!dunike!bshafer