Design the perfect Network
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| lderooy Apr 11, 2006 5:25 PM EDT |
I have three network cases that I am looking at and was wondering if fellow readers would like to give their input about systems or configurations. I realize that this is a large topic and maybe it is too large for a discussion board. Case 1: A new university that will be established in Cambodia. Currently there is not a university and the local people are not familiar with computers. They anticipate starting with 300 computers. Case 2: Non-profit organization in Mississippi would like to set up a classroom of computers in a community center to teach the local people about computers. The classroom size would be approx 30 computers. Case 3: Small church or business that has less than 20 computers used in office environment and public access computers. All these cases require some of the following basic network services: Network security – some type of domain configuration Print server File Server -file storage with username based security Web Server -proxy, content filter, firewall Desktop stations -Office Suite of software (word processor, spreadsheet, database, presentation) -email client -web browser All of these cases would also require some sort of remote administration capability since at first they would not have skilled IT staff. Case 3 is the only case where there would be existing knowledge of Microsoft based OS and software. These cases are not “hobby based” systems and therefore would need “quality” applications and a network server system that is “robust”. |
| jdixon Apr 11, 2006 7:36 PM EDT |
Case 2 and case 3 are ideal environments for the Linux Terminal Servier Project (LTSP). See http://www.ltsp.org/ for the details. You have one or more primary servers, and your desktop machines are thin clients. Add another machine to act as your firewall, proxy (squid), and content filter (dansguardian); and you've pretty much got everything covered. |
| grouch May 09, 2006 1:56 PM EDT |
>'These cases are not “hobby based” systems and therefore would need “quality” applications and a network server system that is “robust”.' That leaves out everything by Microsoft. For the fewest headaches, stick with GNU/Linux with possibly some of the BSDs. jdixon's recommendation of LTSP could also fit 'Case 1'. Any 'fat' client computers that you include in any of those networks can also provide services to the other hosts. All of the services and applications you describe are common. Remote administration is likewise common, with implementation ranging from simply using OpenSSH to clicky things like Webmin. Even truly remote hosts can be configured to 'call home' to check for admin tasks that need to be done. (I recall one admin who had newly converted a business to GNU/Linux and was scrambling to update business info on 70 geographically dispersed servers every night by ssh'ing into each in turn to run a bash script he had devised. I asked him why he didn't simply have each server execute a cron job each night to connect to the system from which he did his work and check to see if there was an update for it to execute. After a moment of silence, he answered, "I never thought of that. I'm just not used to systems designed to do what I tell them.") |
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