[linux-help] Re: Minimum requirements

["Dale W Hodge" <dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx [mailto:linux-help-bounce@xxxxxxxxx]On
> Behalf Of Ryan Claycamp
> Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 4:33 PM
> To: linux-help@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [linux-help] Minimum requirements
>
>
>
> My company is running an accounting/parts database program that crashes
> every so often.  I told the manager that it can't be the server
> because it
> has a 120 day uptime.  The program support group sent a list of system
> recommendations and I have a question about one.

I'm assuming this application is running on the workstation, and one of them
crashes?

> CPU speed for server and workstations: Pentium 333 or better
> RAM Workstations: 64 mg or faster (sic) (Double for Win NT)
> RAM Server: 128 mgs or faster (sic)
> Network Card: 100 megabit or faster
> Network configuration: dedicated server
> UTP Cat 5 cable
>
> Does a person really need a 100 Mbit network?  Would this make much of a
> difference?

Unless you are transferring large amounts of data across the wire (ie
running a windows terminal server) I don't think that a 100Mbs adapter would
be very noticable.  Running a switch rather than a simple hub would probably
make more difference.

>
> The workstation is a Pentium 166 MHz running Win NT with 64MB of RAM, so
> that could use so help.  I don't see a need for a 100 Mbit card.  These
> people appear to be worse than Microsoft for system requirements.

Sounds like they subsribe to the sloppy programmers rule: When in doubt,
throw more ram and processor at it.

> Also, on their checklist for success is this entry: Approved operating
> system at each workstation and the server (_True_ Microsoft 98/NT).  I am
> not running an NT server.  My Linux servers are doing just fine and with
> Samba I doubt the workstations even know the difference.  The checklist
> also has opportunistic file-locking disabled on NT file servers and
> write-behind caching disabled.  I disable op-lock in Samba for this
> program's section.  How does one disable write-behind caching in
> Samba?  I
> haven't been able to find that.

I think the only write behind is a function of the file system, and turning
it off would kill performance.  The only reason I could see to have it
turned off would be to prevent file corruption should the system crash --
the server, not the application, as they are talking about running on NT.
(You know, BSOD)

--dwh

---
Dale W Hodge - dwh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Secretary & Website Maintainer - info@xxxxxxxxx
Air Capital Linux User's Group  (ACLUG)
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