[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: Wednesday, January 31, 2001 10:21 AM
> To: linux-help@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [linux-help] Re: Minimum requirements
>
> >I'm assuming this application is running on the workstation, and
> one of them
> >crashes?
>
> The program is installed on the server, so it is system wide, and runs on
> the  workstations.  It locks up every so often and corrupts data.

Yes, but the actual application runs runs on the workstations? Or is it a
DBMS system, where the transaction processing is done by the server.
Assuming it's the former, does any one workstation have more trouble than
others?  It could be that one station is crashing and bringing down the
application.

> >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.
>
> I am not up to speed on network terminology.  What is the difference
> between a switch and a hub.  The network currently is connected with a 12
> port hub.

The simple answer is that a hub is a shared enviroment, much like a party
line phone system was. Any traffic on the wire is sent to all stations, and
each decides if it is meant for them. If there is a lot of traffic,
collisions occur, with timeouts and retransmission.  A switch segregates
traffic, so if box 1 wants to talk to box 4 it doesn't interfere with the
traffic going to box 2,3,5,etc. Switches employ a store and forward
arrangement, so when packets are coming to station 1 from both station 4 and
3, the switch will buffer the packets from 4 while 3 talks, and buffer from
3 while 4 talks. There is, of course, a limit to how much the switch can
buffer, but a sufficiently fast server can carry on several conversations at
once without collisions and retransmits happening.  IIRC, a server can have
several network interfaces connected to a switch, and different workstations
could be switched to different interfaces.

That's my understanding in a nutshell.  Someone can correct me if I've
gotten any of the details wrong.

--dwh

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




-- This is the linux-help@xxxxxxxxx list.  To unsubscribe,
visit http://tmp2.complete.org/cgi-bin/listargate-aclug.cgi