[AccessD] OT: Server Needed

I was reading some threads that suggested that a Linux box might be used as
the server. I have no idea how to configure this. Boxes a-f hit a server
which hitherto has been a winX box. If have read the thread correctly, I can
subst a Linux box for any given server in the farm. Small company, say 4
servers. Can I build server Documents as a Linux box and hit it from the
numerous WinX boxes like they didn't even know it was a Linux server? I tend
to stay at one level, so forgive me if my questions reveal much ignorance.
Could I put a huge number of documents mostly media and DWMX &c. files on a
Linux box and transparently hit them from a local inst of DWMX, say, running
on winXP and having no idea that the server in question is running Mandrake
9.x? Is this true? If so, way cool! And how do I build it?

 

If so, how far can one push this scenario? Could an Access MDB live on a
Linux server and be accessible from x, y and z users on win98, 2K and XP?
I'm not an OS-level guy, hence these questions :-)

 

Arthur

 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-admin at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Drew Wutka
Sent: March 3, 2003 10:20 AM
To: 'accessd at databaseadvisors.com'
Subject: RE: [AccessD] OT: Server Needed

 

Rocky, it is a common misconception that you need a rocking CPU for a
server.  That is absolutely not true.  There are a few 'purposes' of a
server, and not all of them require massive processor speeds, or tons of
memory.

 

1 - File Sharing

2 - Domain Control

3 - Network 'Service' Server (Proxy, Email Server, Web Server, etc).

4 - Server Computing (Hard data crunching)

5 - Server Side databases.

 

You need to realize the real limiting factors on a server.  First is network
bandwidth.  a 100 megabit line is roughly 12 megabytes per second.  That is
not a lot.  It is a fraction of the speed of a typical IDE drive.  If you go
to a gigabit line, then you have a much larger data transfer rate (10x, so
you are talking roughly 120 megabytes per second...which is faster then your
typical IDE drive, but it is still less then a SCSI Raid configuration).
So, if you are just setting up file transfers, then you don't need much of a
machine to do it.  It can have minimal CPU Speed (even Pentium or Pentium
II....though I personally wouldn't go lower then a Pentium III to be on the
safe side), and memory doesn't have to be whopping (256 megs would do).
This is because the file sharing is going to be slower then actual file
usage used locally (do to the pipe the data is going through).  A faster CPU
or more memory isn't going to push the data through faster.

 

Domain Controllers don't need to be whoppers either.  I think we are running
a Pentium II (desktop) for a Primary Domain Controller here.  No problems.
It doesn't have to do all that much as far as processing goes.

 

Network services.  Well, it depends.  We run everything but our mail server
on Pentium III desktops.  (Proxy, web, intranet, etc.).  It all runs fine.
Again, it is going to boil down to the network tunnel involved.  With a
webserver, a common misconception is that you need to have a huge machine to
handle massive transactions.  Absolutely not true.  In a web server, you
have an even smaller pipe (we have a T1 here), so the data is being sent
through an even slower connection.  Now, if you have a lot of Server Side
scripting, where the server is creating pages on the fly, then you do need a
decent CPU, and the more ram you have, the more pages that are 'cached'.
But again, you don't need a Cray.  Email servers can require a bit more
power though.  We use an Exchange Server.  It's got a dual processor, with 2
gigs of RAM.  The real catch is how heavy it is used internally.  (for in
house comms).

 

Server Computing.  This is where the most power is needed.  There are
software packages out there that use server CPU time pretty heavily.  For
example, we have a package called FlowTherm, and FlowStress.  These packages
perform massive heat calculations, over and over and over.  If you run this
software on a server, obviously the more CPU and memory you have the better.

 

Server Side Databases.  You do need power on these.  But again, you are
limitted by your network speed.  However, your processor is going to do a
lot of work independant of the network traffic, so it probably should be
pretty fast, with lots of memory to boot.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software [mailto:bchacc at san.rr.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 12:06 AM
To: AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] OT: Server Needed

Dear List:

 

Excuse the OT please but I know someone will know the answer:

 

I have a client who wants to upgrade the server on his network.  There's
about 10 seats on his network, of which maybe 6 are being used.  Seems to me
that he could use any good, fast P4 box with 1/2 gig of RAM , etc.  Which is
well under $1000 these days from dell, or gateway, with three years on-site.

 

A local, old, fairly reputable company in San Diego - Datel - is quoting him
$1457 for and Intel entry level server with a P4 (speed unknown), 512MB RAM,
80GB HD, with DUAL LAN RAID - whatever that is.  Plus another $775 for "WIN
2000 SVR W/5 CLIENT SP3 OEM-CD".  Plus something between 5 and 10 hours of
installation charged at a price unspecified in the quote.

 

Right now his "server" is an old Win98 box, slow, but effective.

 

My question is, what is the difference between a box that someone like Dell
calls a server and an ordinary computer?  Does he need a server?

 

MTIA,

 

Rocky

 

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