IRIS clusters

[Brent L. Bates AAD/TAB MS361 x42854]

    I recommend that you should NOT go diskLESS.  Have a disk big enough
for all the OS files AND swap space.  We have a file server and diskless
clients.  About 2 months ago, the file server went down for about a month,
which put all our diskless workstations out of commission too.  We are
now in the process of putting disks on ALL the workstations.  Each machine
has all the standard OS files, swap space, and some scratch space.  User
files are on the file server.  That way if the file server goes down we
still have network access and get some work done.  We are also in the
process of considering a second file server.  Half of the user files would
reside on both machines, that way if one server goes down we still have
one server, and important user files on the down machine can be put on the
working server from back up's.  Diskless clients are too costly in the
long run.  We found that out the hard way.
    Hope this helps.
--

	Brent L. Bates
	NASA-Langley Research Center
	M.S. 361
	Hampton, Virginia  23665-5225
	(804) 864-2854
	E-mail: blbates at aero4.larc.nasa.gov or blbates at aero8.larc.nasa.gov