#Lantastic hints 4 MF
14 messages in this thread
Martin,
Are you using a deadicated server?
Your network will be much more stable with a deadicated server, because a
workstation crash won't crash the network. With a peer-to-peer layout,
crashing one machine can call several others to lockup.
I have a 386 serving twelve 486 workstations.
Ken ///
No I'm not but it sounds like a good idea.
PMJI, but I though I'd let you know I just had my first post-APATCH
re-boot. ARGHHH!
Re: Kenneth's point, though we have a similar set-up to yours (though a few
more workstations I think) when we bomb its very seldom more than one
workstation at a time. Only times I can recall when the whole networrk
locked was a hardware/cabling problem.
–Noah
Noah:
Funny – today was our day also! When going from the materials editor back
to the keyframer, all we got was the Vibrant install screen and a locked
keyboard! Strange… Although this was the machine that locked for MartinF
twice in one day…
Greg Pyros
Noah,
I just had a post-apatch reboot, yesterday, after about a week of none. I
had been rendering and had built up a large swap file then I tried to save
a project to disk. It crashed in the same way it used to – a complete hard
reboot. Fortunately, I only lost about 15 minutes work. I'm still not
convinced that the controller/disk combination I have is solid, so who
knows.
I can't really set up a dedicated server since I often need to detach a
whole system and take it somewhere with it's large disk drives intact.
Martin
Martin:
Why not just get a diskless 386sx or so (so you won't be tempted to render
on it <g>) and put your big drive on that? That would be your dedicated
server, and you could take it wherever and still be able to work?
Another preference is for turning it into an external disk, with power
supply, box, etc., so you could just take that? SCSI is wonderful that way!
Greg
Greg,
I tried the external box idea for a while and, although it worked, it was a
bit cumbersome so I ended up putting the drive inside the PC's case. I may
try the dedicated server idea, anyway, although until I have a network
crash there doesn't seem to be much incentive. In addition to that any more
money I have now for equipment purchases is earmarked for memory then an
exabyte drive and the .tga – .yuv vapourware <g>.
Kenneth-
PMJI, but do you mean by using a dedicated server a Lantastic "Alone"
situation or a comprehensive dedicated-server operating system like
Netware?
Also, a local network consultant swears by these network hubs (don't know
the formal name). $500 or so. Says they cut down on reliability problems
dramatically. Do you know anything about them?
–Noah
Noah,
I prefer to install Lantastic using a deadicated server. Each workstation
strictly logs in as a client, not a server. This arangement is just like
Novell's Netware. If you have a peer-to-peer setup, where each workstation
is a server, crashing a machine can cause other machines to crash. Imagine
you are using 3DS on a network writing files to another machine. The other
machine crashes, so 3DS is unable to continue to write the file. If it
causes the 3DS machine to crash, any user with swap files on the 3ds machine
will also crash, and so on, and so on….
The network hub is likely to be a 10Base-T Ethernet hub. It CAN be more
reliable than co-ax Ethernet. If a cable goes bad on co-ax, the entire
network (or that cable segment) goes down. With 10Base-T (AKA Twisted Pair)
Ethernet, each workstation is wired to a hub. If you lose a cable, the hub
disconnects the cable, so only one workstation is lost. You will pay more
money for the hub, however. Expect to pay around $1000 for a 8 port hub.
Lantastic is available with a 5-port-hub-on-a-card and two 10Base-T cards
with software for around $900 list. You could use an old 286 as the server,
plug the hub-card in it, and network two other machines to it. Works great.
I'm running a 1.6GB Lantastic server with 10 to 15 486 machines (we're a
dealer, so it changes daily) on it. Our server is a 386SX. 3DS and
AutoCAD work just fine, thank you…<g>
BTW, I'm a sysop on the Lantastic forum, as well as here.
Ken Elliott /// CAD Masters
Kenneth-
Thanks for the explanation. Our greatest network use is transfer files
between workstations, and each of our workstations has fairly big
(330-600Mb) disks, and jobs kind of flow from one location to the other.
As I understand it, everyone in your setup can read/write to the server,
but not to each other, right?
–Noah
Noah,
>>"As I understand it, everyone in your setup can read/write to the server,
but not to each other, right?"
Correct. Most machines have 80 MB hard drives, some have none. Thus, the
network works as though each machine shares a common drive. Anything on
that drive can be shared by all machines. No need to copy the file from
machine to machine.
Ken ///
You just sold me! You definately recommend 10-baseT? I have a DELL 486/33
with twin 650's and a tape back-up that I can use as a dedicated server.
Since it is a tower, I imagine that I can put in 3 5-port cards right?
Doug:
Or, just put in one card, and use an external "splitter". Not only can you
watch the pretty lights blink, it is easier for troubleshooting.
Yes, 10-baseT is the way to go!
Greg Pyros
Doug,
I've not done it, but I believe you will have no problems with that. You
might want to consider an external hub for 15 machines. Some external hubs
have all sorts of cool network management stuff. More money, though.
Ken ///