[Ltsp-discuss] recommend a disk setup for LTSP install?

[john]

Thanks to all for these replies. It'll take me a couple of days to digest them.

One thing I'll throw out there it my impression that server sizing is
not an easy thing to figure out. Several of the links that used to
appear on the ltsp.org wiki are broken, and the edubuntu/LTSP manual
that has various online incarnations tends to undersell the
horse-power needed for the server IMO.

Even after 3-4 years of running LTSP installations I can't figure out
just how many active users/TC's I should be able to hang off a Quad
Core 3 Ghz opteron with 16 Gigs ram. I've seen figures between 20-150.
My experience show's about 20-25 before performance goes to the dogs.
I've been told that local apps changes the equation, but I am waiting
for the next Ubuntu LTS before I iterate.

Oh, heck, I'll throw out another thing :-)

I was surprised to see that there was so much disk write activity. I
am trying to figure out what is getting written where. I found a tool
called IOTOP that should correlate disk i/o to particular apps.
Unfortunately it uses some kernel hooks that aren't supported by
Ubuntu kernels so i am in the process of compiling an ubuntu kernel
with the proper stuff included.

Does anyone know where all the disk writes might be coming from and
going to? Is there a lot of writing to users mozilla profiles or /tmp?

Thanks!

John