Medusa Project

Medusa Project

Implementing LTSP at SF State University

Sameer Verma, Ph.D.Bo Kim

Thank you!

Bo Kim taking up the challenge

Jack Tse and Don Strickler loaning us a switch

Tony Chan and Karl Schackne (BUS computing) for letting us use the lab.

Edubuntu team making an excellent LTSP distro!

Overview

Brief introduction to LTSP

Requirements for running LTSP

Advantages and disadvantages

Medusa - LTSP at SF State

Possible implementation scenarios

Informative links

What is LTSP?

Linux Terminal Server Project

Allows thin clients to connect to a Linux Terminal Server.

All programs run on the server

Clients run a thin Linux base with network and X session capabilities.

LTSP allows for a single point of configuration and control

Great for lab environments

A thin client performs a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) boot and retrieves an IP from the LTSP server via DHCP.

dhcp server runs on the private network interface on the LTSP server

DHCP response

PXE DHCP request

How it works

How it works

A small footprint Linux kernel is sent to the thin client computer via TFTP.

The client loads the Linux image and starts the X window system via secure shell (ssh)

client images and server have ssh keys

X session forwarded over ssh

DHCP response + TFTP Linux image

How it works

All programs execute in a X session on the server, but are forwarded via ssh and displayed on the thin client.

Feedback from the user (keyboard & mouse) are sent back to the server over ssh as well.

X session forwarded over ssh

mouse+keyboard

What Does it Look Like?

192.168.0.0/24

eth1

eth0

SFSU130.212.14.0/24

firewall

Hardware Requirements

Server

CPU should be powerful enough to run multiple X sessions.

Intel Xeon processor.

75-150MB of RAM per client.

2 Network Interface Cards

Private interface preferably gigabit

Clustering?

Not sure if it is possible

Hardware Requirements

Client

Minimum

Pentium II with 48 MB RAM and a 2MB display card.

Recommended

Pentium II and above with 64MB RAM and 4MB display card.

Identical hardware preferred

Networking Requirements

Network

Avoid

Hubs

10-BaseT cards

Preferred:

100 Mbps switch

100-BaseT cards

Ideal:

Gigabit switch.

100 Mbps switch with 1 Gbps uplink to the LTSP server.

Software Requirements

A Linux distribution with or without LTSP included.

LTSP (if not installed natively)

Most distros except Ubuntu and Debian do not have LTSP 5.

LTSP 5 is significantly different

LTSP 5 builds thin-client environment off of the server environment.

Software Requirements

Four services running on the LTSP server:

DHCP for IP address leases

TFTP for initial netboot kernel

NFS for forwarding filesystems

SSH for all communication on the LAN

Note: Ubuntu does not use XDMCP. It uses X forwarded over ssh instead

Advantages

Diskless clients

Highly Centralized

patches

firewalling

Cost effective

no licensing fees

Customized profiles

LDAP auth

Change lab footprint as needs grow

Invest in powerful server

Need a fast network

Documentation is weak

Many references to LTSP 4.x

Sabayon seems broken in Ubuntu Feisty.

Time sensitive apps will not work well, especially multimedia

Disadvantages

Medusa Project

LTSP server

Note: Single processor, but appears as two

Medusa Project

10/100 Mbps unmanaged switch

20 clients

Dell Optiplex

Pentium 4

256MB RAM

15 inch flat panel

Some have speakers

Medusa Project

Edubuntu Ubuntu for Education

Additional software installed:

Webmin

Firewall/NAT

Sabayon

Customized user profiles and lockdown (built-in, via pessulus) tool.

Seems to be broken in Ubuntu Feisty

Medusa Project

Captured CPU, RAM, Swap and NET behavior

We looked at behavior with one and multiple users (1+8) on the LAN.

Note: We did not use a built-in screen capture program because it muddies the parameters. We used a video camera instead.

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

All clients at login screen

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

One client starts Firefox

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

One client starts OOo

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

Multiple clients start OOo

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

First client starts video

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

Multiple clients start video

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

Multiple clients finish video

Medusa Project

CPU

NET

RAM

SWAP

All clients logout

Services at the LTSP Lab

Dual boot

Windows XP localboot, Ubuntu Linux via LTSP.

Both environments get dhcp and firewalling via LTSP server.

Note: Lab machines will be on a private network

Administrator can maintain lab logs for accounting

Services at LTSP lab

Internet access

Office Automation

OpenOffice

Graphics

GIMP

Inkscape

Scribus

Printing via network

Thin Client Manager

Webmin

Future use at SF State

Domain Authentication

Users will be able to use their SFSU accounts to logon via LDAP

Traffic Shaping

More efficient network load balancing that will be conducted on the LTSP server.

Support Windows apps via Win4Lin or VMWare

Possible to boot PPC thin clients

Informative Links

www.ltsp.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTSP

www.edubuntu.org

Demo time..

Questions?

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