*BSD News Article 82782


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From: dsiebert@icaen.uiowa.edu (Doug Siebert)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.protocols.ppp,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc
Subject: Re: Best Unix for SLIP/PPP Server- Best Reliability/Cost?
Date: 13 Nov 1996 17:48:57 GMT
Organization: Iowa Computer Aided Engineering Network, University of Iowa
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briang@access5.digex.net (Brian G.) writes:

>I am looking for the best Reliability/Performance/Price (in that order)
>OS for handling a large number of SLIP/PPP connections (Don't want 
>a terminal server - this is a wierd application).

>Also, I am seeking suggested configurations (CPU, RAM, DISK, etc) for a 
>system capable of handling up to 1000 connections (possibly more) at a time.


Just finding a Unix machine capable of handling 1000 simultaneous serial
connections will be a really hard.  1000 TCP/IP connections is easy, but
serial is going to require a lot of external hardware, and I'll bet it is
very expensive, and requires a very high end system to be expandable enough.
Maybe you can do it with PCs, they probably have cards that'll do maybe 8
serial connections per card, so a few _dozen_ PCs could do this.  Do you
really want to manage a few dozen PCs in this way?  I wouldn't.

You will do a LOT better getting enough terminal servers to handle 1000
connections and then a separate Unix box or boxes of whatever type you like
to handle the "weird application" of which you speak.

-- 
Douglas Siebert                Director of Computing Facilities
douglas-siebert@uiowa.edu      Division of Mathematical Sciences, U of Iowa

Ack!  My reality check just bounced!!