Re: [cobalt-users] Real World Qube 2 and such

[Colin Smith <colin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 24 May 2000, Hector Cabarcas wrote:

> Hello. I was hoping to get some real world input from a few users currently
> using the Qube 2. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> I own a small graphic design firm. Up to this point we've collaborated by
> way of networking the computers and sharing files off each other's hard
> drives. We've got an 100TEthernet network. We're ready to move beyond that.
> Our needs are pretty simple...cross-platform file sharing!

What platforms?

> 
> 1) Cobalt claims seamless support. What's been your experience?

I'm going to assume you are using Windows. The Qube is pretty good serving
files to Windows.

> 
> 2) I'm looking at the 13GIG Qube 2 with 64mb DRAM. One of our workstations
> running on just 64mb of RAM would be unacceptable. We couldn't open up more

The Qube is doing an entirely different job. The performance problems with
a Qube will be network and hard disk based. The hard disk in the qube can
push data at about 2.5Mb/second per second, this is faster than a 10mbit
LAN but slower than a 100Mbit lan. However if your files are in the
filesystem cache it can push data at about 25mb/second which is faster
than the network so it's important to have plenty of memory in the Qube so
that files can be cached.

> than one application at a time. Can a server get away with this low figure
> because it's primarily just serving files and not having to open up the

Yes. Plus it isn't running a GUI like Windows.

> program used to create each file? Our average graphic file is about 15-20mb.
> Can we work with the files right off the server or do we have to copy the
> file to each workstation and then proceed?

You should be able to work off the server (I do) but remember each 15mb
file takes up 15mb of cache on the Qube. How many people/files do you
expect to be working with simultaneously? 

[snip]

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