menges@unc.UUCP (John Menges) (09/04/84)
Here at UNC, we have one VAX 11/780 with 4 Mbytes of memory running 4.2bsd as the 'home machine' for about 300 users. (We also have 4 other VAXes running 4.2bsd for more specialized applications). The 'main' VAX is used primarily for text editing (vi, emacs), communication (mail, news, uucp), classes (yacc, lex, cc), VLSI design (mextra, lyra), and text processing (tex, troff). We will soon be installing another VAX 11/780 with 8 Mbytes of memory, which will soon be upgraded to a 785. Our existing VAX will probably be similarly upgraded (8 Mbytes of memory and a 785) a while later. Our current configuration boggs down heavily during the afternoons and evenings, such that interactive response time (especially noticeable for editing and mail) is extremely poor. We are currently debating which of two solutions is most likely to give us the most relief from this problem. One is to split the users evenly (load-wise) between the two machines. The other is to off-load the non-interactive processes (text processing, communication with the outside world, systems compiles, VLSI design batch jobs (simulations and rules checking, for example) to the larger of the machines and to keep all 'home' logins on the smaller machine. I'd appreciate opinions, particularly if you have had experience using a UNIX system as a 'back-end' machine for CPU-intensive, non-interactive jobs.