[comp.unix.ultrix] Serving workstations and local users.

sdj@rivar.reo.dec.com (simon jackson) (04/22/91)

Hi,
I would like to hear comments and suggestions on the following and
whether what I am trying do do is possible.

I run a DECsystem 5400 as a server system. Hung off this are several
vs2000s running as X-Terminals. They serve their applications from the
/usr area currently. i.e. I setld install their products in the default
hierarchy. We have just taken delivery of several DS5000/200
workstations and I wish to run these served from the same server. 
Choices here:

1) Load down Ultrix on to local disks, boot locally. In this scenario I
would like to be able to have an environment on the server where I can
install the applications and serve them to all the workstations. i.e.
setld load the applications into a different hierarchy  on the server
and NFS mount that hierarchy and also point the local applications to
the same hierarchy.

2) Set up a diskless environment on the server and down load the workstations.

Problems:

With idea number 1. The aim here was to have a single installed
hierarchy with all the applications.i.e. install all applications into
/apps. Then all users would have the second hierarchy in their $PATH .
The local x-terminal users would be able to access the applications and
the workstations would NFS mount the /apps hierarchy and access them
that way. The problem is that although setld will quite happliy install
into the hierarchy, when the applications start up they appear to look
for other files outside the hierarchy. i.e. instead of an application
loaded from /apps/usr/bin looking for files in /apps/usr/lib it appears
to look in /usr/lib. This fails and the application dies.

With idea number 2.  This requires that the applications be installed
twice. First time in the servers /usr area for the x-terminals and
second time in the diskless environment area. Twice as much work to keep
the environments up to date and twice the disk space. Also when the
system is upgraded to new versions of Ultrix (when not a setld upgrade) 
both environment areas have to be reinstalled, whereas in the first case
the apps area is not effected by the upgrade.

Is there any way around this problem, i.e. can I set something up ( an
common environment variable) which would make option 1 work so that the
applications search in the right hierarchy for files.

Cheers Simon....