Subject: Advice needed: Complete overhaul of computer system

From: [email-masked] (Gabriel Berriz)
Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 14:48:31 -0500

Dear netters:

I hope this question is not deemed inappropriate.  This morning, our
lab's director surprised us with the news that he intends a complete
overhaul of our computer system, and I would like to ask for your
advice (from end users, that is; no vendors, please).  Basically,
everything is up for replacement, all the way down to Unix flavor and
resource management policies.  As a very rough measure of what I'm
talking about, we're looking at a system of about 5-10 workstations,
plus peripherals.  We need at least 10 *intelligent terminals*, but
we are uncertain as to the best set up to simultaneously solve this
requirement, and the need for raw number-crunching power.  Our work
consists of developing and running simulation code, as well as using
some commercial packages such as CHARMM, &c.

Our principal concerns are (roughly in order of preference):

1. manageability, where I include both system upkeep and resource
allocation (CPU time, disk space, &c.); (we cannot afford a full-time
sysadmin, so the problem of management lands on hapless graduate
students, who usually have little sysadmin expertise and who'd rather
spend their time finishing their dissertations.)

2. system stability (we have been burnt lately by a couple of very
deluxe "crashing prima donna" workstations...).

3. performance (raw computing power, development-friendly environment,
software availability, graphics).

And of course:

4. cost.

We would greatly appreciate to hear advice, comments, cautionary
tales, raunchy jokes, &c. from anyone who has recent experience with
setting up a similar system.  Thank you very much.

Gabriel Berriz
[email-masked]
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Harvard University