Mac Mini Server Link aggregation - Thunderbolt or USB 3 gigabit ethernet adaptors

I am setting up a late 2012 Mac Mini as a file server with Server 2.2. It has a Promise Pegasus R4 RAID and LaCie 4TB drives daisy chained via the Thunderbolt connection. 4 users on MacPro's will connect to the server to access these hard drives via gigabit ethernet.
I imagine the gigabit ethernet will be the bottleneck, so I'm now looking at link aggregation. Not a problem on the MacPro's but the Mac Mini will require an adaptor to get a second gigabit port. From reading this forum I understand the Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit adaptor will work, but I'm concerned that it will need to be fitted 3rd in line after the R4 and LaCie drives. The 10Gbps bandwidth Thunderbolt has, may cause another bottleneck with all three working off the same port?
An option would be to use one of the USB 3 ports with this adaptor http://www.ebuyer.com/412005-startec...edium=products
I believe it work with OSX, but I have no speed information or if OSX link aggregation will work using it.
Any thoughts on the above would be appreciated and recommendations on a suitable Network Switch with LACP support welcome.

At present Mountain Lion Server cannot use a LACP bond, in my experience only of course. http://www.small-tree.com/kb_results.asp?ID=59 describes LACP/Bonds do not show up in Server Admin GUI on Mountain Lion
anyone know how to do it? or the location and the name of the plist file to configure the network interface in ML server?
regards

Similar Messages

Mac mini server + SANLink adapter Thunderbolt to Fibre ..long Delay to connect to fiber xsan

We replace the old Xseve with new Mac mini server (10.8.2 ) with PROMISE SANLink adapter " Thunderbolt to Fibre Channel)
we have 2 mac pro machines ( 10.7.5) with Apple fiber channel card in both machine (firmware 1.3 ) and 2 active storage (12x2TB ) , Qlogic 1400 fibe switch 8 Ports
our xsan system was runing with xserve as MDC from long time
Now we replace the xserve with new mac mini + SANLink adapter and recreate the new XSAN Volume again as clean installation and mounted it on the server and on both machines
But unfortunately we found many problems
1- Mac mini server with PROMISE SANLink adapter takes about 20 Min to detect the fiber connection with LUNs we got LUNs not found message on xsan admin for about 20 Min , and then he found it and mounted on mac mini desktop
2-All mac pro ( 10.7.5 ) take about 20 min to detect the fiber channel ( get red and not connected for about 20 min after booting ) this happen only when I update the OSX from 10.6.8 to 10.7.5 ..!!!!
3-All client can not mount the xsan volume and computers did not authenticate .
4- I deleted the computers and can't add it again to computers list ..always can't authenticate
So what can it to to solve this problem ??? , Is ther any firmware update for Apple fiber channel card for 10.7.5 , why
PROMISE SANLink adapter " Thunderbolt to Fibre Channel) takes 20 min to detect the fiber ???

Some of this is heavy opinion and some is experience. First, 10.7 was a terrible OS for Xsan support. Some of the issues you may be experiencing may be due to 10.7. I for one, avoided it like the plague.
Next, the issues you are describing sound like they could be DNS related or possibly related to how you defined your zones and your ports (target vs initiator). The place to look is your system log on these units. You should be seeing SCSI initialization errors from the FC cards. You may have loop arbitration issues or something else related to the way the FC ports are configured.
Any reason why 10.7.x was selected?

Mac Mini Server Doesn't Support Duel Thunderbolt Displays!

I purchased a mac mini server with the intent of ultimately running two thunderbolt displays off of it. I pre-ordered in August, waited six weeks for it to arrive and realized that the mac mini server that I had been sent was a lemon. I applied for a replacement, which was built in China and it arrived two weeks later. Everything was going great - I had my mac mini server running a thunderbolt and I was thrilled! Yesterday however, I purchased my second thunderbolt display, connected it and nothing happened. Trouble shooting didn't help. Finally, I called apple and was told that the server version doesn't support duel thunderbolt displays! I had read all of the technical specifications and there was no mention (at that time) that the server couldn't support duel displays. I am now in the process of returning my mac mini server in exchange for a custom build mac mini with upgraded 2.7 GHz i7 processors and 8GB RAM. I'm really disappointed to have to be going through all of these extra steps just to realize the system that I imagined early on. I checked the Apple Thunderbolt display options page at apple and they have now posted that the server doesn't support duel displays (but that informaiton definitely was not there when I first read it!). Why would the server version not support duel displays? To me, it doesn't make any sense. What are your thoughts?

It doesn't support dual TB displays because it uses the integrated
Intel graphics HD 3000. Only discrete graphics cards can handle
dual TB displays. The integrated graphics chip just cant handle
the load.
As for the logic of it, as servers, they are usually single display
and even more often are run headless and managed remotely.
It is marketed as a server and thus the logic.

Use Thunderbolt cable to transfer files from a mac to a Mac Mini Server

I want to transfer a large document folder of files from a MacBook Pro (MBP) to a Mac Mini Server (MMS) using Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt cable. How?
Currently both the MBP and MMS are on the same Wireless-N network.
Obviously the Mac Mini Server cannot be booted in Target-Drive mode because there are other users using it as a server.
Both computers installed OS X Mavericks 10.9.1.

Update:
Thunderbolt Bridge is the ultimate solution (on OS X Mavericks 10.9.1). It gives amazing speed transferring files without downtime on the source and target computers (in my case the MacBook Pro and the Mac Mini Server). Up to 7 times faster in writing and 30 times faster in reading than Wireless N!
My Settings: Systems Preferences > Network > Set Service Order ... and drag the Thunderbolt Bridge as the top Service (and thus above Ethernet and Wi-Fi), click OK and Apply. I only set it on the source computer (MacBook Pro) but you may try to set both.
Then connect the two computers with the Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt Cable and wait for about 15 seconds till they get the Self-Assigned IP addresses. From the Network Preferences page, you'll see the Thunderbolt Bridge rises to the top on BOTH computers. (The button remains amber, not green. It's okay.) Then you can start file transfer from the source computer (e.g. using Finder or an app such as TuneSpan to locate the target location on the target computer).
To play save, I use BlackMagic to test the connection speed before starting the real transfer. I found that sometimes I don't need to turn off the WiFi on the source computer (MacBook Pro) but turning WiFi off on the source computer gives me a peace in mind.
See what I got:
From the Thunderbolt Bridge:
From WiFi using Airport Time Capsule 802.11ac on Wireless-N:
Note: After you finished the file transfer, Turn back on the Wi-Fi and Eject the target folder from the source computer before unplugging the Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt cable.

Mac Mini Server setup with airport express

I have had issues trying to setting up mac mini server on my network. I wonder if my current hardware is the problem? At present I have a Thomson Router plugged into an airport express which broadcasts wifi for my house. I have been connecting to my wifi with my mac mini server. Despite running server assistant and setting up a DNS server in Mac Mini server no clients are able to connect to the DNS server (i.e. dig command works on server but not on clients). I found reference somewhere on the internet to the fact that the mac mini server must be plugged into the router via ethernet for it to be setup properly.
Could this be the cause of my problems? Is it true?

Just to clarify this is an airport express and not airport extreme therefore I am reliant on a wireless connection between my mac mini server and the airport express.
The model of the Airport device here is largely irrelevant.
Currently my Thomson router serves out an address of 192.168.1.67 to airport express router.
Do you have any control over the gateway router?
The airport express is configured to share out a single IP address
Double NAT (which is what you have here) will cause you problems. Get rid of one layer of NAT.
The airport express gives out addresses in range of 10.0.1.2-10.0.1.202 with 10.0.1.1 being the address for the airport express and 10.0,1.201 being assigned via DHCP to the mac mini server (using its MAC address to reserve the address)
Within the private blocks, the IP addressing organization is your decision.
The DNS server is set on the airport express to 10.0.1.201 (i.e. my server).
OK. (I usually pick smaller numbers for more important boxes, because I tend to type addresses for those boxes more than the addresses of the boxes over in DHCP-land. But again, this is your call.)
I guess I wondered if something funky was going on with server assistant during the setup. A post I read somewhere (I've lost the link) was someone in an identical situation who had issues and said that apple had stated that he need to be directly connected to the router by ethernet cable to get things working. I wondered if this is the issue. An airport express does not have a spare ethernet port to plug into so I wonder if I need to buy a wireless router with built-in ports i.e. airport extreme (expense+) or something similar.
I'd probably switch the box to access point, but that presumes you can get (more) control over the gateway router.
I can access by Thomson router but I able unable to change the DNS servers that it provides (set by my ISP) from the GUI. I'm sure you could probably do it from the commandline but I think this is beyond me. I did wonder if that is what is causing problems
Talk with the ISP. You'd prefer to have the device switched to a bridge, if that's feasible. If not, then you're going to have to work within the confines of the particular model.

Mac Mini Server (Late 2009) - Won't boot from Windows USB/DVD

Hello all,
I have a Late 2009 Mac Mini Server (Macmini 3,1) with OS X Lion.
I have created a Bootcamp Windows Partition on one the 500GB Disk using Bootcamp 4.0.
After the partition is created, I have tried installing Windows 7 using the Bootable USB method as well as using the CD Drive from the attached SuperDrive.
But all I encounter is either the blinking cursor or after the "Starting Windows" logo, a BSOD.
Any tips/help on how to proceed?
Thanks in advance.

Cattus,
Thanks for the reply.
I did use BC to create the USB stick. I also tried to create the USB on a WIndows Machine (just in case). But still can't boot from USB. What's the WIndows Utility you mentioned?
Also, according to the this LINK, The firmware for Macmini 3,1 should be MM31.0081.B06 (EFI 1.2).
However, the BOOT ROM info on my mac mini says MM31.00AD.B00 and I can't seem to update the EFI Firmware. I get a message "This computer does not need this update" when I try to run the MacminiEFIupdate.pkg

Time capsule 2TB,connected to mac mini server leopard, LG DP1W mediacenter/player for watching movies on my tv from my harddisk tower connected to time capsule by usb/hub on G-technologie 8 TB G-SPEED Q RAID-oplossing(hard disk tower) is this gonna work??

hello,
ik have a question about the hardware i wanna buy
i have a IMAC that is 3 years old and running on leopard snow 10.5, i want to upgrade the software from this mac to 10.6 and put 4GB workmemory into it, i have now 1GB.
I have ordered a MAC MINI SERVER leopard snow 10.6(also ordered a dvd superdrive, wireless typing, and a wireless mouse for the mac mini)
i have ordered a Time Capsule 2TB
i want to connect to the Time capsule this:
G-technologie 8 TB G-SPEED Q RAID-oplossing (hdtower)
UPC of EAN nr.: 705487185744 in the mac store
i want to connect to the Time Capsule this for my TV to play movies from the harddisktower connected to my time capsule:
LG DP1W MEDIAPLAYER/CENTER without harddisk build into it, with WiFi connection butt, i'm gonna use te 2.0 USB connection that is faster and stabile.
-Connecting the Time Capsule to the Internet
i'm also gonna use this: gear4 PG467 UNITY REMOTE(control everything with iphone)
i'm also want to connect by 2.0 USB my canon all in one foto printer, WiFi is not working properly and i have many times problems with connection my printer wireless.....
And for the future i also want to connect a Dymo Labelprinter by 2.0 USB
in total 7 usb connections: only the time capsule have one port, so i can split to more ports by a usb-hub????
Well i have another question: i want to store a movie database on the external harddisktower that is connected to the time capsule.....
How can... let me say: my sister, and father who live on 2 different adresses get access to the movie database and watch them at their own home?????
can i secure it with a password given to my sister or father that is only works for 1 file???? so that i get multiple passwords
how does this works??? to share/upload/download to the internet only to one person????
i hope someone can help me????

hello,
ik have a question about the hardware i wanna buy
i have a IMAC that is 3 years old and running on leopard snow 10.5, i want to upgrade the software from this mac to 10.6 and put 4GB workmemory into it, i have now 1GB.
I have ordered a MAC MINI SERVER leopard snow 10.6(also ordered a dvd superdrive, wireless typing, and a wireless mouse for the mac mini)
i have ordered a Time Capsule 2TB
i want to connect to the Time capsule this:
G-technologie 8 TB G-SPEED Q RAID-oplossing (hdtower)
UPC of EAN nr.: 705487185744 in the mac store
i want to connect to the Time Capsule this for my TV to play movies from the harddisktower connected to my time capsule:
LG DP1W MEDIAPLAYER/CENTER without harddisk build into it, with WiFi connection butt, i'm gonna use te 2.0 USB connection that is faster and stabile.
-Connecting the Time Capsule to the Internet
i'm also gonna use this: gear4 PG467 UNITY REMOTE(control everything with iphone)
i'm also want to connect by 2.0 USB my canon all in one foto printer, WiFi is not working properly and i have many times problems with connection my printer wireless.....
And for the future i also want to connect a Dymo Labelprinter by 2.0 USB
in total 7 usb connections: only the time capsule have one port, so i can split to more ports by a usb-hub????
Well i have another question: i want to store a movie database on the external harddisktower that is connected to the time capsule.....
How can... let me say: my sister, and father who live on 2 different adresses get access to the movie database and watch them at their own home?????
can i secure it with a password given to my sister or father that is only works for 1 file???? so that i get multiple passwords
how does this works??? to share/upload/download to the internet only to one person????
i hope someone can help me????

USB Ethernet Adapter Stopped Working On Mac Mini Server Running 10.6.6

Is anybody out there successfully using the Apple USB Ethernet adapter on a Mac Mini Server running 10.6.6? They have stopped working for me.
The boot disk in the 2009 Mac Mini Server in my classroom failed and after Apple replaced the disk and I reinstalled SLS and ran Software Update to bring the machine up to 10.6.6 the USB Ethernet adapter that was the interface to the outside world no longer recognized when a cable was plugged in. The cable was good and worked just fine if plugged into another machine or the built-in interface. At first I thought that the USB Interface had failed but after trying two new ones (graciously exchanged by Apple) and finding that none of them worked I'm coming to the conclusion that perhaps the warning on the package that the USB Ethernet only works with the MacBook Air finally became true.

Douglas Urner wrote:
Is anybody out there successfully using the Apple USB Ethernet adapter on a Mac Mini Server running 10.6.6? They have stopped working for me.
The boot disk in the 2009 Mac Mini Server in my classroom failed and after Apple replaced the disk and I reinstalled SLS and ran Software Update to bring the machine up to 10.6.6 the USB Ethernet adapter that was the interface to the outside world no longer recognized when a cable was plugged in. The cable was good and worked just fine if plugged into another machine or the built-in interface. At first I thought that the USB Interface had failed but after trying two new ones (graciously exchanged by Apple) and finding that none of them worked I'm coming to the conclusion that perhaps the warning on the package that the USB Ethernet only works with the MacBook Air finally became true.
Only the specific build of Mac OS X that comes with a MacBook Air includes the kernel extension to run the Apple USB Ethernet adapter, however there are no hardware issues preventing it being used on other Mac models if you have a suitable driver.
Generic USB drivers can be downloaded for free from http://www.sustworks.com/site/newsusbethernet.html and this worked for me.

Hello, I just wanted to know when an update would be available for my mac mini server os x lion to resolve the issues regarding my m-audio fastrack pro usb audio interface (no midi messages recognized)

Hello, I just wanted to know when an update would be available for my mac mini server os x lion to resolve the issues regarding my m-audio fastrack pro usb audio interface (no midi messages recognized)

Have you reported your problems to Apple?
BugReporter
<http://bugreporter.apple.com>
Free ADC (Apple Developer Connection) account needed for BugReporter.
Anyone can get a free account at:
<http://developer.apple.com/programs/register/>
And/Or
Mac OS X Feedback<http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html>

How do you setup a Mac Mini Server online? eg: no linked screen

I was told in a Mac Store you can set up a Mac Mini Server online. So no need to have a screen connected.
There's nothing in the paperwork that comes with it to say how to do so if you can. I have an iMac setup right next to it for going online or screen sharing etc.
Have I been misinformed or am I just being slow?!
Thanks in advance
Mark

Mark-THP wrote:
Bit late now as I have the screen, but out of interest how do you boot in FireWire Target Disk Mode with no screen?
Thanks
Second Mac is running 10.6.8 though.
You would have to plug a keyboard in to the Mac mini but would not need to connect a mouse or screen. You then hold down Command-T on the keyboard after turning the Mac mini on and before it boots. Keep those keys held down for about 10 seconds - that should be long enough. If you had a screen connected you would then be seeing the special FireWire symbol bouncing around the screen. This means the Mac is in FireWire Target Disk mode and is effectively a glorified external hard disk.
The fact the second Mac is itself running 10.6.8 is not important. As long as it can boot in to Lion it will be able to boot from the Mac mini which is acting as an external hard disk. On this second Mac you would plug a FireWire cable from the Mac mini. Then you would hold down the Option key and start the second Mac up. After a few seconds you should see it is in a new different mode which should list all the different bootable disks it can find, including the Mac mini which remember is acting as an external hard disk. You would then select the Mac mini disk to boot from.

Going from xserve to Mac Mini Server

I have a graphic design studio (design for print and web sites) that requires a new server.
Currently around 6-8 users working on files (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator etc) directly from the server.
The server is configured with RAID1 and has aggregated ethernet.
I am looking to replace our 2007 xserve 2.66Ghz Xeon with a 2012 Mac Mini Server.
I expect there will be a drop in performance in terms of the speed with which files can be copied and opened over the network.
My main points of concern are: the speed of the internal HDs, and lack of ethernet aggregation.
Are there any ways of limiting this drop in performance, ie use an external thunderbolt RAID (I am thinking of the LaCie 2big Thunderbolt™ 2 6TB http://store.apple.com/uk/product/HFYG2ZM/A/lacie-2big-thunderbolt-2-series-raid -hard-drive?fnode=cb26126edba6d5cf1f20a1188ab2f9a15577d8779cb89532f051d642f0462 5 9ef9b142bff2e3ddede4276fdae4b4074b80ffc3c6968f0fa0f13643559d04820cd08bdea7601a2 5 1154a61b6497c20fc6ec726f25583cf16d5946c93865ea04dbfaea9c26291ec67aef08afd262a35 c 7c)
And would it be possible to use a Thunderbolt to ethernet adapter connected to the external RAID to create the aggregated ethernet?
Any help or insight into this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Richard

Thanks for the concise reply John.
I think the Lacie drive I am considering is RAID hardware, would you be able to check the link and confirm for me?
Any ideas if this will be as adequate as the Promise Pegasus R4 Thunderbolt RAID for serving up image and InDesign files of about average size of 40MB to 6-8 users?
As we are coming from an xserve we have taken for granted the speed at which it can handle the demands we put on it without breaking into a sweat.
I am just worried I will get this new system and be disappointed in a big drop in file access speeds.
Thanks again for your time and appreciate it is hard to be definitive in the answer as there are numerous factors involved that can effect the end result.
All the best,
Richard

Using a Mac Mini Server quad Core i7 for FCPX ?

I am a student trying to
configure a final cut pro X edit system with a budget of around $4K.
I have over 400 hours of video (some Hi-8 but mostly mini-DV tapes).
For the Mini-DV tapes I plan on ingesting video into FCPX
directly from the camera via firewire DV. I will be using a Sony GV D800 to ingest
the Hi-8 tapes via firewire DV as well. I already have a 30" Apple Cinema Display.
H.264 will be used to deliver finished content to the web and/or Blu-ray.
I was leaning toward the macbook pro 17" but then I realised that a Mac Mini Server
could be configured with the same number of cores and RAM for less money.
Mac mini Server
2.0 GHz Quad Core Intel i7 -- same number of cores as macbook pro 17"
8 GB RAM
750 GB Serial ATA Drive 7200rpm + 256 GB Solid State Drive
Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter
Apple Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Other Peripherals:
Promise Pegasus 8TB R4 Raid System in RAID 5 configuration or equivalent
Sonnet Echo Express PCIe 2.0 Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis with
Matrox Compress HD MAX encoding card
LaCie d2 Blu-ray 12x
Do the extra cores in the server make up for the difference in GPU?
(2.7 GHz Mini dual-core i7 with AMD Radeon HD 6630M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR5 memory) VS (2.0 GHz Mini Server quad - core i7 with Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor and 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory)
Am I thinking about this configuration the right way? Is there
any overhead given that the mini will be a server? Anything missing?
thanks for your help,
Tom

Take it back for a replacement while you are within 14 days from purchase.

Small fast network with Mac mini server and Promise Pegasus?

I have 7 Mac Pros and iMacs that need to be connected to the same storage. I'm doing non MPI-based numerical modeling so the transfer rates have to be fast but not infiniband fast. I'm considering a setup with a Promise Pegasus thunderbolt RAID connected to a Mac Mini running Lion server for Access controll/Roaming homer directories. The Mac Pros and iMacs would the be connected via 1Gb ethernet.
My question is where the bottlenecks in this setup would be. The server software/hardware? The network? What else am I forgetting

I assume you're looking at Mac mini because you've already run the numbers on Mac Pro and ruled it out. I wonder how many buyers are opting for Mac mini solely for those Promise Thunderbolt arrays.
I also assume that each of your users is currently using a single gigabit Ethernet port to connect to the LAN.
If these assumptions are accurate, then I think that a Mac mini will work as long as you and your users have appropriate expectations. The win from putting this server in place won't be networked storage that outperforms an internal SATA drive, although in bursts it probably can. The solution you've described is smart because it's centralized, securable and adds a layer of data protection (RAID).
You asked about bottlenecks. I can think of three, two of which you can work around now or in the near future. The first is Mac mini's slow internal hard drive(s). You'll have a solution in hand: Boot Mac mini from the array. Some consider that to be a controversial choice, but you shouldn't spend extra for the Mac mini server with dual 7200 RPM drives. The less costly Core i7 configure-to-order upgrade will give you a bigger boost.
Booting from the array also protects you from the most likely "repair" scenario for Mac mini: Swapping out your entire machine.
The second issue is Mac mini's lack of an expansion bus. If you get more users or start using apps that demand more from the LAN, you might want to fire up additional gigabit Ethernet ports. Mac mini has just one. At present, the only way to add a gigabit port is with a Thunderbolt PCIe bus expander. Early next year, there should be more options that connect directly or via an intermediate bus like ExpressCard/34 or USB 3.0.
The one limitation you're powerless to work around is RAM. Mac mini tops out at 8 GB. That meets requirements, but it will be tight if you try to use Mac mini as a client and a server. I deploy them headless so no one's tempted to use the console.
You can improve your odds that gigabit will cut it by using heavy, short Cat6 cables and a switch dedicated to the Mac LAN. Use Mac mini's built-in Wi-Fi to keep Remote Desktop and other low-priority traffic off the wire.
Whatever solution you choose, I wish you the best of luck.

Mac Mini Server Hangs, Gets Sluggish

New 2012 Mac Mini Server (2Gig i7 with 8GB memory). Server App is off, and I'm using it as a standalone unit. Running iTunes on an external Thunderbolt RAID. Running Safari with several tabs open. The iMac generally gets irratic within an hour or so: iTunes may be sluggish, Safari slows or stalls, then eventually the whole system hangs with the fan running at full speed. I have re-set the contoller by removing power for a while and then re-initializing. No help. Seems for a loaded iMac something is very wrong. Any guesses.

1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The recognition database is automatically updated once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets (see below.)
It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been another layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't actually been tested by Apple (unless it comes from the Mac App Store), but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. For most practical purposes, applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed can be considered safe.
Gatekeeper has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could find some other way to evade Apple's controls.
For more information about Gatekeeper, see this Apple Support article.
4. Beyond XProtect and Gatekeeper, there’s no benefit, in most cases, from any other automated protection against malware. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. All known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore reduces to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source. How do you know whether a source is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn users who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
“Cracked” copies of commercial software downloaded from a bittorrent are likely to be infected.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. No intermediary is acceptable.
5. Java on the network (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related) is a weak point in the security of any operating system. If a Java web plugin is not installed, don't install one unless you really need it. If it is installed, you should disable it (not JavaScript) in your web browsers. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This setting is mandatory in OS X 10.5.8 or earlier, because Java in those obsolete versions has known security flaws that make it unsafe to use on the Internet. The flaws will never be fixed. Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java can never be fully trusted, even if no vulnerabilities are publicly known at the moment.
Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can reasonably be.
6. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use the free software ClamXav — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
7. ClamXav doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so can corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
ClamXav is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. If you don't need to do that, avoid it. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
8. The greatest danger posed by anti-virus software, in my opinion, is its effect on human behavior. When people install such software, which does little or nothing to protect them from emerging threats, they get a false sense of security from it, and then they may do things that make them more vulnerable. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use.

Mac mini server hang at startup

My mac mini server (1st gen) installed with Lion server has a strange problem.
At some point, it stop to deliver it services (imap, dhcp and ical server). I connect on it (wich take a long long time), make it restart by the system menu entry.
It restart, and stay forever with the blank screen with Apple logo and the waiting circle which loop.
No way to restart.
I then boot on a Mountain Lion installation USB key (I loose my Lion one :-( ), choose the restore from time machine option, selecting the last entry on my Time capsule, everything goes well, and the server restart with no problem. I can even restart it by the system menu.
But after 2 or 3 month, it has the same problem, and again no way to restart without restoring the last time machine backup.
It's now the third time it does this, and it's make me go crazy.
I've try to start in verbose mode, and I have the following fsck error message :
disk0s2 : I/O error.
Invalid node structure
(4,26622)
the volume on macintosh hd could not ve verified completely
fsck failed !
I've try to start on single mode and do the fsck -fy -> same result.
Does someone has an idea of why it does this ?
Regards,
Marc

Just recently I ran into a problem when I tried to Verify my hard disk and when it tried to verify the catalog, it responded "Invalid sibling link." Repair Disk didn't work. I searched the web and Apple's site, and couldn't find anything useful except to buy DiskWarrior or reformat the drive. Knowing that OS X is built on Unix gave me a few clues on how to proceed. The solution is pretty simple:
    1.    Boot off the OS X CD (reboot, hold C while booting).
    2.    The installer will load up, go to Utilities in the menu and run Terminal.
    3.    Type df and look for the drive that has your Mac system mounted---you'll have to unmount this. On my MacBook Pro, it was /dev/disk0s2.
    4.    Type umount /dev/disk0s2, replacing disk0s2 with whatever disk your OS lives on.
    5.    Type fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk0s2. If you umounted the wrong thing, it will complain that you can't repair a mounted drive. Go back and umount the right thing and repeat this step.
Just for fun, you might want to run another fsck_hfs on your disk (use the -f option because your drive is probably journaled). Hope this helps someone so they don't buy a program that's going to do pretty much what we did with fsck_hfs, and so they don't waste time searching for an answer to no avail. By the way, TechTool Deluxe (3.1.1) didn't find the Catalog problem for some reason (you'll have this on a CD if you have AppleCare), which is why I resorted to fsck.
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20070204093925888

Mac Mini Server Link aggregation - Thunderbolt or USB 3 gigabit ethernet adaptors

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