Mac Mini server question

I'm working on replacing the Mac Mini server in a small office configuration where the Mini is acting as a fileserver, a Filemaker Pro server and Time Machine backup server. There are 8 machines in the office using the server. The files being shared and the time machine backups are on a drobo. Currently it's a late 2009 Mac Mini server with a 2.53Ghz Core2Duo. For the purposes outlined above, is there any reason to get a 2.8Ghz or 3.0Ghz processor, or is the mid-range 2.6Ghz i5 totally sufficient? In either case I would be maxing the RAM.
I'd also be buying a new Drobo to attach to the new Mac Mini, so I was going to keep Time Machine backups on the old drobo, but move filesharing to the new Drobo. Originally I had thought I'd have both those drobos connected to the new Mac Mini, but then it occurred to me that perhaps it would be advantageous to also keep the old Mac Mini server in use with the old Drobo. Is there an advantage to keeping the old Mac Mini server running in the office and utilizing it SOLELY as for centralized Time Machine backups, leaving the new Mac Mini server to just be a fileserver and Filemaker Pro machine. Would that make any difference?

I don't see any advantage with a 2.8 or 3.0Ghz processor versus a 2.6Ghz. The 2.6 should be plenty of processing power for your needs.
In my opinion, keeping the old Mac Mini to offload some of the "duties" is perfectly fine. For example, I have a home network with 2 MMs. One runs ML and Server. It services the household Macs for file sharing and time machine back ups. The other MM runs Mavericks and Server. It services some file sharing but mostly network accounts, VPN services and time machine back ups (for both servers). Both only have 4GB of RAM and work great for my needs. It's overkill for a home network, but I have a back up server and can easily add the services from the other if one goes down. You would have that same capability keeping your old MM.

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I am having keyboard problems when trying to boot up an OS (bootcamp on Mac Mini Server)

I recently tried using bootcamp on my new Mac Mini Server.
I uploaded a windows ISO Image perfectly the way it asked, Windows 7, I followed the correct steps, euqally divided one of the hard drives, and I was ready to actually set up the new Windows section of my computer. During this booting session, my dog came in the room with her ball and knocked the computer plug out of the socket. Now when I turn on the mac, the fan still works, the same Macintosh sound comes up, the screen turns that usual very bright gray, but it stays on that gray. After a minute or two, the screen turns black, with a blinking underline, as if it were confused to choose which operating system it has to boot.
My problem here is that I use a wireless keyboard (not by Apple) -- and I suppose that bluetooth syncronizes with the OS and not the computer system itself -- so my keyboard commands do not get recognized in order for me to navigate into Windows 7 or OS X Mountain Lion. I tried solving this problem by purchasing a brand-new USB keyboard (since Mac Mini Servers do not have the PS/2 entrance). I guess this new USB keyboard didn't work, I imagine, either because the USB slots on the machine are not recognized by the computer's internal system, only by the Operating Sysytems (which I hope isn't true), or that the mac had never used that USB Keyboard and wasn't going to be capable of using it until it had installed the necessary drivers, but without the OS running that would become impossible.
So my question is: Is there a way that I can connect a keyboard to the mac so I can continue installing my alternate Operating System? Is it maybe another problem all together?

It is starting to sound more like Bootcamp failed to install properly.
Have a look at > Boot Camp 5: Frequently asked questions
then perhaps > Failed bootcamp instlation - Google Search

Using a Mac Mini Server as a traditional stand alone desktop

Hello all, currently I have a late 2008 model 17" MacBook pro, Time Capsule, Apple TV and an Iphone 3GS and Ipod Traditional. I would like to add a desktop system to coordinate all of these items, to be the centerpiece is you will, in my home. I'm interested in buying a mac mini, I began to do research however and saw the Mac Mini Server which has greater memory capacity 4GB vs 2GB RAM, and dual 500Gb vs the standard Mac Mini which has one at 320GB. I would like to take advantage of these upgrades as I'm a writer and will be constantly on the web for work as well as likely keep a lot of items on the hard drive.
However I noticed the Mac Mini server utilizes Mac OSX snow leopard SERVER as opposed to the user grade Mac OSX. *My question is if the Mac Mini Server with MAC OSX server can still be used as a stand alone desktop, connecting it to a spare LCD television I have and a mac wireless keyboard/mouse?*
I'm aware that unlike the other mac mini and imacs it does not come with ilife and other pre-installed software, and *I want to know if it's still possible to purchase after market and install said software utilizing them in the traditional manor?*
Thank you in advance for any feedback you can provide and I apologize if my question was difficult to comprehend due to my lack of computer knowledge. I also apologize if this question is similar to others you've received lately as I did a quick scan of google and these forums and did not seem to find the specific answer I was looking for.

Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
Let me clear up a misperception that you have. Both the Mac mini and the Mac mini Server have a capacity to address 8 GB of RAM. There are two SO-DIMM slots in each model. The mac mini comes preconfigured by Apple with 2 GB of RAM (2 x 1 GB). The mini Server comes preconfigured with 4 GB of RAM (2 x 2 GB). You can buy and install yourself up to 8 GB of RAM (2 x 4 GB).
You can even install Mac OS X Snow Leopard client, which will meet your needs a bit better than Server, now that folks have figured out how to do it;
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2539663&tstart=0
And yes you can buy and install iLife, and pretty much everything else that you want to include in your kit. Either model of mini works fine with wireless keyboards and mouses. If your LCD TV has an HDMI port, then a simple HDMI to HDMI cable would be the simplest manner to connect it to the mini.
Dah•veed

I am trying to get Zen-Cart on my mac mini server lion 10.6

I am trying to get Zen-Cart on my mac mini server lion 10.6 and am stuck getting mysql installed.
Bassiclly what I am trying to do is have a cart for my site I host locally I used iWeb to creat the site and it has no cart plug in I am aware of which makes it useless for ecommerce. Other than that it is nice to use maybe im missing somethin? So I am looking for solutions to get Zen Cart installed (easilly) to include mysql since OSX does not have it. Some questions
Is there a good free packaged installer for mysql and or zencart?
is there a better OS cart solution for OS X ?
Can iWeb be updated by me to host an e cart, or is there a plug in I can get?
Other?

Hello,
Is this Win 7 32 bit version?
If so & you don't want to upgrade to the 64 bit version...
There is Parallels...
http://www.parallels.com/
VmWare Fusion...
http://www.vmware.com/mac
VirtualBox...
http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

How To Set Up Mountain Lion Server/Point DNS to Mac Mini Server

Hello, First of all I have no experience with setting up servers whatsoever. Below is what I have
- Mac Mini with Mountain Lion Server
- Time Capsule as my router
- Comcast as my service provider
My goal is to set up my MacMini as a sharepoint for files and other data with my other partners.
- I have purchased a domaine name from NetworkSolutions. Does this mean that they are my DNS hosting as well? Not really sure. My biggest question is how to point my DNS to my mac mini server correctly.
1. How do you point the DNS to my mac mini server.
2. I've read somewhere to use the IP address from my mac mini server. The only IP address I see is from my Time Capsule (router). I know what my public IP adress is but I am not sure if that's the one to use. I think once I figure this DNS thing I can figure out the rest.
Thanks - Need lots of help.

Here's a detailed write-up on setting up internal (private) DNS on OS X Server, and no, you're probably not going to be setting up external DNS on your servers. Your public DNS service will be hosted on and served from the Network Solutions DNS servers.

Can i put snow leopard on a mac mini server? MORE INFO BELOW

Hi! I am getting a mac mini server in august (new hdmi type) and i dont want server becuase i am a home user. can i buy and install regular snow leopard (preferably mac box set) and will there be any software isues? questions: [email protected]

Double posting the same question is a good way to confuse everyone. I suggest you close at least one of these.
See your other posting for my reply.
Allan

Can I run 4 super drives with my Mac Mini Server

I have Lion Server downloaded to my Mac Mini (set up as a TV server) and would like to be able to access the 4 USB Super Drive ports via other Mac Mini's in other rooms, 2 Apple TV's if possibe through Apple TV software and maybe Macbook Pro via AirPlay. Are these things possible. The Mac Mini Server is the Best Home television distribution network. Cheaper hardware and fast internet connection based on devices. The above is my goal.
My individual questions...
Can I place 4 Super Drives in the 4 USB slots and run them?
What is the most effiecent way to be able to server those drives on ONLY my Apple Network (other Mac Mini and 2 Apple TV's)
Can I access multiple drives at once from different devices on my Apple Network?
Can I restrict access to teen and child users based on the TV Rating displayed on DVD in Super Drive? (ex: iTunes recognizes CD's by times of songs and digital fingerprint when I input my Store bought CD or adds it to the Database if its a new title.)
These would help so much!
Thanks,
Stefan
Have any questions on how to turn your Mac into a home Multimedia System, ask.

no
a dvd drive can never be shared over a network in order to play the dvd drives content
the dvd encryption makes this imposible
you have to rip (which is illegal) each dvd disc to a computer in order to do what you wish to do
and it's not an apple thing it's the case no matter which computer you own

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 install DVD - install on a different computer

I bought a Mac mini server (= a Mac mini with a Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server pre-installed) a while ago. I am planning to install Lion Server on the same Mac Mini and get rid of the Snow Leopard installation DVD. My question is, can the DVD that came with the Mac mini be used to install the server OS on a different computer (another Mac mini or iMac etc.)? or is it somehow tied to the original Mac mini?
Thanks!

Install discs included with a Mac are only able to install on the same model Mac. However historically Mac OS X Server install discs are not limited in the same way. (Remember there is no such thing as a Lion install disc.)
The server install disc is more typically limited in being an older version of Mac OS X e.g. 10.6.3 and thus not able to boot and install on the latest model Macs. It is however possible to boot and install on an older Mac e.g. an older Mac mini but install on to an external hard disk which might even be the internal hard disk of another Mac connected via FireWire Target Disk Mode. You can then run the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Server Combo update to update it to the latest Snow Leopard Server version which will then boot successfully on all the current Macs including those that have only ever shipped with Lion.
Since a DVD disk takes very little space I would suggest you don't throw it away.

Mac Mini Server with Leopard

I installed a Mac Mini Server in my media room. Connected it on my Ethernet, where i also have two other mac mini's a Mac Book Pro throughout the house. They all do "see" and "talk" to each other, and share files, like they are supposed to do. The only problem is: when i rent movies via i-Tunes on my Mac Mini SERVER, i can NOT see them on my other Mac Mini's throughout the house. I still can see the mac mini server on the left of the i-Tune menu, as well as the music and other files on it, photos etc... but if i want to watch that RENTED movie in my bedroom via my local mac Mini, no can do. is that normal.
By the way after hours of trying, and spending over 10,000 dollars worth of mac products in my home, i called "On Line Support", and after some 25 minutes of pre-heating my ear on the phone, the nice gentleman wanted to charge me 49 dollars to answer my question??

And that is how phone support works unless you purchase AppleCare for your Mac. Without AppleCare, you get 90 days of free phone support (starting from the date of purchase of the Mac); after that, you get charged unless the problem turns out to one that is covered under the Mac's warranty.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

Mac Mini Server - Mid 2010

Greetings All.
Regarding Mac Mini SERVER [2010].
My Intentions:
1) Wipe Clean.
2} Install Snow Leopard
3) Use as regular Computer employing 2 7200 rpm HD's and 2.66 Processor.
My Questions:
What Issues/challenges can I expect?
Is apple cool with this?
Thank you all.
Regards.
tabliss

I don't know what you mean by "challenges", the only thing with reinstalling would be not having iLife on the computer anymore. Also, on the Install DVD, you could configure the drives in RAID like what I do with my Mac mini Server. It would not void the warranty or anything.

Mac mini Server mid.2010 upgrade to Mavericks?

Hi, my Mac mini Server (2.66GHz Intel Core Duo, 8Gb RAM) running OS X 10.8.5 does not propose me to upgrade to Mavericks through "Software Update". Does it mean it's not safe to upgrade? Why do I read that a Mac Mini more recent than 2009 can run Mavericks?
My Mac Book Air upgraded through "Software Update" so I did not do anything with the Mac mini yet. Any advice on wether to upgrad or not is appreciated. I do not use the Server part, I understand that if I upgrade to Mavericks I'll have to pay for the upgrade of the Server should I need it.
Basically my question is why doesn't the Software Update propose me to upgrade my Mac mini.

OS X Mavericks requires an Early 2009 or newer Mac mini. As your Mac has got an Intel Core Duo processor, you shouldn't be able to upgrade, but to check this, open the Mac App Store and try to download OS X Mavericks. The Mac App Store will show an error if your Mac is not compatible.
If it's compatible, you will have to purchase OS X Server after upgrading. Make a backup of your files with Time Machine and check that your applications are compatible > http://www.roaringapps.com

Mac Mini Server - Is it really good enough?

Hi
The new Mac Mini Server configuration may be great for small workgroups wanting to collaborate on Wikis, calendaring and a little bit of file sharing, but when it comes to backup, this little baby really doesn't cut the mustard. So, how to backup your valuable data? AIT-2 Turbo drives have Firewire interfaces, but AIT technology is/is being discontinued and LTO is only available as SAS or SCSI and there's no way to connect it to a Mac Mini. For a small amount of data, an Iomega REV drive can be used, but if you configure a Mac Mini Server as per Apple's suggestion on their store with a Promise SmartStor DS4600, all of a sudden you've got 3TB of data storage and no effective way of backing up.
Has anybody else thought about this and perhaps thought of a solution? I'd be interested to know.
Paul

Hi,
I would say in this situation Time Machine is your best bet, backing up to either a USB/Firewire device, or a NAS box of some kind.
Failing that, you can get USB tape devices from a wide range of suppliers (they are actually standard SATA/SAS/SCSI devices usually, and simply feature a converter in the enclosure).
I think the real questions you need to be asking here are:
-How critical is the application/data you are thinking of hosting on your Mini?
+-If it's highly critical, you need to look at investing in a high end NAS/tape device, or maybe finding a way to cluster two Minis together...+
+Remember that your chosen backup solution depends on how you need to protect the data. For example, if you are simply wanting to protect against data loss due to a hard drive failure, a solution that mirrors the disk directly (or at the end of every day) will be good.+
+If you need to have periodic snapshots of your data going back over x number of days, your system will automatically become alot more complex and expensive.+
-Is the cost of what is required in securing the data going to make the option of selecting a different system (such as the Mac Pro or a low-end/second user X-Serve) more cost effective.
+-The Mini is intended to be a desktop machine. Look at any server on the market (PCs too!) and you will see that even low-end workgroup servers tend to feature at least 2 disks!+
I hope this helps,
Jon

Mac Mini & Mac Mini Server

Hi
I would like to know the "suitability" of Mac Mini or Mac Mini Server for web hosting (multiple domain/site) purpose. Some basic assumptions include : budget less than USD$5, user base / concurrent access less than 500, hosted at data centre with average bandwidth (not sure at the moment though).
Basically, I am disappointed with the purchase experience with Windows server. I have ready cash but the reseller seems no so keen. Perhaps, I am not the big spender. I wanted Windows server is because my developer is "brained-wash" in Windows world. He uses the standard PHP, mySQL related stuff. So I am trying to "brain-wash" him to Mac but it's a challenging task for me with little knowledge on the subject matter.
I need to know if Mac Mini and or server is "powerful" as compared with Windows server. I know it is not a very "fair" question but if I know there is very few people use such, then I more or less know the answer.
HTH.

Some things to consider.
The mini server will consume low power, generate little heat, and can be packed densely into a data center, achieving high levels of clustering or redundancy. The flash storage is plenty fast but not spacious. They are also cheap enough to buy two to form a level of redundancy, especially if you are using a load balancer.
However, Mavericks Server no longer includes MySQL. This download you must do yourself. PHP and Apache are present but Apple is not always the fastest to patch these two products. You can replace the stack with a MAMP install which might serve you well. Server.app does not expose all the Apache features that a hosting service may want/need. However, you can edit the conf file manually. If you are planning on giving your customers remote access, FTP is hobbled in Mavericks and you need to do a ton of work (or buy something else) to get multi-tenant chroot.
Regarding "powerful"... If you are using the device for a single task, then the issue falls to the performance of the network card in comparison to your internet connection speed. If you are getting a 100 MB connection then the possible concurrent requests will never saturate the server. This assumes that your HTML and images are optimized and you are not sending out a bunch of 1 MB GIFs. Also, the consideration is Apache vs IIS. Apple provides Apache and a simple interface for "casual" web services, usually one site or to support its own services.
Keep in mind that there are many Linux solutions that exist in which the cost of hardware might be equal to or less than the mini. And in this case, you are getting the raw LAMP stack that you can more fully customize and patch.
Reid
Apple Consultants Network
Apple Professional Services
Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Cannot see Mac Mini Server from Internet: DynDNS alias gets thru cable modem to wireless router, not to the Mac Mini. How to configure?

I want to make my Mac Mini Server (Lion) visible to the Internet from my home LAN. I have followed the Lion server install wizards and also set up a dynamic DNS at DynDNS.com.
When I enter the Internet address with the proper alias from a web browser, I get dumped into the admin screen of the Linksys wireless router WRT300N. Hint: the WRT300N provides DHCP for the LAN, not the cable modem providing DHCP. The WRT300N has DDNS service set up. NAT and RIP are disabled. The Mac Mini DHCP is reserved.
Suggestions? I could use the Motorola Surfboard SB6121 to provide DHCP but have hesitations.
Point me to the right discussion/article and get me back on track, please.

This sounds like a simple port forwarding issue, but I don't understand your LAN setup.
The WRT300N has DDNS service set up. NAT and RIP are disabled.
The chances are, you're running NAT somewhere in your network. If not the WRT then what? If it's your cable modem then you must have port forwarding configured on the cable modem, and that's where you need to focus - change the port forwarding to point to your Mac Mini's address rather than the WRT.
HOWEVER, it is far more common to have the wireless router perform NAT and DHCP, which is why I question your setup.
Not directly related, but:
The Mac Mini DHCP is reserved
Nix this. Your server should be configured manually, with a static IP address, not DHCP, even with a reservation in the DHCP server. The only advantage of DHCP is for dynamic hosts (hence the 'D' in 'DHCP') or if you expect to change your entire local subnet on any kind of frequent basis. The reality is that you can't just change the IP address of Mac OS X Server like this - there are too many dependencies, so it's better to set it manually, knowing that there's a cost (and pain) to change the server's address.

Mac Mini server question

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