Replacing several XServe to...Mac mini? Mac Pro?

Hello,
we have several Xserve running several services all binded with Open Directory. Most of this Xserves doesn's support no more than Lion Server wich we don't wnat to upgrade.
We are thinking about replacing these all together migrating services (manually or not), but the question is about performance on the new servers.
Can anyone suggest something? We don't consider old Mac Pros, we are doing a new upgrade old stuff will be again a problem in a couple of years
Thank You

The Mac mini is a surprisingly powerful machine. However, it has its limitations. They include:
• No enterprise support - If you get AppleCare, it is a consumer AppleCare agreement. A hardware issue means your are likely down for about three days (this goes for the Mac Pro also)
• No redundant hardware other than the drives
• No how swap parts
• No PCI so expansion means break out boxes, dongles, and adaptors.
Now, that being said, if you are looking to the present and the future, you might be looking to replace all legacy components and just go modern. If this is the case, the mini will fit the bill and:
• Reduce power consumption
• Reduce heat generation
• Consume less space
Also, a strategy I am employing is to simply buy an extra mini. Use it as a cold spare.
R-
Apple Consultants Network
Apple Professional Services
Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Similar Messages

Mac Mini & MacBook Pro with Identical Libraries - Will Match work?

Hi Guys,
This is the scenario:-
I have a Mac Mini & a MacBook Pro, both machines have identical Music libraries kept in sync using the automatic downloads function within iTunes (I only buy music from iTunes) This is great as I can ensure that anything I download to my Mini is also available on the MBP. However it does not keep the Play Count in sync which would be fantastic if it could also I would like a little more piece of mind when it comes to backing up my library so I am considering iTunes Match.
Question:-
If I enable iTunes match on my MBP and let it do its thing, when I enable it on the Mini will there be any issues I should be concerned about and will it keep both libraries intact and keep the play count in sync accross both machines?
Thanks in advance!

Congratulations, because if you do, indeed purchase only from iTunes and haven't added anything from CD, you are the ideal customer for Match. Your music should all be in the "purchased" category. This is good for you in several ways:
(1) your first Match session should go pretty quickly. What bogs things down are numerous tracks that are neither purchased nor matched, thus need to upload.
(2) the number of tracks you have that might get tagged as "ineligible" is probably going to be very low. There is a fix for most ineligible tracks (making an AAC version in iTunes), but it's a hassle you might be able to avoid.
(3) the 25,000 limit applies to everything - except purchased tracks. So if you had 24,999 purchased tracks and one "match" you could still add 24,999 from CDs if you wanted to in the future. You'd also have access to those purchased tracks in a matter of minutes. Uploading the same number, well, people are reporting days . . .
Not certain what might happen to your play counts. I understand some of that gets nulled out for some people, but perhaps in your case it won't be an issue.
Finally, I echo Michael when he suggests you not look at the cloud as a reliable backup. Even if you were willing to trust that it would always be there for you, there are enough reports of songs being mis-matched that it would be foolish to assume what's in the cloud is really identical to what you have on your Mini and MacBook Pro.

Macbook, mac mini, and pro tools

Can anyone tell me if it can be done and how to setup a macbook to view and control a mac mini and then use the two computers processors to beef up the processing power to run a pro tools digi 002 rack for recording? I think the digi 002 wants to only see one operating system, but can one computer "borrow" some ram and processor power to help with the pro tools recording needs? Thank you so much for your time.

thinking about maybe switching to a mini later this year depending on what the new ones offer when they're announced.....
If that's what you are planning, wait till they are announced to be in the channel to find out what the mileage is like. You never know what new compatibility issues might arise. Remember with each new release, no Mac can run an older Mac operating system than shipped with it. So any experience we give here today may be vastly different from what you might run into in the future.
Then if people's mileage is not what you want, and it is better on the old, get a refurbished model*:
http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html
Note, most Mac Mini users are not running Pro Tools. If you want Pro Tools experience of today, it is better to ask in the Mac Mini forum. If you like, I can ask a moderator to move this thread.

Mac mini to pro equivalent?

sorry not sure if to put thin here or the mac pro section
i have a i5 2.3 2011 mac mini. its working fine and has been, but now im running out of space and ram for my projects.
my main uses are producing music and hi-res/hd movie editing, green screen stuff.
ive got an extra 750GB HD in it, 2 external 1TB drives, 16GB ram
i want to consolidate my existing wires, cables,docks, mini drives into 1, neat, machine
i know that next year a new mac pro is coming out and i'd like to get one but for now, i need more.
its not worth me spending £1900+ right now for a machine i dont plan to keep.
anyway, i need a mac pro and ive looked at bench marks and all that jazz and its giving me a headache
i just want to know, what pro i should aim for?
eg. a mac pro from 2008 quad? is a 2009 2.66 quad for £900 daylight robbery?
im not worried about it being lightning fast and cooking me breakfast just basic equivalent or better, that wont cost a bomb.
thanks

To give you a rough idea, since it depends on what the SW can take advantage of, but potential...
(And since i5 Minis were 2011 or later, I'll include that)
Mac mini "Core 2 Duo" 2.4 (Mid-2010)... Geekbench: 3307/3635
Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Mid-2011)... Geekbench:
6472/7224
Mac Pro "Quad Core" 3.2 (2010/Nehalem).. Geekbench: 9850/10440
Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.26 (2009/Nehalem)... Geekbench: 11864/13363
Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.66 (2009/Nehalem)... Geekbench: 14317/16093
Mac Pro "Eight Core" 2.93 (2009/Nehalem)... Geekbench: 15572/17619

New mac mini, logic pro x...best way to set up?

Hi folks. Ive a new mac mini i5 and i want to download logic pro x. Id love any advice. For example, i presume that loading the program onto the main hardrive and content for samples onto another is the ususal way to increase speed and cpu but how do i go about this with the mini? anyway, any advice from mini owners with lpx would be appreciated. Cheers.

johnwaxie wrote:
Hi folks. Ive a new mac mini i5 and i want to download logic pro x. Id love any advice. For example, i presume that loading the program onto the main hardrive
I presume you are downloading Logic Pro X from the App Store in which case there is no option of where to install the application. It will be installed in the /Applications folder on the boot drive.
johnwaxie wrote:
and content for samples onto another is the ususal way to increase speed and cpu
Assuming you have an external hard drive with a high speed (Firewire 800, USB 3SS, or Thunderbolt) interface and a 7200 rpm HD, you might see some I/O speed improvement due to a lack of conflict on the bus, but if you new Mac mini has a Fusion drive, which ends up being almost as fast as an SSD (Solid State Drive), and any speed improvement from moving the data to an external drive would be probably be marginal at best. If you want to increase CPU speed then get the upgrade Mac mini with the 2.6GHz quad core i7 processor and no matter what processor you get, max out the RAM memory at 16GB. Apple is awfully proud of its RAM so you might consider getting the additional RAM from Other World Computing or Crucial and save $100 or so.

Sync Ical. Mac mini+Macbook pro

I am looking for a simple efficient way to constantly/automatically sync data from my mac mini to my macbook pro.
Thanks.

Since all the heavy lifting has been completed with the
file transfers, I would consider doing all the syncing
via wireless network if you have one. If not, you can
set up the Mini to create a wireless network and just
connect the MBPR to it (the reverse would work as
well).
If for some reason you really want to do a wired connection,
then you would have to boot one or the other into target disk
mode and then connect them via TB or FW.
For file syncing, there are a variety of apps out there to
accomplish that. You just need to set up file sharing
on both Macs and select the folders to share.

Mac Mini - MacBook Pro Retina Correct Set Up and Sync

Hi - I am looking for some advice. I have a MBPR which is connected to a Thunderbolt display and an external HD. The MBPR has been my primary hard disk until now with a frequent back up to a Time Machine (and external disk for a large media file collection). I just purchased a Mac Mini with the view to making this the primary hard disk and using the MBPR for increasing mobile activity. I have two questions:
1. What is the correct wiring configuration between the Mac Mini, MBPR, Thunderbolt display and external hard disk (using Lightning/Lightning to USB cables) to allow me to transfer data/use all devices?
2. I have migrated all required data from the MBPR to the Mac Mini but how do I maintain a sync going forward? I only want to sync changes made to files/content on either the MBPR or the Mac Mini.
Many thanks

Since all the heavy lifting has been completed with the
file transfers, I would consider doing all the syncing
via wireless network if you have one. If not, you can
set up the Mini to create a wireless network and just
connect the MBPR to it (the reverse would work as
well).
If for some reason you really want to do a wired connection,
then you would have to boot one or the other into target disk
mode and then connect them via TB or FW.
For file syncing, there are a variety of apps out there to
accomplish that. You just need to set up file sharing
on both Macs and select the folders to share.

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

Reinstall Mac mini Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

Hello;
I bought a used Mac Mini 1.83 GHz Intel Core Dou; didn't come w/ Install DVD. It is full of stuff of the other owner. I just want to reinstall it.
Please advise on getting an install disk. TY.

Call AppleCare Customer Service about ordering replacement discs. You can also purchase a copy of Snow Leopard for $29.00 at any Apple retailer.

Mac Mini + Mac Air External Superdrive

My SuperDrive has stopped working in my Mac Mini early 2009, can I use a Mac Air External SuperDrive as an external replacement?

You can use pretty much any USB CD/DVD drive on the market.
Most will only state on the box Windows requirements, but that
is just for the included bloatware and baitware.

Compatible printers for Mac mini (Mac's)

Where can I find a list of compatible printers for Mac. My current Windows printer is a Canon LBP-1120 and cannot use it with my Mac mini. So its probably time to get another printer for my Macs.

I should add that there are a number of printers that are compatible and that don't necessarily appear to be so as a result of third-party drivers. This includes, if I'm not mistaken, some Canon models which can be plugged in and selected in Printer setup.
Others, such as at least some Epson, HP and Lexmark models, are supplied with Windows and MacOS drivers (you need to make sure they're for the right version of MacOS) or the box will be labelled such that it indicates PC/Mac compatibility.
You might take a quick look at the printers offered through the online Apple store (under Mac accessories) to get an idea of which makes to look at. This will only tell you about current models of course, but should at least prove a reliable starting point.

Help to set up network: XP Home OS desktop & mac mini (Mac OS/ XP Home OS)

Hello!
I’d be grateful for advice on setting up a home network.
I’m a total newbie to MAC OS Leopard, so please excuse my lack of knowledge!
Background:
- Livebox (residential internet gateway)
- XP Home OS Desktop pc (has wired connection to Livebox)
- MAC OS Leopard Apple Mac Mini (has wireless connection to Livebox)
- Mac Mini also has a Windows partition with XP Home OS (has Boot Camp and Fusion installed).
I want to set up a network between the desktop pc and the Mac Mini so I can back up the two hard drives on a shared area, share files, and share the printer.
I have successfully connected the Mac Mini wirelessly to the Livebox (and the internet) via its Airport- obviously on the MAC OS side.
I would like to be able to log into either the Mac OS side or the XP Home side to work on files stored separately in each side. However, I also would like to share files between each side of the mac.
Is there a way the XP Home OS side of the Mac Mini able can access files created on its other, MAC OS side, and vice versa? (would this mean sharing via the network, without physically having to switch between the two sides of the mac itself?)
Consequently, how do I set up the network to share files etc. between the XP Home desktop pc and the Mac Mini (both stored on its XP Home OS side and its Mac OS side)?
Would this mean I set up the network as having 3 individual connections:
1. the XP Home desktop & 2. the XP Home side of the mac & 3. the MAC OS side of the Mac?
If so, how do I set up this network?
I am sure this is much simpler than I have made it sound!!! ;-(
Any comments gratefully received.
Thank you all in advance.
albyliontk

Will i have to reinstall
both OSX and Windows, or will Parallels run with the
already installed Windows xp through bootcamp?
No you can use the bootcamp partition and windows xp directly through parallels.
Second question, i have never installed Windows on a
Mac, so i'm not really sure what to do, so can
someone give me some good tips on this?
First get OSX installed. Then you can look at this for getting help and downloading the latest version of bootcamp.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303572
When i install the new HD, do i install OSX as i
would normally, and then install Bootcamp, or will
installation be different than the regular
straight-forward install?
Install OSX. Bootcamp is then installed into OSX and you run it from there to do the bootcamp setup.
I'm guessing that i will have to partition the drive
to run both OS's, but how will i go about doing that?
And how much disk space should i give each OS? I
have 160GB so maybe 50GB to Windows and 110GB to
OSX?
Bootcamp installer in OSX will partition your drive so you don't need to worry about it yet. I would suggest at least 15 GB , more if you are going to be runnin lots of windows programs.
Btw, i'll be using superduper to make a copy of my
current HD, but i dont know what to do with it when
installing the new HD and OS.
Where are you making the copy of your hard drive at? If it is an external drive you can make it bootable and then you can restore from it on the new drive. Saves a lot of time and trouble.
Mort

Considering Mac Mini for Pro use

Hi.
I'm considering to buy a Mini for replacing my 400Mhz G4.
I mainly use Photoshop and Illustrator for drawing/coloring (large files, hi resolution and so).
I wanted to know if anyone uses a Mini for similar purposes and how well does the machine do. I'm pretty sure I'd definetly do better than my current G4, but anyway, I want to hear any comments about that.
If you wonder why I don't consider a MacPro, cost is the main reason, although I know it would be the best choice in the long term. But since I don't work with video or 3d apps, I guess a Mini would do well.
Thanks in advance!

Some people claims Intel processors are way better than G5. Do you guys agree?
As an example, my G5 dual processor G5 powermac has a broadly similar overall performance to a 1.83 Core 2 Duo mini. The G5 gains in hard drive speed (because it has a 7200rpm unit over the mini's 5400rpm device) but the mini holds it's own, and in fact slightly betters, the DP G5 for CPU performance.
Going a bit further, my 2.4GHz C2D iMac is roughly twice the overall performance of the G5 DP Mac.
It woul;d be hard to draw any conclusion but that the Intel C2D processors are very fast, and certainly have more overall potential than the G5 CPUs - particularly when you consider heat. G5 systems run very hot indeed, and the G5 powermacs for example have very complex cooling systems to help handle that. Intel C2D processors run much cooler by comparison, meaning that they can be put into smaller enclosures with less cooling - or be driven much harder.
I've been searching for G5 Power macs for sale, as well, but I would like to make the best choice in terms of performance and also, thinking of future software, OS, and so.
My take on this is very simple really - that as much as the G5 systems are incredibly powerful in their own right, they're a computing dead-end now. As macOS and software develops, there isn't going to be any appreciable effort to produce software that is optimized for these processors. Indeed, increasingly a likelihood that software will not be written to run on them at all. That doesn't mean these systems are fit for nothing - on the contrary. What it means is that if you have needs that are met by current software that runs on a G5 system, the G5 is very capable and has the advantage of being expandable. However, if you are looking ahead at possible uses into the future, you really couldn't consider a G5 to be a good investment for the future in comparison to an Intel-based Mac. Bear in mind too that future MacOS releases are almost certainly to be heavily biased towards Intel hardware.
Since I own both PPC (G4 and G5) and Intel Macs, I can tell you that in practice my Intel systems get far more use for far more intensive applications. That's the platform I would suggest makes the most sense, unless you can get hold of a DP G5 for very little money, and not only have the software you need for it already, but also know that over time, you are not likely to branch into other uses where software choices may be constrained.
The very fact an Intel mini can run Windows if needed (either via Boot Camp or virtualization) makes this platform a more attractive proposition to many.

How to backup 2 macs (mac mini, macbook pro)

Hello, I was wondering if anyone can help me find a way to backup both of my Mac (Mac Mni and Macbook pro) using only one external drive (via time machine if possible).
Thanks in advance.
BMB

Just back them up to the same drive. Configure Time Machine on each computer to use the same backup drive. Time Machine will create separate backups for each computer.
Be sure the backup drive is at least two times the capacity of the sum of the the two internal drives capacities.

How to use Mac Mini & Mac Pro on same Cinema Displays?

Does it have a tool?

Hi,
you can use the display with both of the machines, however you require a Display Switch,

Replacing several XServe to...Mac mini? Mac Pro?

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