Mailing Lists: Apple Mailing Lists
Image of Mac OS face in stamp
 
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Mac Mini Server

Thanks for the reports from the two previous posters. I think the driver issues may be very simple, or at least, I hope so. Looking at the tech data sheet for the MCP79 AHCI, and Apple uses AHCI Version 1.20, where are you getting that PMware is not supported?

It looks to me as though Version 1.20 explicitly supports it. This means either Apple intentionally disabled it in their driver software, or they never got around to putting it in. It really could be as simple as looking into the driver and changing a single value to turning it on.

I doubt it will be that simple, but the tech data sheet shows all the values one would need to know to give it a shot. I do not have the hardware to give it a try.

You are still stuck at 3.0GB/s and one bus, so there comes a point where multiple drives will hit diminishing returns, but I think a 4 drive, RAID 5, (striped disks with distributed parity) would be so perfect on a mini. Cheap 3.5" drives externally, 3 for capacity, so up to 6GB without breaking the bank, and one for parity.

My only other hack would be RAID 1 on very fast drives on the two internals, but using external 3.5" drives. Using something like SoftRaid, you can still gain speed with the shared read load across two drives, write speed only marginally slowed down. Servers mostly read, so this is perfect. Even database writes are ram based first.

I would then use another RAID 0 Stripe on the FireWire ports, for the speed, and something like rsync as a cold backup of the primary.

Depending on how all this goes, if I can get enough data on this, I will be putting a custom 1U case into production that does one method or the other. If PM is available, it just got a heck of a lot simpler. The hardest part is going to be making an adapter than can plug to the mobo via a y cable to support clean shut down of the drives that will of course run off ATX power.

The Mac Mini as a car stereo guys have been doing this to get ignition based starts and stops of the Mac Mini in their car. The only trouble is they want an arm and a leg for a PSU along with it, and they will not sell the Y cable alone. I have found a few sources to make me a custom Y cable in 100 qty orders, a quick poke with a scope should tell me all I need, though the car audio Y cable sort of did all the research for me.
--
Scott * If you contact me off list replace talklists@ with scott@ *

On Nov 6, 2009, at 10:44 AM, DATOptic - Sam wrote:

The info of NVidia MCP79 AHCI chipset does support PMware, but Apple does not implement it.
particular, AHCI is an open design, hope some one can come up with a driver to support Port Multiplier feature.

NVidia MCP79 does not support PM ware, it does not mean MAC mini Server can only see connect to TWO SATA drives. Correctly, each SATA port can see a SINGLE VOLUME, therefore you can attach multiple hardware RAID like eBOX-R5
http://www.cwol.com/serial-ata/5-bay-hardware-raid-enclosure-ebox-r5.htm
- a hardware raid5 box to enjoy a protect and HUGE storage space

--
Sam Q



Leon Roy wrote: 
Hardware Overview:

 Model Name:	Mac mini
 Model Identifier:	Macmini3,1
 Processor Name:	Intel Core 2 Duo
 Processor Speed:	2.53 GHz
 Number Of Processors:	1
 Total Number Of Cores:	2
 L2 Cache:	3 MB
 Memory:	4 GB
 Bus Speed:	1.07 GHz
 Boot ROM Version:	MM31.00AD.B00
 SMC Version (system):	1.35f1
 Serial Number (system):	XXXXXXX
 Hardware UUID:	XXXXXXX

NVidia MCP79 AHCI:

 Vendor:	NVidia
 Product:	MCP79 AHCI
 Speed:	3 Gigabit
 Description:	AHCI Version 1.20 Supported

Hitachi HTS545050B9SA02:

 Capacity:	500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)
 Model:	Hitachi HTS545050B9SA02                   Revision:	PB4AC60Q
 Serial Number:	XXXXXXX
 Native Command Queuing:	Yes
 Queue Depth:	32
 Removable Media:	No
 Detachable Drive:	No
 BSD Name:	disk0
 Rotational Rate:	5400
 Bay Name:	Lower
 Partition Map Type:	GPT (GUID Partition Table)
 S.M.A.R.T. status:	Verified
 Volumes:
Boot OSX:
 Capacity:	134.2 MB (134,217,728 bytes)
 Writable:	Yes
 BSD Name:	disk0s3

NVidia MCP79 AHCI:

 Vendor:	NVidia
 Product:	MCP79 AHCI
 Speed:	3 Gigabit
 Description:	AHCI Version 1.20 Supported

Hitachi HTS545050B9SA02:

 Capacity:	500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)
 Model:	Hitachi HTS545050B9SA02                   Revision:	PB4AC60Q
 Serial Number:	XXXXXXX
 Native Command Queuing:	Yes
 Queue Depth:	32
 Removable Media:	No
 Detachable Drive:	No
 BSD Name:	disk1
 Rotational Rate:	5400
 Bay Name:	Upper
 Partition Map Type:	GPT (GUID Partition Table)
 S.M.A.R.T. status:	Verified
 Volumes:
Boot OSX:
 Capacity:	134.2 MB (134,217,728 bytes)
 Writable:	Yes
 BSD Name:	disk1s3


----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Haneda" <email@hidden>
To: "MacOS X Server List" <email@hidden>
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2009 3:39:22 AM GMT +00:00 GMT Britain, Ireland, Portugal
Subject: Mac Mini Server

Would someone mind posting a Apple System Profiler report of the new Mac Mini? Not sure if it matters if it is the plain or the server. I think they are the same hardware, just one has a second drive, and no optical.

Specifically looking for details on the SATA stuff.  Thanks

_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Macos-x-server mailing list      (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/macos-x-server/email@hidden

This email sent to email@hidden 

_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Macos-x-server mailing list      (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/macos-x-server/email@hidden

This email sent to email@hidden
References: 
 >Re: Mac Mini Server (From: Leon Roy <email@hidden>)
 >Re: Mac Mini Server (From: DATOptic - Sam <email@hidden>)



Visit the Apple Store online or at retail locations.
1-800-MY-APPLE

Contact Apple | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.