Comments on: How Far Can You Push a Mac Mini? http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/ Understanding the accumulation of data Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:58:00 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Your Questions About Serial Ata Drives Mac Mini http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-16197 Your Questions About Serial Ata Drives Mac Mini Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:11:44 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-16197 [...] iSight camera * Backlit keyboardadmin answers:Macbook AirPowered by Yahoo! AnswersRelated BlogsPaul asks…mac mini or imac g5(intel core duo)?K, so im deciding to be a first time mac owner and i...iv class="dtm-content">mac mini or imac g5(intel core duo)?K, so im deciding to be a first time mac [...] [...] iSight camera * Backlit keyboardadmin answers:Macbook AirPowered by Yahoo! AnswersRelated BlogsPaul asks…mac mini or imac g5(intel core duo)?K, so im deciding to be a first time mac owner and i…iv class="dtm-content">mac mini or imac g5(intel core duo)?K, so im deciding to be a first time mac [...]

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-15698 Anonymous Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:25:00 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-15698 Hi, Yes, it has been awhile since I mess with the Mini RAID setup. The old mini's BUS speed is just too slow for the new Hardwares. I'm still planning on building my "Big Mac" with the newer Mini and the G4 Cube housing. Anyway, to answer some of your question. Yes the PM is similar to a "HUB"; Hardware PM can be set using hardware to run RAID and it's faster. Hooking up regular PM and run with Apple RAID software will be tab slower. ANd for the Power usage, you'll have to calculate how much you're using by how many HDs you'll be hooked in a chain. (You can hook PM's like a tree: like 4 PM under each of the 4 PM and under the final single PM, that gives you 16 HD hooked together in RAID, but you must start and set the RIAD from the bottom and work you r way up and it all depends on which RIAD setup you choose? FOr me, I was setting up RAID o for process speed, not for storage; there are many different settting for different RIADs. Oh, Another thing is you don't want to miss match different HD capacities. THis means it's better to pair up the same size HDs under the same PM. (Hope that make sense?) If you do need extra power upply, there are plenty of external HD adaptor to read or copy HDs with and you should be able to hook up at least 4, may be up to 8 HDs each, dpends on the Wattage. If you use SSD, it will use even less power, there is no need for power to spin any disc. Hope this helps? Now the SATA 3 is out so are the USB 3.0; both are much faster! Hi,
Yes, it has been awhile since I mess with the Mini RAID setup. The old mini’s BUS speed is just too slow for the new Hardwares.
I’m still planning on building my “Big Mac” with the newer Mini and the G4 Cube housing.

Anyway, to answer some of your question.
Yes the PM is similar to a “HUB”; Hardware PM can be set using hardware to run RAID and it’s faster. Hooking up regular PM and run with Apple RAID software will be tab slower.
ANd for the Power usage, you’ll have to calculate how much you’re using by how many HDs you’ll be hooked in a chain. (You can hook PM’s like a tree: like 4 PM under each of the 4 PM and under the final single PM, that gives you 16 HD hooked together in RAID, but you must start and set the RIAD from the bottom and work you r way up and it all depends on which RIAD setup you choose?
FOr me, I was setting up RAID o for process speed, not for storage; there are many different settting for different RIADs.
Oh, Another thing is you don’t want to miss match different HD capacities. THis means it’s better to pair up the same size HDs under the same PM. (Hope that make sense?)

If you do need extra power upply, there are plenty of external HD adaptor to read or copy HDs with and you should be able to hook up at least 4, may be up to 8 HDs each, dpends on the Wattage. If you use SSD, it will use even less power, there is no need for power to spin any disc.
Hope this helps?
Now the SATA 3 is out so are the USB 3.0; both are much faster!

]]> By: Pahoran Flores http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-15696 Pahoran Flores Thu, 10 Feb 2011 10:58:00 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-15696 hey hsus2k! i know this post is over a year old, but im hoping that u will respond, i have a 2009 mini Core 2 Duo 2.26 4gb ram, im wondering if i can do what u did, I want to know if i can get a Port multiplier to hook up a bunch of WD Caviar blacck 2tb 72k drives in raid, I really dont understand the concept of the PM but i guess its kind of a sata HUB? im taking either the Optical drive or the 2.5 Hdd out and adding a 128gb SSD but i want to have alot of storage hooked up thru the sata port, Also wat would be the difference from a PM to a Hardware PM? I would love this cause i can buy a eSATA case for around $400 buks that has 5 3.5" bays and holds up to 10tb in various raid formats. I just cant afford a Mac Pro and want to get the most out of my mini. I guess the PM needs to have each drive powered individually? that would kinda suck cause the mini dont have no eztra power ports. i want to buy one of this which require PM and that also use built in Hardware RAID: http://www.sansdigital.com/towerraid-plus/tr4utbp.html idk man this would be super great for me, the mini is the onlly mac i have and i have like 10 usb hdd hooked up and its kinda slow and just a mess in my opinion, so please man let me know wat u think and wat do u recommend, thanks so much hopefully u reply Pow hey hsus2k!

i know this post is over a year old, but im hoping that u will respond, i have a 2009 mini Core 2 Duo 2.26 4gb ram, im wondering if i can do what u did, I want to know if i can get a Port multiplier to hook up a bunch of WD Caviar blacck 2tb 72k drives in raid, I really dont understand the concept of the PM but i guess its kind of a sata HUB? im taking either the Optical drive or the 2.5 Hdd out and adding a 128gb SSD but i want to have alot of storage hooked up thru the sata port, Also wat would be the difference from a PM to a Hardware PM? I would love this cause i can buy a eSATA case for around $400 buks that has 5 3.5″ bays and holds up to 10tb in various raid formats. I just cant afford a Mac Pro and want to get the most out of my mini. I guess the PM needs to have each drive powered individually? that would kinda suck cause the mini dont have no eztra power ports. i want to buy one of this which require PM and that also use built in Hardware RAID:

http://www.sansdigital.com/towerraid-plus/tr4utbp.html

idk man this would be super great for me, the mini is the onlly mac i have and i have like 10 usb hdd hooked up and its kinda slow and just a mess in my opinion, so please man let me know wat u think and wat do u recommend, thanks so much hopefully u reply

Pow

]]> By: Matteo http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13973 Matteo Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:01:16 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13973 Thank you for the infos...I hope also the newest macmini can support a Sata pm...<br>Thank you again<br>Will make you know<br><br>Matteo Thank you for the infos…I hope also the newest macmini can support a Sata pm…
Thank you again
Will make you know

Matteo

]]> By: Matteo http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13894 Matteo Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:01:16 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13894 Thank you for the infos...I hope also the newest macmini can support a Sata pm...<br>Thank you again<br>Will make you know<br><br>Matteo Thank you for the infos…I hope also the newest macmini can support a Sata pm…
Thank you again
Will make you know

Matteo

]]> By: hsus2k http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13889 hsus2k Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:49:23 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13889 No, I haven't. Though I replaced my HD with a 120 GB SSD the read and write speed never reached over 200 Mbs? I sort of gave up, plus I just had a new born, I really don't have much time to do these experiements anymore.<br> <br>Here are few links will help you:<br><a href="http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/the-mac-mini-external-sata-hack/comment-page-1/" rel="nofollow">http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/t...</a><br> <br><a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac-mini-Model-A1283/659/1" rel="nofollow">http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac-mini-Model-A...</a><br> <br> <br>The sata multiplier I used is also a Hardware (sata) multiplier, which means it is a separate hardware control all the HDs from its "brain" to set RAID configuration; which is much faster than using software RAID.<br>Here is the link: Get the HPM- Harware Port Multiplier, not just the PM- Port Multiplier (you will need controller)<br><a href="http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/" rel="nofollow">http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/</a><br> <br><a href="http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/ad5sapm-e.asp" rel="nofollow">http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controlle...</a><br> <br>Good luck and have fun!<br>Dennis No, I haven't. Though I replaced my HD with a 120 GB SSD the read and write speed never reached over 200 Mbs? I sort of gave up, plus I just had a new born, I really don't have much time to do these experiements anymore.
 
Here are few links will help you:
http://katastrophos.net/andre/blog/2006/11/02/t…
 
http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac-mini-Model-A…
 
 
The sata multiplier I used is also a Hardware (sata) multiplier, which means it is a separate hardware control all the HDs from its “brain” to set RAID configuration; which is much faster than using software RAID.
Here is the link: Get the HPM- Harware Port Multiplier, not just the PM- Port Multiplier (you will need controller)
http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controller/
 
http://www.addonics.com/products/host_controlle…
 
Good luck and have fun!
Dennis

]]> By: Matteo http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13886 Matteo Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:31:34 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13886 Hello,<br>Have you tried to connect multiple HDs through a port multiplier to the 2009 2.0ghz mac mini?<br>I'm Very interested to this because I'd like to do the same thing, but I did not found any info about Sata port multipliers support on mac minis...<br>So I will be very grateful to you if you can give me some more infos<br><br>Thank you very much<br>Matteo Hello,
Have you tried to connect multiple HDs through a port multiplier to the 2009 2.0ghz mac mini?
I'm Very interested to this because I'd like to do the same thing, but I did not found any info about Sata port multipliers support on mac minis…
So I will be very grateful to you if you can give me some more infos

Thank you very much
Matteo

]]> By: sfoskett http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13851 sfoskett Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:30:05 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13851 It's simply the nature of RAID and disk drives. Hard disks fail at a rate of somewhere between 3% and 6% annually. If you stripe data across two disks (as in RAID 0), you double both the chance and impact of this failure. In other words, you might be up to 12% likely to lose all of the data on both drives. This is just unacceptable in my opinion. Therefore, you had better have a reliable backup system (thank god for Time Machine!) if you're going to use RAID 0! It's simply the nature of RAID and disk drives. Hard disks fail at a rate of somewhere between 3% and 6% annually. If you stripe data across two disks (as in RAID 0), you double both the chance and impact of this failure. In other words, you might be up to 12% likely to lose all of the data on both drives. This is just unacceptable in my opinion. Therefore, you had better have a reliable backup system (thank god for Time Machine!) if you're going to use RAID 0!

]]> By: petes33 http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13849 petes33 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:07:23 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13849 Your final note "One last thing" suggest a RAID-0 configuration is prone to fail.<br>Do you believe this to be true with the new Mac mini Server?<br>Is there too much heat generated? Or is it the nature of RAID 0 that makes delicate?<br>Thanks Your final note “One last thing” suggest a RAID-0 configuration is prone to fail.
Do you believe this to be true with the new Mac mini Server?
Is there too much heat generated? Or is it the nature of RAID 0 that makes delicate?
Thanks

]]> By: spiceyweasel http://blog.fosketts.net/2009/03/23/super-mac-mini/comment-page-1/#comment-13827 spiceyweasel Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:50:47 +0000 http://blog.fosketts.net/?p=1639#comment-13827 My arm has finally healed enough for me to gut that G4 Cube and I was blown away by how spacious it is inside. Having done some quick measurements, I now believe it's possible to build my Mini Mod vertically by simply putting the mini's hardware right where the existing logic and controller modules are, including the super drive and have room for at least four 2.5 inch hard drives and STILL have room left over to leave the existing optical drive, or an upgraded model, in it's place. Ironically, there is a slot on the top of the Cube that should accommodate the optical slot of the mini opposite the one that's built for that purpose. There is also a slot to place an 80mm fan as well. My only concern now is whether or not the Mini power supply can handle all of that or is an upgrade in order? All I need to do now is find a donor Mini, preferably one that will handle 8GB of RAM, and we'll be off to the races in no time. I can't wait to get started. My arm has finally healed enough for me to gut that G4 Cube and I was blown away by how spacious it is inside. Having done some quick measurements, I now believe it's possible to build my Mini Mod vertically by simply putting the mini's hardware right where the existing logic and controller modules are, including the super drive and have room for at least four 2.5 inch hard drives and STILL have room left over to leave the existing optical drive, or an upgraded model, in it's place. Ironically, there is a slot on the top of the Cube that should accommodate the optical slot of the mini opposite the one that's built for that purpose. There is also a slot to place an 80mm fan as well. My only concern now is whether or not the Mini power supply can handle all of that or is an upgrade in order? All I need to do now is find a donor Mini, preferably one that will handle 8GB of RAM, and we'll be off to the races in no time. I can't wait to get started.

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