R.A.I.S.

Redundant Array of Independent Servers

Comments 10/24/24 Resources 03/02/22 | Reviews 11/19/20 | Tutorials 10/24/24 | T-Key Dongle Gallery 09/07/22

Apple clarifies future of macOS Server: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208312
https://developer.apple.com/support/macos-server/macOS-Server-Service-Migration-Guide.pdf

Since Apple stopped selling the Xserve on January 31, 2011, Server rooms are faced with a devil's bargain: the powerful Mac Pro server has great performance and the Mac mini has great economy and both make nice servers with Apple's $20 OS X Server app . But neither was designed as a rack-mountable modular system with the redundancy of available parts kits.

A possible solution is the R.A.I.S. suggested on AFP548.com

Take one Mac mini server configure as you like and enable its boot drive as a RAID member. Boot the other Mac mini server into Target Disk Mode. Connect them with a FW-800 cable (or ThunderBolt cable if the equipment supports it). Add the TDM mini to the mirror that the boot drive is in.

Now if Primary Mac has blown a logic board, power supply, or drive you simply disconnect the TDM cable and start up the Secondary Mac without Target Disc Mode.

Voila! Redundancy! Costs less than an Xserve spare parts kit, too!

Podcast

Listen to Alex Narvey talk about R.A.I.S. on the Command-Control-Power podcast:

Comments

In reverse chronological order

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Resources

This web page provides some resources for getting your RAIS together.

Performance - Power - Software/Monitoring - Network - Co-location - Target Disk Mode - Hardware Mods - Video- Racks - Expansion Docks

Click here to add your own resource.

Performance

Turn on performance mode for OS X Server - Turning on Server Performance Mode in El Capitan (and earlier)
Server 5 Performance Tweak Articles - Dr Greg Mulhauser discusses (mostly apache-related) performance tweaks for OS X Server
RAIS Resources: Headless Video Tweaks - Fool headless mini's into using GPU

Power

WebSwitch ™ Control by Web WebSwitch.
DataProbe iBoot - Remote booting.
APC Switched Rack PDU - Remotely manage power outlets

KVM-over-IP

Lantronix SpiderDuo - KVM-over-IP with optional power management unit

Software/Monitoring

SoftRAID - Offers email notifications and faster rebuilds than Apple Disk Utility
Watchman Monitoring - Added Security for RAIS Configurations
Check IP Launch Daemon - Inspired by FogDogIT's idea I created this LaunchDaemon to monitor/notify of i.p. change
iStat Server - iStat Server for Mac transmits your computer or server’s vital statistics to iStat for iOS.
Idera Uptime Cloud Monitor - Unified monitoring of your entire cloud infrastructure.
Simon: Flexible Server Montoring - It checks servers for changes or failures, and notifies you via e-mail, sound, speech, Twitter, or other means

Network

StarTech USB 3 Gigabit Ethernet adapter - Get Link Aggregation working on that mini!

Co-location

Mac Mini Vault - Data center with cabinets that fit over 140 minis. Milwaukee and Phoenix.
Green Mini host - Hosting provider that takes only Mac mini's, based in The Netherlands
Mac Mini Colo - Hosted in Las Vegas at Switch (touted as "America's safest data center").
MacStadium - Lots of tutorials on this site in /blog/category/howto.

Target Disk Mode

Apple Silicon - Transfer files between a Mac with Apple silicon and another Mac.
TDM_USB_Dongle - Make your own Target Disk Mode USB Dongle.
Connect with Thunderbolt 3 on your late-2016 MacBook Pro - Apple Tech Note on the new Thunderbolt 3
USB-C Target Disk Mode - Your MacBook with USB-C port supports USB target disk mode!
Mac Target Disk Mode now includes USB, hooray
Belkin 3.1 USB-C to USB-C Cable - Target Disk Mode from MacBook 12" to MacBook 12"
One-Key Keyboard Hack One-Key Keyboard Hack page
Programmable HID USB Dongle - using a "Teensy"

Video

We Turned Our iPad into a Wireless Display for Mac Mini - by Luna Display
fit-Headless HDMI Video Adapter - A headless Mac mini will detect a display and therefore enable use of the GPU.
Build a dummy dongle for a headless mac mini - Get more video power for screen sharing
Accell HDMI to VGA Adapter - HDMI to VGA adapter (USB and AC power included)
Kanex ATV Pro - HDMI to VGA Adapter
HIS Multi-View II Adapter - A USB to VGA video adapter

Hardware Mods

miniStack is a stackable external hard drive solution to compliment Mac mini - by OWC
15 Creative MAC Mini Mods - By Paul Andrew
Mac Mini Mod, Monitor, & Keyboard - By Dave Veloz
2x mac mini 2018 active fan mod + razer x fan mod - By mojomojo
We Turned Our iPad into a Wireless Display for Mac Mini - by Luna Display
Keep Your Aging Mac Mini Alive With a Few Clever Upgrades - by Patrick Lucas Austin
Mod a Mac Mini for DC Power -
Installing Mac mini Model A1283 Terabyte Drive - iFixit PDF Guide for original Mac mini
Upgrading/Replacing the Hard Drives in a 2010 Mac mini Server - OWC Instructional Video
Samsung unveils 2TB 850 Pro and 850 Evo SSDs - 2TB Storage in the 2.5" SATA factor
3'rd Party SSD Trim Support - Apple enables Trim for 3rd party SSD's in OS X 10.10.4
Colored Thunderbolt cables - from OWC

Racks

Sonnet xMac mini Server (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) - Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe card expansion system/1U rackmount enclosure for Mac mini!
H Squared 18 Mac mini rack tray - 383 GigaFLOPS, 36 Cores, 18 TB storage, 144 GB RAM; in 5U!
Mac Mini Racks from MK1 Manufacturing -
Sonnet RackMac mini - Fully-assembled rackmount solution for the latest line of Mac® mini servers and computers
Sonnet xMac mini Server - Transform a Mac mini Server with Thunderbolt Technology into an Enterprise Class Rack Mount Server!
Sonnet xMac Pro Server - 4U Rackmount enclosure for new Mac Pro with ThunderBolt 2 and PCIe 2.0

Expansion/Docks

Satechi Type-C Aluminum Stand & Hub for Mac mini - USB-C data port, 3 USB-A 3.0 ports, micro/SD card readers, and a 3.5mm headphone jack
Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD (40 Gbps) - Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD the true all-in-one docking solution
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock - 13 ports, endless possibilities including 2 4K displays.
Belkin ThunderBolt 2 Express Dock HD with Cable - up to 8 devices including dual displays and 4K cinema resolution
Akitio Thunder Dock - multiple ports for USB 3.0, eSATA and FireWire 800 plus two Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining
Matrox DS1 Docking Station - Thunderbolt Docking Station for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air
CalDigit Thunderbolt™ Station - Dual Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, Audio In & Out, HDMI, and Ethernet connectivity
CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 mini Dock - Portable, Dual 4K, Bus Powered
CalDigit Thunderbolt™ Station 3 - Charging & Expanding Thunderbolt 3 Workflows
CalDigit Thunderbolt™ Station 3 Plus - 15 Ports of Extreme Connectivity for Thunderbolt 3 Workflows

Miscellaneous

macOS Server Service Migration Guide - v1.3 - March, 2021
Xserve Transition Guide - Apple tells it like it is - November, 2010
Command-Control-Power - Alex is interviewed on R.A.I.S. by Joe Saponare, Sam Valencia, and Jerry Zigmont
Bender - Automated Backup of OS X Server Settings - A very handy free utility from Robot Cloud
The Mac mini Server - Macminicolo.net's tips and information on running a Mac mini server
Why use a Mac mini? - Mac Mini Vault's Mac lists some strengths of the Mac mini
A Power User's Guide to OS X Server Yosemite version (4) - by ars technica
El Capitan Server - Foundation Services by Reid Bundonis on iBooks - iTunes - First of three in the El Capitan Series
El Capitan Server - Control & Collaboration by Reid Bundonis - iTunes - Second of three in the El Capitan Series
Turn a Mac mini into a media server with Plex -
OS X Server 5 – iOS File Sharing - A new option in OS X Server 5
Take Control of OS X Server - Krypted's Charles Edge covers El Capitan and OS X Server 5
Making the Most of the Mac mini For Use With the Casper Suite - A discussion of Rack serving RAIDed minis - Great rsync tips too.

Performance - Power - Software/Monitoring - Network - Co-location - Target Disk Mode - Hardware Mods - Video- Racks - Expansion Docks

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Reviews

Reviews of equipment from around the web.

Click here to add your own reviews.

Apple Mac mini - Back with a Vengeance Review - TechRadar.
2018 Mac mini versus other Macs - Barefeats.
Hands on: Mac mini (2018) review - techradar.
Apple Mac Mini (2018) hands-on review - digital trends.
In praise of the versatile Mac mini - Macworld's Dan Moren praises the Mac mini.
Thunderbolt docks review - Macworld surveys the Thunderbolt expansion Dock field.
TUAW takes Macminicolo for a spin - Brett Terpstra checks out Macminicolo.
Akitio Thunder Dock Review - Ric Ford does a comparison review of the Akitio Thunder Dock
Can a Quad+Core 2012 Mac mini replace a Quad+Core Mac Pro? - Bare Feats mini vs. Pro
macOS Server 5.4 changes in High Sierra - Here are some change that may affect you!

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T-Key Dongle Gallery

A slide show of reader's T-key dongles submissions.

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Tutorials

Some tutorial instructions to help you get going.

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Warning: No warrantee of the RAIS concept or its fitness for use is express or implied. Apple, Mac mini, and Mac OS X Server are trademarks of Apple, Inc. All other 3rd party hardware and software are trademarks of their respective owners.

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