Mac Mini / OS X Server

Provided that the main role of a server is to serve files from a large disk storage system to multiple users connected through a LAN how does a mini fit the bill better than another more suitable model? Is there a software application that only runs on a server that doesn't on a workstation?

The software will run fine, but the mini isn't really geared up to be a serious file server. That hard drive is a notebook part, for example.

What kind of work were you thinking to have this server do? X Server may be overkill, if so little hardware is enough for the job.

Well, if you just want to learn and work with X Serve, that platform will certainly run it. I've certainly set up my share of workstation and laptop based servers for both Windows and Linux. Now you have me intrigued to check out X Serve. Damn you!

Okay, so you're really interested in Server for the easy work you get from Server Admin? That's definitely reasonable, Apple did a nice job with that stuff. Plain old OS X could do the job too, but it is nice to have everything already there and configured.

I wouldn't worry too much about the kernel bottleneck scare stories, you're not going to be running a Google or Yahoo with that kind of hardware anyway.

At worst, if the hardware isn't enough, you could always put the Server license onto a bigger machine later, and find another job for the mini.

thepetemeister said:

All I have found is the 3 year maintenance plan. Do they have a standard upgrade policy for OS X Server?

Click to expand...

That is the upgrade plan, I'm afraid. At worst, the three-year deal will cost you the same as simply buying Leopard, at best you'll get whatever comes after Leopard too and cut the price per upgrade in half.