2 macs -> Same TB device

[rodrigoluizb]

Hi

Doing my plans about storage (thanks to who helped me on the other thread), i decide to go with a simple DAS for while: my 3TB seagate Backup Plus and a HD in a FW enclosure. My Backup Plus has a USB3 interface, but i'm thinking to buy the Thunderbolt adapter from seagate. My first question is for anyone who has this adapter: this adapter worth the USD165 (B&H)?

This Thunderbolt adapter has 2 TB ports for daisy chaining. But i thought, i don't know if this is possible, if i can connect two macs on the 2 TB ports, like a iMac on one the port and a macbook on the second port, and, for example, make Time Machine backups of both macs at the same time, on the same drive.

 

[MCAsan]

But which Mac owns the drive? A drive can only be owned by one machine at a time. It is part of one file system....or another.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

But i thought, i don't know if this is possible, if i can connect two macs on the 2 TB ports, like a iMac on one the port and a macbook on the second port, and, for example, make Time Machine backups of both macs at the same time, on the same drive.

Nope.

You could install OS X Server ($19.99 in the App Store) on the Mac that the drive is attached to; that would let you back up the 2nd Mac to the external drive on the first Mac.

 

[flynz4]

The two ports are for daisy chaining. You cannot dual port a drive as a DAS to two independent computers.

Running OSX Server of one of the machines is a good solution. It essentially becomes a NAS (among a bunch of other things) for your network.

/Jim

 

[rodrigoluizb]

After reading some threads here in the forum, i'm seriously thinking to buy the Mac OSX Server from mac app store. Maybe in a few months (more probably years) i'll build a dedicated mac server with a mac mini and some TB raid. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[blueroom]

A Time Capsule or decent NAS would also work.

 

[MCAsan]

A Time Capsule or decent NAS would also work.

The key difference is that the drives are then in another file system (not either Mac) owned by the TC or the NAS. Nothing wrong with that approach at all. I like the new TC units.