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Need advices: Mac Mini Server & Storage Server

TinyMito

TinyMito

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 1, 2021
863
1,227
Hey guys,

I am looking to purchase a Mac Mini or the new Mac Mini that is coming out soon to replace my old Linux desktop runs on Phenom II X4 + 17TB of drives, Currently it is housed with 1x 2.5" SSD, 4x WD NAS drive and 1x old WD Green drive.

I am fine to get rid of the SSD or even the Green drive.

While that being said, new setup will have a much smaller footprint and more efficient energy usage.

Mac Mini + External Bay drive 4 slots.

Now, I don't know what external bay drive works will with macOS system that is reliable. Do any of you can recommend me one? I am not really looking into a dedicated NAS bay solution because I am looking to do more with Mac Mini as a server attached with a reliable bay drive. Setup will be a home web test server, Plex, backups.

Oh and it will be run headless after the setup.

Thanks!
 
I used to use a Mac mini 2014, but since got a Mac Studio, I turned my M1 Mac mini into the server, which replaced the 2014. I use a OWC Thunderbay 4 with the SoftRAID software, which I bought in 2015 with 4x 3TB WD Red hard drives and it still works. They usually cost around 500 without the software and 600 with the RAID software. I do suggest replacing the fan with a Noctua to make it silent. They also have a USB-C 4 bay enclosure without Thunderbolt if you don't need Thunderbolt speeds.

It can also access storage on my TrueNAS via 10GB Ethernet, which is set up as a SAN as the Mac mini still does the file sharing. I use iSCSI to make the RAIDz2 volume appear as a local hard drive and everything get back up with Backblaze. I have this M1 Mac mini headless and I can access it through Jump Desktop without issues. Install BetterDummy to get all the resolutions.
 
chikorita157 said:
I used to use a Mac mini 2014, but since got a Mac Studio, I turned my M1 Mac mini into the server, which replaced the 2014. I use a OWC Thunderbay 4 with the SoftRAID software, which I bought in 2015 with 4x 3TB WD Red hard drives and it still works. They usually cost around 500 without the software and 600 with the RAID software. I do suggest replacing the fan with a Noctua to make it silent. They also have a USB-C 4 bay enclosure without Thunderbolt if you don't need Thunderbolt speeds.

It can also access storage on my TrueNAS via 10GB Ethernet, which is set up as a SAN as the Mac mini still does the file sharing. I use iSCSI to make the RAIDz2 volume appear as a local hard drive and everything get back up with Backblaze. I have this M1 Mac mini headless and I can access it through Jump Desktop without issues. Install BetterDummy to get all the resolutions.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Can OWC Thunderbay 4 install with TrueNAS (FreeNAS)?
 
TinyMito said:
Thanks! Can OWC Thunderbay 4 install with TrueNAS (FreeNAS)?
Click to expand...
Not sure, it's something I haven't tested, but it might since the Thunderbay appears as a SATA controller PCIe device.. Also, TrueNAS won't work on a M1 Mac mini for obvious reasons and even if you want to install TrueNAS on a Mac mini, I don't see the point of using a Mac mini since an Intel NUC also has Thunderbolt 3 and can use these enclosures, unless you want macOS, there is no need to use TrueNAS. The TrueNAS server I have is a custom built PC with four 16TB Seagate Exos drives. which my Mac mini has access to via iSCSI.
 
chikorita157 said:
Not sure, it's something I haven't tested, but it might since the Thunderbay appears as a SATA controller PCIe device.. Also, TrueNAS won't work on a M1 Mac mini for obvious reasons and even if you want to install TrueNAS on a Mac mini, I don't see the point of using a Mac mini since an Intel NUC also has Thunderbolt 3 and can use these enclosures, unless you want macOS, there is no need to use TrueNAS. The TrueNAS server I have is a custom built PC with four 16TB Seagate Exos drives. which my Mac mini has access to via iSCSI.
Click to expand...
Oh right, macOS itself. I can just get the Thunderbay without raid software would that be a good solution? Or I do need SoftRAID?
 
TinyMito said:
Mac Mini + External Bay drive 4 slots.
Click to expand...
I had a setup like this with a Mini and RaidSonic IB-RD3640SU3E2 IcyBox 4x3.5" enclosure with four 8TB drives. I connected via Firewire and then hacked a SATA connection out of the Mini and tried the eSATA interface on the enclosure which didn't work - a SATA multiplier was needed to see all 4 disks inside. No big deal in my case, back to FW800 and it was rock solid for over 8 years. More or less same duties you plan for your setup; file server, email, web development, SQL databases. The FW version is not an easy find nowadays, a non-Firewire version is here (FWIW you'd have to use the USB3 interface).

TinyMito said:
While that being said, new setup will have a much smaller footprint and more efficient energy usage.
Click to expand...

Eventually, though, due to the load on the Mini (it was too loud for my liking in a living room server role) I ran the same enclosure with a 8GB Raspberry Pi4 via USB3 (ESXi with 4 Ubuntu VMs) with a minimal performance penalty compared to the Mini for like a year. That setup was about 10 times as energy efficient as the Mini. Finally, as I moved house and started to (over)produce my own energy, I switched to a Dell R420 and located the equipment in the basement ;)
 
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TinyMito said:
I just look up another post here about the Apple vs SoftRAID: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...y-vs-softraid-for-managing-raid-sets.2219413/

---

Aside from that there are two models one is Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt 3.

TB2 is like around 1Gbps
TB3 is like 1.5Gbps

My entire home network is only limited to 1Gbps anyways. Correct me if I am wrong, having TB3 version if cost more will not benefit me right?
Click to expand...
TB2 is 2 channels each of 10 Gbps, total 20 Gbps
TB3 is 2 channels each of 20 Gbps, total 40 Gbps

perhaps you are confusing Gbps with GBps
 
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