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Mini-Mac Server as an NAS

Hi
I have been wanting to start digitalizing my music and placing it on a server.
I have a Mini Mac Server that I have been using for my business that I am replacing with a Windows Server (the programs we run are Windows based and the problems that we have had with the software to convert Macs to virtual Windows Machines have been so problematic that that they have almost closed us down). I was wondering about using the Mini Mac as a home NAS, since I would like to get some use out of it and since I otherwise have a Mac based system at home.
My main concern is this: I need about 4TB, and the Mini mac Server has 1 TB, configured as 2 500 MB drives in a RAID config. Can I add extra drives
and have them work seamlessly?
richardfinegold

Showing 3 responses by herman

herman
2,280 posts
 
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I would start with a new external array rather than add to the internals. 2TB external drives are now less than $100. I would get a couple of those for data storage and a few more for backup. A program like Super Duper can manage the backups.

I have three 1.5TB drives in a concatenated array so it looks to the OS like a single 4.5 TB drive. The advantage is it is easier to manage the library but if any drive fails you lose everything on all discs. Of course you will have a backup or 2 in case that happens.

Supposedly you can add drives to a concatenated array but the one time I tried it it didn't work properly. The drive got added but it didn't add the extra capacity. I could go to disk utilities and see that the array had 3 drives but I had three 1.5 TB drives in an array with only 3 TB of space. You can't remove a drive so I ended up having to reformat those drives as a new array and restore from backup.

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herman
2,280 posts
 
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Apple Osx disk utilities has functions built in to build disk arrays

From Mac disk utility help files



About concatenated disk sets

You can create a single, large disk from several smaller disks by creating a concatenated disk set, which is also called “Just a Bunch of Disks” (JBOD) or “spanning.” The concatenated disk set acts as one large disk with the combined capacity of all the smaller disks. You can increase the size of a concatenated disk set after it’s been created by dragging more disks to it using Disk Utility.

A concatenated disk set is helpful if you have a file, such as a database, that’s larger than any of your disks. It’s also useful if you need to create a mirrored or striped RAID set with one large disk and two smaller disks.

If all the disks in the RAID set are about the same size, consider using a striped RAID set. A striped RAID set lets you access your data quicker.

Be sure to back up your data frequently. If any one of the disks is damaged, you will lose the data that’s on all the disks.


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herman
2,280 posts
 
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You really don't need a reference, it is built into the Apple operating system.

Hook up the drives and open disk utilities. Select one of the drives and then select Raid. Name it, use the default format, and select concatenated. Drag all of the drives you want into the box and select create. When it is done you will have what appears to the computer as one disk drive that is the sum of all the drives you included.

You'll use a program running on the Mac to rip. In the preferences for whatever program you choose you can tell it to store the files directly on your array.

go poke around at these sites to learn more

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/pcaudio

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/

http://www.usbdacs.com/

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