GeraldWW wrote:
Jag server comes as an OS install in its own right. So you don't need both OS X 10.3.2 and OS X Server 10.2.8. Just the one will do nicely.
I guess I was aware of that. For now, I do need a copy of OS9 because the Point of Sales program I use is not yet available for OSX. The beta is due in February, with what will probably be a usable version scheduled for June or July. I put 10.3 in there mostly because it gave me a chance to play with the new OS without having to worry about all the things one worries about when installing a new system on an existing machine.
Not immediately clear why you need to cool the RAID drives. I have twin 120 GB (Maxtors) in a beige G3 desktop case, relying just on the normal psu extraction fan, without any heat problems.
I know a number of people who have lost drives due to overheating. Since the server is going to run 24-7 in an almost unattended office, $20 worth of drive coolers seemed like a good investment.
OS X RAID setup is very simple, but crude. I can't see any reason why OS X RAID mirroring won't work with your proposed setup. You might care to remember that Yellow Dog Linux for Mac is an implementation of Red Hat, and includes far superior RAID software. So you could set up RAID 5 in software (needs a min of three disks) which would be more efficient use of disk space than the mirroring you propose. While you can set up on Linux practically any Mac service you can imagine, and also run Mac apps via the MoL software framework, I haven't yet done this myself so can't confirm that it all works as planned. For Linux, the licence cost is much less than OS X server, but obviously the hassle cost can be much greater.
Nothing against Yellow Dog or Red Hat, but I am a slow learner, so figuring out OSX Server is enough right now. And, I was able to buy a copy of OSX Server for about half price, from another business owner. The guy "thought" it was what he wanted, but changed his mind. He could not return the software because he had opened it.
To run Jag server as a basic server I don't think you need so much additional hardware. Why the G4?
The G4 is currently in another machine, (a 9600) on an XLR8 ZIF carrier. The 9600 has never been very happy with the G4. My plans are to just switch the processors.
Why the USB card?
The USB 2 card was cheaper than a 4-port USB hub. There are a number of external devices I use that don't like hubs. And, I need to back up large files to an external drive, so I can take them to another location. (not wanting to keep all my eggs or tax records in the same basket) I have a 20GB laptop drive in an external case that works nicely for this.
Why the 4-port FE card?
There are three other Macs that will access the inventory database records on the server. The most important one being another G3B&W that runs the cash register program. Having it connect to the server via the ethernet port is faster and more secure than going through a router or ethernet hub. I process people's credit cards through the cash register machine, so I feel more secure with it not connected to the internet.
Unless you have a genuine need for these devices to connect to particular peripherals, I'd keep them out. Simpler config, less power, less to go wrong.
Thanks Gerald for the input. It just seemed odd to me that I could not find any mention of processor upgrades in conjunction with server software or RAID setups. Tomorrow is my day off, so I guess I will take the plunge then and try the processor upgrade.
Nancy
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