How to Mac Mini Grid

http://www.networkjack.info/blog/2007/04/04/intel-macmini-blade-server-followup/

Point of clarification: the Minis in this system are only doing one thing: executing PHP.

They dont serve up image files or store anything persistent on disk. They all communicate to a central database system that has proper redundancy built in.

Since the Minis in this application dont use any local disk resources other than to store PHP code, if a Mini were to fail or fall out of the set for some reason, the system as a whole still runs. The redundancy you would normally have built into a bigger beefier server (and pay extra for) is handled by just having more servers. Google does the same thing. When a server in their system dies they really dont care too much because they built their redundancy in through sheer numbers. For the price of 2 well outfitted Intel Xserves.

I could be indirectly accused of being a mac fan, ok so they might not be perfect for everything, but for development/test grids or high performance computer modeling, mac mini’s or tranquilpcs could be fantastic, the article gives an example of the setup, check it out.

The reason for my support of the platform is energy efficiency and cost. Trying to get sign off for a new blade enclosure (if you’re not quite ready for IBM’s or the other vendors grid on demand) can be a hard sell, now £400 for a mac mini, small purchases? No real approval, even if I bought 10 that’s still less than I might pay for our typical rackmount. Ok so they aren’t exactly redundant and management would be an issue quite possibly, but cheap, cheerful, easy to replace (anyone want a free mac mini?), and runs windows, what more can you want? I kind of wonder if Apple isn’t missing a trick in this respect?

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