Mac Mini server capabilities

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Level 1

21 points

Mac Mini server capabilities

Looking to go server in my wife's dental office. We use MacPractice DDS and love the software. It can run in a pier to pier arrangement, but the developer keeps pushing going server. The problem is that the company rep wants me to drop some serious money on a MacPro server setup. I was looking for feedback from people using it in an office environment, specifically running practice management types of software. If someone is a healthcare professional running MacPractice dds, md, od, etc I would really like to hear from you guys on how the mini server is working for you. For all you Apple server gurus out there some information on what kind of files our office handles. MacPractice is a sql based product. the database file also contains large amounts of attachments such as jpgs from digital x-rays and interoral camera photography. We also have extensive amounts of pdfs that are associated with patient records. Currently we have 7 macs running the software in pier to pier configuration. Ultimately when all ops are outfitted we will have 12 mac workstations and this is why MacPractice is pushing a dedicated server environment.

Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Dec 5, 2010 5:31 AM

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Answer 1

MrHoffman

Level 10

146,299 points

Dec 5, 2010 7:44 AM in response to jedicpa

Short of somebody that's running this specific package with a similar load...

Servers aren't a magic solution, though they do help with single-signon, shared calendars and related. They're more involved to set up and to manage, though they do reduce the overhead of client management; it's a trade-off, and you're definitely near the knee of where servers can become beneficial.

The relative application load on the server and the expected growth of clients and of the volume of data will will be the central factors in picking a particular server platform. Mac Pro and Xserve (while still available) are very powerful and very expandable server options, and can be more easily ganged together if you're growing into a SAN environment. Mac Mini Server is a good system, but lacking in expandability and I/O bandwidth; you're limited to FireWire 800 storage and to Gigabit networking.

The types of attachments and such are comparatively less relevant. The aggregate data size and data growth are interesting, as is the processor load and the network load.

I'd not expect a dozen servers in an office with a decent switch to be limited by the bandwidth of a Gigabit connection.

I'd be centrally looking at RAID storage and archival storage (which is not RAID); at reliability and recovery and disaster tolerance (DT). And DT here includes some yutz stealing all of the computers, or the damage from the pond water sprayed throughout the offices while fighting the fire that started in the pizza shop ovens next door.

Data confidentiality (HIPAA, et al) means it's all encrypted.

File services on client don't permit more than ten peers (not piers; quays), so that'll certainly be a factor in the calculation. Your software may or may not have file shares as a limit.

I'd also ask the vendor why they're suggesting the Mac Pro over the Mac Mini Server; they likely have some considerations and some experience with this topic with the software and with the particular office here. And I'd look at the load of whatever box is currently running the software; how heavily loaded is it now, how does the performance of the box(es) compare to the Mac Mini Server, and what is your growth pattern.

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