External Hard Drive & System Sleep

[BoulderBum]

I'm running out of space on my Mac Mini's disk because of all my iTunes video files. I am thinking about buying an enclosure for my spare 1 TB hard drive, and using it as the location of my iTunes library, but I wondered how it works with the Mac Mini's energy-savings mode.

My Mini is set to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity, then wake when iTunes content is requested by my Apple TV or Airport Express. I like it, because it's very energy efficient that way!

My question is, will the disks also sleep along with my computer, and will they wake properly when the computer wakes?

Is anyone doing something similar?

 

[cluthz]

I'm running out of space on my Mac Mini's disk because of all my iTunes video files. I am thinking about buying an enclosure for my spare 1 TB hard drive, and using it as the location of my iTunes library, but I wondered how it works with the Mac Mini's energy-savings mode.

My Mini is set to sleep after 15 minutes of inactivity, then wake when iTunes content is requested by my Apple TV or Airport Express. I like it, because it's very energy efficient that way!

My question is, will the disks also sleep along with my computer, and will they wake properly when the computer wakes?

Is anyone doing something similar?

Depends on the disk.

My LaCie Neil Poulton simply doesn't sleep.
My LaCie D2 sleeps when my computer does or if it's not accessed for awhile.
Same with the Seagate FreeAgent Mac (Firewire 800)

The Neil Poulton is on USB2 and the others are connected thru FW800, dunno if thats the reason sleep works on them and not the Neil P.

 

[Gav2k]

It all depends on the controller (USB to Sata) that is in use. I have several drives hooked upto my mini, toshiba 1tb and 3 wd 1tb mybooks. The wd's sleep in line with the minis sleep patterns where as the toshiba powers down after a set time but once the mini powers off the toshiba spins up and
stays that way till I power it off manually.

All the wd's shut down nicely and wake up when data is requested. My drobo does it's own thing but it's hard to know what it's upto sometimes as it's being hit by several machines and laptops. Overnight though it definatly sleeps.

Hope that helps

Gav

 

[BoulderBum]

Thanks guys.

Gav2k, I assume you mean the controllers within the drives themselves? If that's the case, is the answer that the sleep/wake varies from drive to drive, enclosure to enclosure?

Also, I assume you have MyBook Studios? I saw that WD just released a new model that looked pretty compelling. If you're using them and they seem to sleep/wake with the Mini that would help my buying decision if I decide to go that route.

 

[tbayrgs]

I have an Icy Dock dual drive enclosure attached to my mini via FW 800 and it sleeps/wakes in sync with the mini, including when accessed via either of my apple tvs or MacBook.

 

[BoulderBum]

Perfect, thanks!