MP 1,1-5,1 Firewire Daisy-chaining Two cMPs in Target Mode to Connect to Recent Mac Mini?

[iMarc845]

Hi folks!

Here's the scenario I'm trying to set up:

1. cMP 3,1 (Early 2008) 8-core with 4 internal HD in Target Mode - FireWire (FW) Daisy-chained to ...
2. cMP 5,1 (Mid 2010) 12-core with 4 Internal HD + 1 PCIe SSD in Target Mode - FW Daisy-chained to ...
3. (Older version) OWC Thunderbolt 3 Hub with FW Port connected to ...
4. Mac Mini 8,1 (2018) [or potentially an M1 Mac Mini]

Yes, I know it's a crazy idea. Is it possible? Is there a better method, perhaps using Ethernet cabling?
The objective is to have all the drives available through the network and the two cMPs running either Headlessly or in Target Disk mode.

I would appreciate all ideas and suggestions. Thanks!!

 

[chrfr]

Hi folks!

Here's the scenario I'm trying to set up:

1. cMP 3,1 (Early 2008) 8-core with 4 internal HD in Target Mode - FireWire (FW) Daisy-chained to ...
2. cMP 5,1 (Mid 2010) 12-core with 4 Internal HD + 1 PCIe SSD in Target Mode - FW Daisy-chained to ...
3. (Older version) OWC Thunderbolt 3 Hub with FW Port connected to ...
4. Mac Mini 8,1 (2018) [or potentially an M1 Mac Mini]

Yes, I know it's a crazy idea. Is it possible? Is there a better method, perhaps using Ethernet cabling?
The objective is to have all the drives available through the network and the two cMPs running either Headlessly or in Target Disk mode.

I would appreciate all ideas and suggestions. Thanks!!

You will not be able to access the PCIe disk via target mode. It sounds like what you really want is an ethernet network if you want the computers to be operational.

 

[iMarc845]

You will not be able to access the PCIe disk via target mode. It sounds like what you really want is an ethernet network if you want the computers to be operational.

I don't really need the cMPs to function in any way other than as file servers. That's why I was looking at Target Disk mode. Neither of the cMPs have any kind of Thunderbolt connection. That's why I presumed FW.
Your point about the SSD PCIe drive being unavailable in Target Disk Mode is a good one - I hadn't thought about that.
Maybe I should think more about this idea:

1. cMP 3,1 in Target Disk Mode connected by FW to ...
2. (Older version) OWC Thunderbolt 3 Hub with FW Port; Hub connected to Mac Mini
3. cMP 5,1 running headless (would allow access to PCIe SSD) connected by Ethernet to ...
4. (Older version) OWC Thunderbolt 3 Hub with Ethernet Port; Hub connected to Mac Mini

Or should I just do the whole thing with both cMPs running headless and connected to either the Mini or the Hub by Ethernet? Of course, I'd like to get the highest possible throughput from all the connected drives. Though I might consider some of them as semi-online (slower) storage.

 

[chrfr]

I don't really need the cMPs to function in any way other than as file servers.

Computers in target disk mode do not function as file servers; they're just external hard drives. If you only need external storage, get yourself some USB enclosures and put the disks in those. Running Mac Pros in target disk mode is an incredibly space and power-inefficient (and not very fast) means of getting external disk enclosures.

 

[iMarc845]

Computers in target disk mode do not function as file servers; they're just external hard drives. If you only need external storage, get yourself some USB enclosures and put the disks in those. Running Mac Pros in target disk mode is an incredibly space and power-inefficient (and not very fast) means of getting external disk enclosures.

Wow! I really was barking up the wrong tree! ??‍?

Thanks for helping me realize how inefficient I was being. I suppose it's because I didn't want to let go of my cMPs. But it now seems like that would be the best thing to do. Perhaps I can sell them to someone who'll give them good home(s). ?? Or maybe just keep them as door-stops. ?

 

[mode11]

A couple of something like these would do the trick: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ORICO-Exte...4e465a&pd_rd_wg=JgXsh&pd_rd_i=B089LZCVWL&th=1

Or get one and put the drives from the 3,1 into it, then connect it to the 5,1 and use that as a fileserver / Time Machine target / backup workstation.

 

[iMarc845]

A couple of something like these would do the trick: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ORICO-Exte...4e465a&pd_rd_wg=JgXsh&pd_rd_i=B089LZCVWL&th=1

Or get one and put the drives from the 3,1 into it, then connect it to the 5,1 and use that as a fileserver / Time Machine target / backup workstation

I'm hoping for the best since I took your suggestion one step further. I've ordered an eight-bay Syba enclosure to put all the HDDs from both cMPs into. Once I've processed those drives and removed duplicate files, etc. I should be able to compress the contents of the eight drives down to (hopefully) four or less. That will leave me with multiple bays into which I can put additional drives. I have a series of backup drives I use as on-demand storage.

I reviewed several different eight-bay enclosures and settled on the Syba for specific reasons:

1. There's an power button next to each bay plus one for the whole enclosure.
2. Two fans with a Slow-Medium-High control switch.
3. Each bay has a tool-less removable tray, can hold either a 2.5" or 3.5" HDD, and is listed as handling drives up to 10 TB.
4. The enclosure has no RAID hardware. So I'm not paying for a feature I don't need.
5. The enclosure is listed as being UASP enabled but my current install of Big Sur (on the 2018 Mac Mini) is not showing the "IOUSBAttachedSCSI" extension in the Extensions section of the System Information report. I'm hoping that macOS will install and load the extension when I connect the UASP-compatible device. I'd appreciate any info about how this works or a procedure to install and load the extension. Thanks!!

 

[chrfr]

The enclosure is listed as being UASP enabled but my current install of Big Sur (on the 2018 Mac Mini) is not showing the "IOUSBAttachedSCSI" extension in the Extensions section of the System Information report. I'm hoping that macOS will install and load the extension when I connect the UASP-compatible device. I'd appreciate any info about how this works or a procedure to install and load the extension. Thanks!!

If the device is actually UASP enabled, then the OS will load what's needed when it's connected. There's nothing to manually install and/or load.

 

[iMarc845]

If the device is actually UASP enabled, then the OS will load what's needed when it's connected. There's nothing to manually install and/or load.

Many thanks, chrfr! You've been very helpful and I appreciate it!