Need some advice, what to do with MacPro 1,1

[danobailey]

I have an older Mac Pro that I am trying to figure out how to get the most out of.... I really just use my MacbookPro and Ipad, and Iphone for 99% of everything. So I am wondering whats the best use I can get out of it.
Btw its a quad core 3.0 with 8GB of RAM
2 300gig Raptors in RAID 0

I really don't care about any of the hardware in there, so if I need to upgrade or change something let me know.

What my goal is to have in my house, that is fully networked with gigabit ethernet is to be able to use Open Directory, and possibly VPN access. I also want to be able to not have 5 copies of my 60 gig music collection all over the place, same goes for iPhoto. I would love to be able to store all those items in a home folder that I could access no matter what workstation in the house I am at. I would even want to be able to access it via VPN, when I am at my office. (Bandwidth is not much of at issue I have dedicated 35/35mbit lines in both locations). The other purpose I want this server to do is fileshare my collection of Bluray rips to my htpc(mac mini). I haven't yet started ripping my collection (200+), but I fell in love with the Plex interface and can't wait to be able to play all my HD movies. This is where I don't know what the best/most cost effective/upgradable solution is. Since the Mac wont be handling any of the gateway services(NAT, VPN, firewall, DHCP...ect) and all it will really do is probably run Open Directory and I guess VPN authorization (Kerberos?) I am confident it has the hardware needed to get the job done.

Just where the eff am I going to store all my media.

Is it best to go with a NAS? Will be hard for me to justify use of the MacPro when I can connect directly to a NAS....?

Cram as much as I can internally inside (12tb w/ 4 3tb drives)?

Some kind of esata solution....RAIDcard with 4 estata ports with port mulitpiers would let me go 20 drives....60tb....that'll get her done.

Any other ideas.

 

[goMac]

Not sure it's cost effective. You can buy a $30 Linksys router and get it set up to do VPN. Uses much less power. I've also had issues getting a Mac VPN server set up.

Any reason you need an open directory server?

 

[danobailey]

In our house we have two main users, that would access music and photos that ideally I would now store onto the server. I don't know if Open Directory is absolutely necessary to be honest, I just want for all users in our family network, after properly authenticated to be able to access a single iTunes Lib, and Iphoto Lib. Also would like the ability to have a universal home folder so if I am on the iMac working on a proposal and I stop half way through and I save and make changes that when I hop on my laptop, I essentially am able to pick up where I left off. Ideally I am trying to create my own cloud, and this should actually be functional remotely as well, as I should have plenty of bandwidth for most day to day functions, via VPN. As far as the gateway was going I think I am going to go for a small/medium biz class product as, home routers don't have some important features that I am looking for, and normally they do not have the throughput to handle a connection as fast as what I have going on, I am afraid to create a bottleneck there.
Really what I am having a hard time really deciding is if I use the MacPro as a server I am going to want to have the storage itself, external. That being said using eSATA as the interface, using port multipliers there are a ton of options out there, its just crazy what these people want for a case, power supply and 4 $50 port multipliers, there is no hardware really there....for what someone of these companies want for an enclosure I can build a decent 4u RackMount Server Load FreeNAS on it, but in doing that I pretty much take away 80% of the reason I want the Mac Pro there....unless if I do build the other box making it an iSCSI target? How does that perform? I don't want to go overboard.

Thanks Again

 

[j2048b]

for only a few users a mac pro as a server is overkill! get a small nas, or media hub, such as a dell zino hd, or even a mac mini with a few external drives, mac mini server perhaps? less energy and smaller!

then sell me the mac pro

 

[goMac]

I just want for all users in our family network, after properly authenticated to be able to access a single iTunes Lib, and Iphoto Lib.

Open Directory won't actually do this.

Also would like the ability to have a universal home folder so if I am on the iMac working on a proposal and I stop half way through and I save and make changes that when I hop on my laptop, I essentially am able to pick up where I left off.

Open Directory can do this... but... it seems kind of overkill. Open Directory requires a lot of configuration, troubleshooting... Maybe you should use just a file server?

Ideally I am trying to create my own cloud, and this should actually be functional remotely as well, as I should have plenty of bandwidth for most day to day functions, via VPN.

It sounds like what you really need is just a shared drive and a decent router, not a server.

I can build a decent 4u RackMount Server Load FreeNAS on it, but in doing that I pretty much take away 80% of the reason I want the Mac Pro there....

I think you just answered your own question. A good, configurable NAS can do all the things you want. It seems like the best option.

There is a lot of complexity in Open Directory I think you haven't considered, especially for laptop users. Open Directory is good for keeping your files on a server. Not so great for syncing files between different users. Having your family all working on the same files/libraries over Open Directory, possibly offline, is asking for trouble.