Please help me with new setup

[mpeyrac]

Hey guys,

I have bought a brand new mac mini Server. I will have it in 3 days along with my newly purchased 256gb Samsung 840 pro SSD and 16gb ram.

A few questions – The ram I have no issues with replacing. What I want to try and understand is which 1TB disk by default is the boot disk with OS X Server installed on it? When looking at the mac mini with the cover off (upside down) is the boot disk the closest one to the logic board or the one closest to me?

Once I remove the 1TB OS X Server disk, I wanted to find out out what is the process of re-installing OS X server on the SSD. I've heard something about internet recovery, but I can't find enough information about it. Will Internet recovery know I had server installed prior, (if so how?) and what is the process for installing it?

On a side note – Before I re-install OS X server on the samsung SSD I need to do firmware update for the SSD. Anyone tried updating the firmware via a bootable USB and successfully completed this? I have downloaded the mac firmware ISO image from samsung and plan to install onto the USB via disk utility.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Milly

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Hey guys,

I have bought a brand new mac mini Server. I will have it in 3 days along with my newly purchased 256gb Samsung 840 pro SSD and 16gb ram.

A few questions – The ram I have no issues with replacing. What I want to try and understand is which 1TB disk by default is the boot disk with OS X Server installed on it? When looking at the mac mini with the cover off (upside down) is the boot disk the closest one to the logic board or the one closest to me?

Once I remove the 1TB OS X Server disk, I wanted to find out out what is the process of re-installing OS X server on the SSD. I've heard something about internet recovery, but I can't find enough information about it. Will Internet recovery know I had server installed prior, (if so how?) and what is the process for installing it?

On a side note – Before I re-install OS X server on the samsung SSD I need to do firmware update for the SSD. Anyone tried updating the firmware via a bootable USB and successfully completed this? I have downloaded the mac firmware ISO image from samsung and plan to install onto the USB via disk utility.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Milly

Logically, it should be the one in the black bracket that surrounds the entire hard drive. Since you're clearly after the server, why not just buy the non-server one and add the extra SSD? The non-server Minis have an empty slot inside for an extra hard drive (this was the spot for the optical drive in the previous Mini, Apple just took out the drive and filled in the slit in the aluminum casing). And then buy the Server addition to normal OS X. Should save you a bit of money since the second hard drive is not being used.

Internet Recovery can be accessed by pressing CMD + R right after you press the power button. Then it will allow you to download + install Mac OS X Server (Apple's servers will know which edition to install I believe).

As for firmware, I have no clue.

 

[mpeyrac]

Internet Recovery can be accessed by pressing CMD + R right after you press the power button. Then it will allow you to download + install Mac OS X Server (Apple's servers will know which edition to install I believe).

As for firmware, I have no clue.

Thanks for your fast reply.. I have another question

If I remove both 1TB disks and replace with the SSD after I register and setup my mac mini.. Will I still be able to boot into recovery and download the OS X Server software from Apple via internet recovery and do a fresh install to the SSD... Is the recovery option menu stored on one of the 1TB disks or in BIOS?

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Thanks for your fast reply.. I have another question

If I remove both 1TB disks and replace with the SSD after I register and setup my mac mini.. Will I still be able to boot into recovery and download the OS X Server software from Apple via internet recovery and do a fresh install to the SSD... Is the recovery option menu stored on one of the 1TB disks or in BIOS?

IR (Internet Recovery, I don't want to keep typing this so...) is built-in into the Mac's logic board. You might be thinking of "Recovery HD", which is by default on every Mac running Lion or Mountain Lion. Recovery HD is a 650MB partition on the boot drive that allows you to access system utilities like Disk Utility. Before, to perform Disk Utility operations on the boot drive, you had to be booting from a recovery DVD. IR works independently of the hard drives, SSDs, etc.

 

[mpeyrac]

IR (Internet Recovery, I don't want to keep typing this so...) is built-in into the Mac's logic board. You might be thinking of "Recovery HD", which is by default on every Mac running Lion or Mountain Lion. Recovery HD is a 650MB partition on the boot drive that allows you to access system utilities like Disk Utility. Before, to perform Disk Utility operations on the boot drive, you had to be booting from a recovery DVD. IR works independently of the hard drives, SSDs, etc.

Thanks for all the info! Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get my head around the process. Does this mean that I could just remove original disks and add the SSD, boot into IR and reinstall OS X Server onto the SSD?
I assume that Apple will know what OS was installed because it will be tied to the logic board? Would I need to format the SSD and prep it before I use IR, or will this all be done as part of the IR process?

Thank you

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Thanks for all the info! Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get my head around the process. Does this mean that I could just remove original disks and add the SSD, boot into IR and reinstall OS X Server onto the SSD?
I assume that Apple will know what OS was installed because it will be tied to the logic board? Would I need to format the SSD and prep it before I use IR, or will this all be done as part of the IR process?

Thank you

You don't need to pre-format the SSD, IR will give you access to Disk Utility which you can use to format the SSD before you install the OS. I'm not exactly sure how Apple will know, but I'm guessing that the serial number or some sort of unique identifier is stored on the Mac's logic board somewhere and IR will check this.

 

[mpeyrac]

You don't need to pre-format the SSD, IR will give you access to Disk Utility which you can use to format the SSD before you install the OS. I'm not exactly sure how Apple will know, but I'm guessing that the serial number or some sort of unique identifier is stored on the Mac's logic board somewhere and IR will check this.

Legendary! Thank you for your answers.. You have really simplified the process for me to get my mac running with my new kit.

So basically I'll
1. boot mac with original disks and setup (register with apple and itunes account)
2. remove both 1TB disks and replace with single SSD
3. Use IR to re-install OS X Server to SSD.
4. Use external enclosure to format both 1TB disk, then install one into mini.

Voila!

Thanks again

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Legendary! Thank you for your answers.. You have really simplified the process for me to get my mac running with my new kit.

So basically I'll
1. boot mac with original disks and setup (register with apple and itunes account)
2. remove both 1TB disks and replace with single SSD
3. Use IR to re-install OS X Server to SSD.
4. Use external enclosure to format both 1TB disk, then install one into mini.

Voila!

Thanks again

No problem at all! Apple is all about simple!

One last tip, you can install one of the 1TB disks before step 3. I'm assuming you're not after a "homemade" Fusion drive and therefore during the IR install process, it will let you choose which disk (SSD or 1TB HD) to install ML on. Just choose the SSD and the 1TB HD will just another disk in the machine, untouched by the OS install process. Saves you a bit of time.

 

[mpeyrac]

No problem at all! Apple is all about simple!

One last tip, you can install one of the 1TB disks before step 3. I'm assuming you're not after a "homemade" Fusion drive and therefore during the IR install process, it will let you choose which disk (SSD or 1TB HD) to install ML on. Just choose the SSD and the 1TB HD will just another disk in the machine, untouched by the OS install process. Saves you a bit of time.

Yep will do! Thanks for your help! Will update once I get it all working.

cheers
Milly

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Yep will do! Thanks for your help! Will update once I get it all working.

cheers
Milly

Your absolutely welcome! Please let me know the result.