Mac Mini Server : may they run a huge web site?
Some people are talking about Mac Mini Server as being a Lightweight server, not really able to host real website with traffic.
I am currently CTO of a web startup company and our main website is on LAMP (Linux+Apache+MySQL+PHP) technology. Our web servers are 1500$ boxes (we bought them 3 years ago), Core2 Duo 2×1.86Ghz or 2×2.4Ghz, 2GB RAM, 160GB SATA hard-drive : less powerfull than a Mac Mini Server. Even our dedicated MySQL server might be hosted on a Mac Mini Server.
Our web servers stack
Each of these Web Server have an average 1.5 millions unique visitors per month, so there’s up to 65 000 unique visitors per day, on boxes that are slower than a Mac Mini, occupying each one 6X the space used by a Mac Mini Server, and consuming 3X the power of a Mac Mini (350W vs. 110W).
The dedicated MySQL server of the whole structure serves the DB Queries for 7.5 millions visitors per months, up to 325 000 unique visitors per day, it occupy 6X the space needed for a Mac Mini Server and 4.5X the power consumption (500W vs 110W).
Not only Mac Mini Server may be a good fit for real-world web servers, but it’s less expensive in any way, more reliable (with RAID-1 2×500GB hard-drive instead single 160GB drive), and consume less power.
The benefits to switch to Mac Mini Server should not be overlooked:
- Less space used
- Economic in terms of cabinet (800$/1U for 3 years), it will save us 4000$ with 6 Mac Mini on 1U place instead 6×1U actually used!
- Better reliability with RAID-1 hard-drives
- Less power consumption, 660W vs. 2250W!!! 1600W less to pay for
- Less heat generated, so easier to cool down
- Less expensive to buy and better resell value than our actual boxes
- and added ecological value
So, for a 7.5 millions unique visitors per month, with up to 3600 Mb/s Internet throuput, Mac Mini Server might be a real-world solution that will save us money from day 1, while performing better and more reliably than our 1U server boxes!
Yes, the Mac Mini Server is not so lightweight than you may think, and as a Web Startup CTO that count it’s budget each month have to provide quality of service to millions web users, I think it will be a great server for our needs!
PS: In fact we could replace these 6 boxes by 5 entry-level Mac Mini + 1 Mac Mini Server with RAID-1 hard-drives, it’s a bargain, we will save 2500$ ( 5×599$ + 999$ instead 5×1000$ + 1500$)!