[MacTUG] Missing the Xserve? Sonnet has a rack-mounted answer | MacFixIt

[Marlon A. Griffith]

"""
This device is essentially a rack tray for Apple's Mac Mini, but in
addition to a built-in power supply and pass-through connections for the
Mac's built-in inputs, it offers PCI Express expansion through a
Thunderbolt connection to the Mac Mini. You can place a Mac Mini
(purchased separately) in the xMac Mini Server, attach the power,
Thunderbolt, and extension cables for the Mac's built-in Ethernet, HDMI,
audio, and USB ports, and then slide the whole unit into a standard rack.
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While Sonnet's xMac Mini Server has been available for a while, it has
recently been updated to now support one full-length, full-height x16
PCIe card along with another half-length x8 PCIe card. The system has
three USB 3.0 ports, one on the front of the chassis, and a Thunderbolt
pass-through port for additional Thunderbolt-based expansion devices.

With this setup, using a number of compatible PCIe cards you can use
your Mac Mini for a number of different server and controller
configurations, whether to create a simple storage manager or a
media-processing center.

The xMac Mini Server is a bit pricey at $1,295 per unit...

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57585909-263/missing-the-xserve-sonnet-has-a-rack-mounted-answer/
"""