#How to set mac mini as a server upgrade
#How to set mac mini as a server software
#How to set mac mini as a server windows

As long as you store your important data within this folder, youвЂ™re set. If you donвЂ™t have a lot of data and do have plenty of storage, thereвЂ™s no harm in backing up your entire Home folder. Part of the backup battle is figuring out what you should and shouldnвЂ™t back up. Those incremental backups wonвЂ™t take nearly so long.

Once thatвЂ™s complete, return the computers to their original locations and perform subsequent incremental backups over your wireless network.

If thatвЂ™s not possible, use a wireless network and be prepared to leave your Macs on for an extended period of time while theyвЂ™re backed up.ДЄlternatively, if you have many Macs with a lot of data, are anxious to get this over with, but youвЂ™re unwilling to wire your home, it might be worth your while to drag all your Macs into the same room as the backup server and perform the initial backup over a wired network (or bring your Mac server to each client computer). For the fastest backups, use a wired Ethernet network (preferably gigabit Ethernet). The backup server and all the Macs you wish to be backed up will have to be on the same network. Regardless of which Mac you choose as your backup server, create a schedule within the Energy Saver system preference so that itвЂ™s on/awake when it needs to back up your other computers and off or asleep when itвЂ™s idle. A first-generation or second-generation Mac mini or MacBook is a good candidate in this regard because it doesnвЂ™t require a lot of power. Ideally, the Mac you designate as your backup server isnвЂ™t a power hungry beast (think Power Mac G5). (RoxioвЂ™s Retrospect 8, however, requires OS X 10.5 or later and 2GB of RAM.)

#How to set mac mini as a server software

Most of todayвЂ™s Mac backup software runs on either PowerPC and Intel processors, requires that the Mac have no more than 1GB of RAM, and much of it runs on older versions of the Mac OS. One reason an old Mac is ideal for this kind of work is because it neednвЂ™t be a powerhouse. And you pay only for back up software and storage rather than a wireless router that may be redundant given the gear you already own.

#How to set mac mini as a server upgrade

You can add exactly as much storage as you need (and upgrade that storage at a later time).

#How to set mac mini as a server windows

With the right software you can back up not only Macs running older versions of the Mac OS, but Windows PCs and Linux computers as well. And, of course, at $299 (1TB model) or $499 (2TB model) youвЂ™re paying for features beyond storage, including wireless routing.ДЄ Mac-based backup server allows you to get around these limitations. Additionally, if you have a lot of data to back up, the 1 or 2TB of storage found on a Time Capsule may not be enough. However, if some of your Macs are using an older version of the Mac OS, youвЂ™re out of luck as they donвЂ™t support Time Machine. Time Capsule is an acceptable and easy-to-use solution as it allows you to back up multiple Macs running Leopard or Snow Leopard to a single device via AppleвЂ™s Time Machine.

Ask Apple about multi-Mac backups and youвЂ™ll likely be directed to its Time Capsule ( ) wireless hard drive.