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not sure why the attach rpi for every mac mini, wouldn't it be cheaper to have one rpi and 9 mac minis connectd to 10 port switch? I also wished one day to make cluster out of Apple TVs - they are very cheap (~150usd for version with ethernet) and most likely the new upcoming version will have more powerful A-series apple sillicon. I guess tvOS is just very restricted.
https://www-uploads.scaleway.com/Mac_mini_rack_1_e31ad1da6e.... This is not the image I expected to encounter under the title, “high density”. Make those sleds taller and do three, maybe four per sled with a pair of large diameter fans. That’ll would be high density. This is medium at best.
Or find cable with matching length?
I'm also surprised they're touting the density of this solution— seems like the obvious thing would be to put the Minis on their sides. A 4U chassis has 17.5cm vertical space in it, and a Mac Mini is 17cm wide. With the Mini being 2in in height, that suggests 8-9 Minis in a 4U rack, vs 2 Minis in a 2U rack for Scaleway's trays.
EDIT: Here's a commercially-available solution that's 6/4U: https://www.mk1manufacturing.com/Rack-Mount-for-6-M4-mac-min..., you'd think it could basically be this but with the management plane behind or in front. And as others have said, making the management plane be more shared, so it's not 1:1.
I’d like to know what’s on the baseboard that the Pi is attached to
Looks like a relay so probably to powercycle it. Don't think everything needed is included in the picture. Definitely additional cables for power and networking would need to be added
https://www-uploads.scaleway.com/Mac_mini_rack_1_e31ad1da6e.... This is not the image I expected to encounter under the title, “high density”. Make those sleds taller and do three, maybe four per sled with a pair of large diameter fans. That’ll would be high density. This is medium at best.
I don't know if that's changed (they had odd pricing too, like Startup vs. Business, of which the difference wasn't clear), but aware. I hope someone has more success than I did.
not sure why the attach rpi for every mac mini, wouldn't it be cheaper to have one rpi and 9 mac minis connectd to 10 port switch? I also wished one day to make cluster out of Apple TVs - they are very cheap (~150usd for version with ethernet) and most likely the new upcoming version will have more powerful A-series apple sillicon. I guess tvOS is just very restricted.
With 60 minis per rack, and custom sled cases.
https://www-uploads.scaleway.com/Mac_mini_rack_1_e31ad1da6e.... This is not the image I expected to encounter under the title, “high density”. Make those sleds taller and do three, maybe four per sled with a pair of large diameter fans. That’ll would be high density. This is medium at best.
My point is the picture doesn’t show any details on the room or what’s outside the rack so it’s hard to know what’s optimal.
https://www-uploads.scaleway.com/Mac_mini_rack_1_e31ad1da6e.... This is not the image I expected to encounter under the title, “high density”. Make those sleds taller and do three, maybe four per sled with a pair of large diameter fans. That’ll would be high density. This is medium at best.
Interesting that they run them upside down.