Setting Up A MacPro

[chas._boehm]

<p>I have a MacPro/NEC purchase in mind by the end of the year and I'd like some input on how to set up CS5/LR3. I've read both applications should be on a separate drive isolated from startup disc, but I need to know what that means exactly. Well it seems obvious what it means, but if I have A and B drives both at 1 TB do I need to partition one drive let's say A and install CS5/LR3 on one of the partitions and have images reside on the second partition? If I do will CS5 and LR3 applications appear in the Applications folder on the B drive where the System folder would reside? Where would an Images folder reside?<br>

I'm quite unclear how to move all my apps to the new drive (s). I'm hopeful someone could take the time to explain how to go about a transfer. Just want to get it right the first time; isn't that a laugh! I don't think I'm computer illiterate; kinda close to it though ;-) Hope you don't mind if I revisit this topic again when the time comes.<br>

Regards,<br>

ChasB</p>

[bieg]

<p>I have CS5 on my main drive on my Mac Pro. The important thing is to set up your "Scratch Disc" on a separate drive. This can be set in preferences. The scratch disc acts as virtual RAM when working on large files. I may be wrong but I don't like trying to run complicated applications such as CS5 anywhere but the main drive. </p>

[digitaldog]

<p>You don’t have to pop em on separate drives but I would suggest you do this for the Lightroom files and images. I dedicate a drive for all the LR files (irdata, catalog, save presets with catalog) and then have ALL my images also on that drive. This makes cloning (backing up) everything to multiple drives very easy. This would allow you to clone this single drive to say an external FireWire drive, take that on location and launch the LR app from a Macbook, everything would be accessible now from that system. Do work, add some images on location, clone back to the MacPro drive. You do NOT have to have the application on this separate drive, just all the images and LR specific files. </p>

[ljwest]

<p>+1 to what Steve said. While it's highly unlikely you'll run into any issues with a new Mac and a terabyte, PS will run faster with the "scratch disk" on a separate drive. I would <em>not </em>partition the drive that comes with the Mac Pro, or any other disk with Mac OS X. Just install another SATA drive in one of the Mac Pro's 5 drive slots. Partitioning doesn't help with the basic problem, that of having the startup disk doing too many things at once.</p>

<p>Don't forget to up the RAM from the stock configuration. Though, you might want to shop around for that, as Apple isn't known for giving steep discounts on extra RAM. Other World Computing offers good prices.</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>I agree! The system drive will have the OS and all the applications. A separate drive(s) should be used for all of the image files/libraries. A separate scratch disc is nice, but I would put in as much memory as you can afford. When PS runs out of memory via the program limitations, it will still use available Ram as scratch. Beyond that, I would strongly recommend a 2nd monitor. That has probably been my best workflow improvement ever!</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>I agree! The system drive will have the OS and all the applications. A separate drive(s) should be used for all of the image files/libraries. A separate scratch disc is nice, but I would put in as much memory as you can afford. When PS runs out of memory via the program limitations, it will still use available Ram as scratch. Beyond that, I would strongly recommend a 2nd monitor. That has probably been my best workflow improvement ever!</p>

[chas._boehm]

<p> Do the responses mean I need three drives on the MacPro and at least one additional external HD? Drives A,B,&C. A assigned as a 'scratch disk', B to store images and LR catalog, and C for bootable system backup and finally one or two external HDs. Sounds like I would need to scale down the size of the hard drives to maybe 500 Gb.<br>

Yes, I know the advantage of additional ram; but where to buy; I'll need to shop.<br>

Thanks for the speedy replies.<br>

ChasB</p>

[john_deerfield]

<blockquote>

<p>Do the responses mean I need three drives on the MacPro</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Well, you only <em>need</em> one and after that it depends on how much storage space you need. Obviously, you will have a hard drive where the OS and the applications themselves reside. It is strongly recommended that you have a separate drive for your images/catalogs. There's two. You could use this 2nd drive as a scratch disk. Having a dedicated scratch disk might show some sort of speed improvement on paper, but certainly not in the real world (unless you want to start configuring hardware RAID 0's). However, no matter where you keep your images, you will want a back up drive of those image/catalog, so there is a 3rd drive. However I would recommend that this is an external drive so that it is only connected to the computer when you are backing up. After that, I keep another drive with all my "other" data: documents, spreadsheets, iTunes, etc. How you store your data is up to you!</p>

<p>As far as RAM goes, your to best choices are OWC and Crucial. </p>

[chas._boehm]

<p>This last response nearly completes my questions. Each responder has been quite helpful in my understanding of how this should be setup. One last question regarding John Deerfield's 'nailing it down' response is; does the storing Documents, spreadsheet files (lots of em), iTunes on a separate drive require the simple Mac task of dragging and dropping each folder from the user system folder to that additional drive?<br>

Other than the above I believe I'm all set...to order ( I need to wait about 3 weeks).<br>

Thank you all; Really!<br>

ChasB</p>

[bieg]

<p>Documents and iTunes files are not in the system folder, they are in the documents folder. I would not worry about spreadsheet and word processing files, leave them be in the documents folder. Store your iTunes library on a separate disc and yes that is just a drag and drop. You will have to tell iTunes where the library is next time you open it. I would also store all of your picture files on an alternate disc. I also suggest having another drive to use as your time machine back-up disc. Have it sized large enough to cover both your start-up disc and your files disc.</p>

[digitaldog]

<p>I agree with John about the scratch disk unless you want to spend more money and get an external. More RAM is always better. You can pop four drives in the Mac Pro. You obviously need a boot disk and this is where I store the documents, applications (iTunes* stuff etc). In my case, I have a mirrored Raid array for all the Lightroom files and images (two drives). This is a backup of this important data (being a mirrored RAID) but of course, I clone this to other drives as well. That leaves one more empty bay. For that I have a drive that is used to backup the booth disk every night (using SuperDuper). I DO have one more drive hooked up to this system, its an external. That I use for Time Machine. Its like a belt and suspenders but I like having a daily backup AND this Time Machine as they do different things. <br>

So there’s the boot disk with all app’s documents etc (maybe or maybe not iTunes, up to you) and that is backed up every night. There’s all the images and LR files which is backed up on the fly. Lastly there is a Time Machine disk, its backing up incrementally the boot disk and those other documents which I find handy (go back 3 weeks and find an iteration of a word doc I was working on that is updated and no longer around on booth or backup). *This is the reason you want to store documents on the boot disk and OS X “likes” to keep things in certain places although you are not forced to do so (its a good idea). So Documents in documents folder, Applications in the application folder, iTunes in the Music folder etc. Again, this is stuff best stored on the boot disk. </p>

[chas._boehm]

<p>Truly useful information from all. Here's a nod (and a nog) and a handshake.<br>

I may make adjustments relative to my type of photography, but your valuable assistance gives me the comfort I will get this right the first time, or the second; scratch that, don't want to think about a second time.<br>

Off topic but while I'm here I just got back with 150 pics of my granddaughter on a pony (an 8 year old taking lessons that I hope she gets tired of) and tried to email her mother a few jpegs. I can't believe it's more of a problem in the robust LR3 than it is in my dependable Bridge. I use Export to Jpegs>Presets>Email. <br>

Take care,<br>

ChasB</p>