Smart Update from one Mac mini to another?
 

I'm helping a client move his small business from Windows XP to a Mac mini running Yosemite. He's prepared to buy two Mac minis in order to have minimal downtime if the production mini fails.

My first thought was to backup the production Mac mini's internal HD to an external HD at least once a day using SuperDuper! Smart Update. In the event a production mini failure, simply move the monitor, keyboard, mouse and external HD to the second Mac mini, and boot the mini from the external HD.

Then I realized the external HD could be eliminated by having SuperDuper! clone the production HD to the second Mac mini running in Target mode.

Does it make sense to Smart Update to a Mac mini in Target mode?

— Ward

Sure, you can do that.

Not sure how target mode comes into it you just plug the clone into a new mac mini and boot from the clone, then clone the clone to the new mini internal drive.

Seeing as the mini is unlikely to go down, you're probably best to buy 2 external HD's, (2.5" bus powered portables) so you have two back ups (both bootable clones) which is what you really need for a business, back up once a day and the other once a week that you store off the premises. Then if the mini needs to go in for service you can buy a new mini then and clone the clone straight back to the mini internal HD.

He's trying to do it without the "restore" - duplicate hardware, boots right into what he wants.

I should have provided a more complete description in my original post.

Smart Updating the second Mac mini in Target Mode means its internal drive is being constantly updated. If the primary mini fails, the second mini is simply powered off (ending Target Mode) and powered on in normal mode, ready to go – nearly instant recovery.

— Ward