Building a Home Server with Thunderbolt Interface

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Thanks to this brother for the private message reminding me to research the “Ceph storage solution for mini-host clusters using Thunderbolt networking”!

1. Conclusion First

Two Thunderbolt devices can directly connect the network through a dedicated cable (note that it is not USB-C);
Using Thunderbolt mini-hosts to form a cluster is indeed an efficient data transmission network;
Apple devices support Thunderbolt networking methods, with very high data transmission speeds.

2. What is Thunderbolt Interface?

The Thunderbolt interface, often seen on Mac computers, was officially announced in 2011 as a collaboration between Intel and Apple, codenamed “Light Peak”. The Thunderbolt interface combines two communication protocols, PCIe and DisplayPort, so before Type-C, it was rare to have a multifunctional interface that supports high-speed data transmission as well as video/audio transmission, meaning it has both USB and DP or HDMI/DVI/VGA input/output functions. With a bandwidth of up to 10Gbps (Thunderbolt 5 is 80Gbps), it can be said to be a very advanced interface expansion technology. However, due to the high cost of Apple products, Thunderbolt-related interfaces have not become widely known.

<a href="https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/548013383">Understanding USB, Type-C, Lightning, and Thunderbolt Interfaces</a>

Thunderbolt™ technology provides disruptive connectivity performance; it is not just a simple USB-C connector. Although it uses the same flat oval connector as USB-C, Thunderbolt™ technology certification has higher minimum performance and functionality requirements for cables, computers, and accessories. You will gain high-speed cable solutions with first-class features brought by this technology, connecting power and all accessories and displays plugged into the dock.

Thunderbolt™4 (Thunderbolt Technology 4) has a broad installation base across Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome devices. Intel Evo™ laptops 4 and laptops equipped with Intel® vPro® platform 5 are equipped with at least one Thunderbolt™4 (Thunderbolt Technology 4) port. It provides high-speed 40Gbps connections for files, videos, and other data, with laptop fast charging speeds of up to 100 watts, and dual-screen support for up to 4K.

Thunderbolt™5 (Thunderbolt Technology 5) fully accelerates, providing up to 80 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth, which is twice that of the previous generation, allowing for fast charging of devices with up to 240W of power, and supporting two 8K displays, significantly enhancing your computer experience. Bidirectional bandwidth of up to 80Gbps, with a speed increase of 2 times compared to Thunderbolt™4 (Thunderbolt Technology 4). Bandwidth increases of up to 120Gbps, providing 40Gbps downstream bandwidth. Lightning-fast storage and eGFX connections, up to 2x, with higher throughput compared to Thunderbolt™4 (Thunderbolt Technology 4).

<a href="https://www.intel.cn/content/www/cn/zh/architecture-and-technology/thunderbolt/overview.html#tab-blade-1-0">Thunderbolt™ Technology: Unlimited Possibilities</a>

3. Differences Between Thunderbolt 4 Interface and USB-C

Thunderbolt Technology 4 is different from USB-C; however, Thunderbolt Technology and USB-C use the same connector type, which is oval. Thunderbolt Technology 4 has higher minimum requirements, and Thunderbolt Technology 4 certification requires support for constant 40Gbps bandwidth transmission of power, data, and video. The data transmission rates of USB cables, devices, and ports may be limited to a variable range, and display quality is not guaranteed. The Thunderbolt technology logo is a simple, reliable indicator of what connections between devices can achieve.

The compatibility between Thunderbolt technology and USB: Various USB standards, including USB 3.2 and USB4, also use the USB-C connector type, and these cables and ports are also compatible with Thunderbolt Technology 4. When connecting devices with different performance, the connection only supports the lowest common data rate. For example, if you plug a USB 3.2 cable into a Thunderbolt Technology 4 port, the port will handle data, power, and video signal capabilities at the USB 3.2 level with the connected device.

<a href="https://www.intel.cn/content/www/cn/zh/architecture-and-technology/thunderbolt/thunderbolt-4-vs-usb-c.html">What are the differences between Thunderbolt Technology 4 and USB-C?</a>

4. Devices Using Thunderbolt 4 Technology

Many modern computers have Thunderbolt Technology 4, which is compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS. All Intel Evo laptops and all laptops using Intel® Core™ vPro® processors must be equipped with at least one Thunderbolt Technology 4 port.

5. Thunderbolt Data Transmission Network

Thunderbolt is a networking technology because it extends PCIe networks to external peripherals. It connects devices over short distances and has endpoints and nodes. Thunderbolt was initially designed for high-speed peripheral connections for the personal market x86 computers. It has evolved a lot; today, Thunderbolt 3 and 4 can provide 40G data speeds and have various topologies.

<a href="https://packetpushers.net/blog/thunderbolt-as-a-data-network-technology/">Thunderbolt as a Data Network Technology</a>

6. Connecting 2 Macs with Thunderbolt

Using IP over Thunderbolt to connect Mac computers: Connect two Thunderbolt-equipped Macs with a Thunderbolt cable, then use Internet Protocol (IP) for communication between the computers. When connecting computers with a Thunderbolt cable, the computers will default to receiving IP addresses via DHCP. If needed, you can manually enter an IPv4 address.

<a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/ip-thunderbolt-connect-mac-computers-mchld53dd2f5/mac">Connect 2 Macs using IP over Thunderbolt</a>

<a href="https://nektony.com/how-to/use-thunderbolt-bridge-on-mac">Thunderbolt bridge on Mac</a>

7. My Plan

This article does not detail the technical details and practical applications of the Thunderbolt interface for two reasons: first, there is a lot of related information, and some are very detailed; second, one should always adhere to the principle of “seeing, thinking, knowing, and doing” in the path of learning technology.

My plan is to first buy a Mac mini, although it is a bit expensive, but its performance and cost-effectiveness are very good. Once I get used to it, I will buy another Mac mini, starting with minimal rigid requirements, gradually expanding into a cluster, trying not to spend extra money on unnecessary computing power. When the future cluster is large, I will consider purchasing Thunderbolt expansion docks or hubs to expand the cluster, or simply consider a switch.

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