Xserve
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Xserve_cluster_NASA.jpg/220px-Xserve_cluster_NASA.jpg)
TheXservewas a series ofrack-mountedserversmanufactured byApple Inc.between 2002 and 2011. It was Apple's first rack-mounted server,[1]and could function as afile server,web serveror runhigh-performance computingapplications inclusters– a dedicated cluster Xserve, the Xserve Cluster Node, without a video card and optical drives was also available. The first Xserve had aPowerPC G4processor, replaced by aPowerPC G5in 2004, and by IntelXeonprocessors in 2006; each was available in single-processor and dual-processor configurations. The Xserve was discontinued in 2011, and replaced with theMac Pro Serverand theMac Mini Server.[2]
Before the Xserve, Apple's server line included theApple Workgroup Server, Macintosh Server,andApple Network Server.
Xserve G4[edit]
![]() The original Xserve G4 ![]() The second-generation Xserve G4 ![]() The Xserve G4 Cluster Node | |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
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Type | RackmountedServer |
Release date | May 14, 2002 |
Discontinued | January 6, 2004 |
CPU | Single or dualPowerPC G4, 1 GHz – 1.33 GHz |
Predecessor | Apple Workgroup Server and Macintosh Server Apple Network Server |
Apple introduced the Xserve on May 14, 2002 (released in June). Initially, two configuration options were available: a single-processor Xserve at US$2999, and a dual-processor Xserve at US$3999. Xserves sold before August 24, 2002 shipped withMac OS X v10.1"Puma" Server, while those sold after shipped withMac OS X v10.2"Jaguar" Server.
On February 10, 2003, Apple released an improved and expanded Xserve lineup. Improvements included one or two 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, faster memory, and higher capacity Ultra ATA/133 hard disk drives. The front plate was redesigned for a slot-loading optical drive. A new model, the Xserve Cluster node was announced at the same price as the single-processor Xserve, featuring two 1.33 GHz processors, no optical drive, a single harddrive bay,no video or Ethernet cards, and a 10-client version of "Jaguar" server.
On April 2, 2003 theXserve RAIDwas introduced, providing a much higher capacity and higher throughput disk subsystem for the Xserve.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][3]
Component | Xserve G4 | Xserve G4 (Slot Load) | Xserve G4 Cluster Node |
---|---|---|---|
Model identifier | RackMac1,1 | RackMac1,2 | |
Processor | 1 GHz or Dual 1 GHz | 1.33 GHz or Dual 1.33 GHz | Dual 1.33 GHz |
CPU cache | 64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) L2, 2 MB L3 (Per Processor) | ||
Front side bus | 133 MHz | 167 MHz | |
Memory | 256 MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM (1 GHz) 512 MB of PC2100 DDRSDRAM(DP 1 GHz) Expandable to 2 GB |
256 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (1.33 GHz) 512 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (DP 1.33 GHz) Expandable to 2 GB |
256 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM Expandable to 2 GB |
Graphics | ATIPCIGraphics with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM Optional ATI Radeon 8500 (AGP 4x) |
ATI PCI Graphics with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM Optional AGP 4x card with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM |
None |
Hard drive | 60 or 120 GB 7200-rpm ATA Up to 4x 120 GB (480 GB) |
60 GB 7200-rpm ATA Up to 4x 180 GB (720 GB) |
60 GB 7200-rpm ATA |
Ultra ATA/100(Optional Ultra 160 SCSI) Four Internal Bays |
Ultra ATA/133 Four Internal Bays |
Ultra ATA/133 | |
Optical drive | CD-ROM Tray-loading |
CD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD-ROMCombo Drive Slot-loading |
None |
Connectivity | 2xGigabitEthernet(One on PCI card) | 1x Gigabit Ethernet | |
Expansion | 2x 64-bit 66 MHzPCIslots 1x 66 MHz PCI/AGP slot (used for Gigabit Ethernet card) |
2x 64-bit 66 MHz PCI slots | |
Peripherals | 2xUSB1.1 3xFireWire400 1xRS-232serial |
2x USB 1.1 1x FireWire 400 2x FireWire 800 1x RS-232 serial | |
Video out | VGA | VGA or (VGA,DVIandS-Video) with AGP 4x card | None |
Minimum operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.1.5 Puma | Mac OS X Server 10.2.4 Jaguar | |
Latest release operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.5.8 Leopard | ||
Weight | 11.8 kg (26 Pounds) |
Xserve G5[edit]
![]() The Xserve G5 ![]() The Xserve G5 Cluster Node | |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
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Type | RackmountedServer |
Release date | January 6, 2004 |
Discontinued | November 2006 |
CPU | Single or dualPowerPC G5, 2 GHz – 2.3 GHz |
On January 6, 2004 Apple introduced the Xserve G5, a redesigned higher-performance Xserve. The 32-bit PowerPC G4s were replaced with one or two 64-bitPowerPC 970processors running at 2 GHz. Ventilation issues restricted it to threeSATAhot-swap drive bays, with the original space for the fourth drive bay used for air vents. The front plate and slot-loading optical drive were retained from the last Xserve G4. The higher memory capacity and bandwidth as well as the stronger floating-point performance of the PowerPC 970 made it more suitable forhigh-performance computing(HPC) applications.System Xis one such cluster computer built with Xserves.
Three configuration options were available: a single-processor model at US$2,999, a dual-processor model at $3,999, and a dual-processor cluster node model (with an unchanged appearance from the G4 cluster node) at US$2,999.
On January 3, 2005, Apple updated the Xserve G5 with faster processors in the dual-processor configurations. 400 GB hard disks were made available for up to 1.2 TB of internal storage. The slot-loading optical drive was upgraded to a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW standard, DVD-/+RW optional. Soon after, Apple updated the Xserve and Xserve RAID to allow the use of 500 GB Hard Drives.
Xserve G5 models before April 2005 shipped withMac OS X v10.3"Panther", after April 2005 shipped withMac OS X v10.4"Tiger".
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][3]
Component | Xserve G5 | Xserve G5 Cluster Node |
---|---|---|
Order Number(s) | ML/9216A (2.0), ML/9217A (2.0 DP), M9745LL/A (2.3) | ML/9215A (2.0), M9742LL/A (2.3) |
Model identifier | RackMac3.1 | |
Processor | 2 GHz, Dual 2 GHz, or Dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC 970FX |
Dual 2 GHz or Dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC 970FX |
CPU cache | 512 KB L2 | |
Front side bus | 1 GHz (2.0 GHz SP or DP) 1.15 GHz (2.3 GHz DP) | |
Memory | 512 MB or 1 GB of 400 MHz PC3200 ECC DDR SDRAM Expandable to 16 GB |
512 MB of 400 MHz PC3200 ECC DDR SDRAM Expandable to 16 GB |
Graphics | None Optional PCI card | |
Hard drive | 80 GB Up to 3x 500 GB (1.5 TB) | |
Serial ATA7200-rpm Three Internal Bays | ||
Optical drive | CD-ROM, CD-RW/DVD-ROMCombo Driveor DVD-RWSuperDrive Slot-loading |
None |
Connectivity | 2xGigabitEthernet | |
Expansion | 2x 64-bitPCI-Xslots | |
Peripherals | 2xUSB2.0 2xFireWire800 1x FireWire 400 1xRS-232serial | |
Video out | None (VGAwith optional PCI card) | |
Minimum operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther | |
Latest release operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.5.8 Leopard | |
Weight | 15.1 kg (33 Pounds) |
Intel Xserve[edit]
![]() The Intel Xserve | |
Developer | Apple Inc. |
---|---|
Type | RackmountedServer |
Release date | 2007 |
Discontinued | January 31, 2011 |
CPU | Single or DualIntelXeonDual or Quad Core CPUs, 2.0 GHz – 3.33 GHz |
Successor | Mac Pro Server Mac Mini Server |
Website | apple /xserve |
The Intel-based Xserves were announced at theWorldwide Developers Conferenceon August 7, 2006, and are significantly faster compared to the Xserve G5. They use Intel Xeon ('Woodcrest') processors,DDR2ECCFB-DIMMs,ATI Radeon graphics, a maximum storage capacity of 2.25 TB when used with three 750 GB drives, optional redundant power supplies and a 1U rack form factor. The Intel Xserves now had on board video, freeing up an expansion slot.
On January 8, 2008 Xserve was updated with Intel Xeon ('Harpertown') processors, faster memory, and a maximum storage capacity of 3 TB when used with three 1 TB drives. The front-mounted FireWire 400 port featured in previous models was also replaced with a USB 2.0 port. The Xserve RAID was discontinued on February 19, 2008.
On April 7, 2009 Xserve was updated to use Intel Xeon ('Gainestown') processors,DDR3memory, and NVIDIA graphics with Mini DisplayPort output. The update also saw an increase to the maximum storage capacity, bringing it to 6 TB when used with three 2 TB drives. An option to add aSSDboot-drive that does not occupy a drive bay was also implemented. The addition of the SSD boot drive allows all drives to be swapped whilst the server remains online. It is also Apple's first Xserve to use PVC-free internal cables and components and contain no brominated flame retardants.
On August 28, 2009 Xserve was updated to ship standard withMac OS X Server 10.6Unlimited Client Server. In addition to improved functionality Mac OS X 10.6 Server added support for up to 96 GB of RAM.[4][5]
On November 5, 2010, Apple announced that it would not be developing a future version of Xserve. While accepting orders for the current model until January 31, 2011, and "honoring" all Xserve warranties and extended support programs, the company suggested users switch toMac Pro ServerorMac Mini Server.[2]
After the Xserve's discontinuation, an annoyed customer emailedSteve Jobs,who responded that "hardly anyone was buying them".[6]
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.[a][3]
Component | Xserve (Late 2006) | Xserve (Early 2008) | Xserve (Early 2009)[7] |
---|---|---|---|
Release date | August 7, 2006[8] | January 8, 2008[9] | April 7, 2009[10] |
Model identifier | Xserve1,1 | Xserve2,1 | Xserve3,1 |
Processor | Dual 2 GHz, Dual 2.66 GHz, or Dual 3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 ( "Woodcrest") |
2.8 GHz, Dual 2.8 GHz, or Dual 3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 ( "Harpertown") |
2.26 GHz, Dual 2.26 GHz, Dual 2.66 GHz, or Dual 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 ( "Gainestown") |
CPU cache | 1 MB L2 (Per Processor) | 2 MB L2 (Per Processor) | 4x 256 KB L2; 8 MB L3 (Per Processor) |
System bus | 1333 MHzFront side bus(Per Processor) | 1600 MHz Front side bus (Per Processor) | QPI |
Memory | 1 GB of 667 MHz PC2-5300 Fully Buffered ECC DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 32 GB |
2 GB of 800 MHz PC2-6400 Fully Buffered ECC DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 32 GB |
3 GB of 1066 MHz PC3-8500 ECC DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 24 GB (Quad Core) or 48 GB (Eight Core) |
Graphics | ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM Optional ATI Radeon X1300 with 256 MB of DDR2 SDRAM |
ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM | NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM |
Hard drive | 80 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 750 GB (2.25 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 300 GB (900 GB) |
80 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 1 TB (3 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 450 GB (1.35 TB) |
160 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 2 TB (6 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 450 GB (1.35 TB) |
Serial ATA5400-rpm orSAS15000-rpm Three Internal Bays |
Serial ATA7200-rpm orSAS15000-rpm Optional 128 GBSSDBoot Drive Three Internal Bays | ||
Optical drive Slot loading |
CD-RW/DVD-ROMCombo Driveor DVD-RW DLSuperDrive | DVD-RW DL SuperDrive | |
Connectivity | 2xGigabit Ethernet | ||
Expansion | 1xPCIe×8 1x configurable slot (PCIe ×8 or 133 MHzPCI-X) |
1x PCIe 2.0 ×16 1x configurable slot (PCIe 2.0 ×8 or 133 MHz PCI-X) |
2x PCIe 2.0 ×16 (1x 6.6 "length and 1x 9.25" length) |
Peripherals | 2xUSB2.0 2xFireWire800 1x FireWire 400 1xRS-232serial |
3x USB 2.0 2x FireWire 800 1x RS-232 serial | |
Video out | Mini-DVI(VGAwith adapter) Dual-LinkDVIwith optional ATI video card |
Mini DisplayPort | |
Minimum operating system | Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard | |
Latest release operating system | Mac OS X 10.7 Lion&Mac OS X Server | OS X 10.11 El Capitan&macOS Server | |
Weight | 14.4 kg (31.7 Pounds) | 14 kg (30.86 Pounds) |
Supported OS versions releases[edit]
Mac OS X release | Xserve G4 | Xserve G5 | Xserve Xeon | |||
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Original | Slot Load/Cluster Node | All | Late 2006 | Early 2008 | Early 2009 | |
RackMac1,1 | RackMac1,2 | RackMac3,1 | Xserve1,1 | Xserve2,1 | Xserve3,1 | |
10.1 Puma Server | 10.1.5 | ![]() |
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10.2 Jaguar Server | ![]() |
10.2.4 | ![]() |
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10.3 Panther Server | ![]() |
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10.4 Tiger Server | ![]() |
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10.4.8 | ![]() |
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10.5 Leopard Server | ![]() |
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10.6 Snow Leopard Server | ![]() |
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10.7 LionandMac OS X Server | ![]() |
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10.8 Mountain LionandOS X Server | ![]() |
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patch | patch | ![]() |
10.9 MavericksandOS X Server | ![]() |
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patch | patch | ![]() |
10.10 YosemiteandOS X Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch, upgraded GPU | ![]() |
10.11 El CapitanandOS X Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch, upgraded GPU | ![]() |
10.12 SierraandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
10.13 High SierraandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
10.14 MojaveandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
10.15 CatalinaandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
11 Big SurandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
12 MontereyandmacOS Server | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
13 Ventura | ![]() |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
Timeline of Macintosh servers |
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Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Apple serves up rack-mountable server".CNET.RetrievedOctober 17,2023.
- ^ab"Xserve Transition Guide"(PDF).November 5, 2010.Archived(PDF)from the original on November 5, 2010.RetrievedNovember 5,2010.
- ^abc"Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty".support.apple.March 20, 2023.RetrievedMarch 23,2023.
- ^"Xserve (2009) - Technical Specifications".support.apple.Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 12,2022.
- ^"Apple Xserve Xeon Nehalem 2.93" Eight Core "Specs".Archived fromthe originalon September 27, 2022.
- ^Furno, Nicolas (November 8, 2010)."Xserve:" Pour ainsi dire, personne ne les achetait "(Steve Jobs)".MacGeneration(in French).RetrievedOctober 17,2023.
- ^"Xserve (2009) - Technical Specifications".support.apple.Archivedfrom the original on April 26, 2022.RetrievedSeptember 16,2020.
- ^"Apple Introduces Xserve with Quad 64-bit Xeon Processors".Apple Inc.August 7, 2006.Archivedfrom the original on December 7, 2020.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
- ^"Apple Introduces New Xserve—Most Powerful Apple Server Ever".Apple Inc.January 8, 2008.Archivedfrom the original on April 17, 2022.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
- ^"Apple Updates Xserve with Twice the Performance".Apple Inc.April 7, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on May 7, 2022.RetrievedJune 23,2020.
External links[edit]
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