Product Reviews

When we last looked at Apple's Xserve server just over a year ago it had just completed Apple's migration from PowerPC to Intel processors. Since then things have been pretty quiet on the hardware side of Apple's server business. Nonetheless, the Xserve has managed to build a strong following both in business and in niche areas such as education and research.

This latest hardware refresh is not as major as the initial move to Intel, instead focusing on moving the Xserve to a more recent iteration of the Xeon processor, as well as stepping up from dual-core to quadcore chips.

In its basic configuration for a pip under £2000, you get a 1U rack-mountable server with a single quad-core 2.8GHz Xeon Harpertown chip. This is supported by a 1600MHz front side bus and 12MB of L2 cache, 2GB Ram as standard that can be expanded to 32GB, an 80GB 7200rpm Sata hard drive with options for more, an 8x Superdrive and a basic 64MB graphics card for when you need direct interaction with the server, such as initial set-up.

For an extra £320 you can have two 2.8GHz Xeons fitted to the dual-processor board, giving you eight cores running across the two chips. For £820 more than the base price, you can opt for two 3GHz Xeons, delivering huge performance gains over the previous top-end Xserve which had two dual-core 3GHz Zeons.

Spec CPU2006 benchmarks are between 70% and 80% faster than the older quad-core model, while memory bandwidth performance is up to 60% faster. In addition overall server performance is up to 120% faster, based on Specjbb2005 Java Server benchmark testing.

For the latest Xserve, a new 1TB Sata drive has been certified, allowing the server to hold up to 3TB of directly-fitted storage. SAS support can be specified as a factory-fitted option, as can a new hardware Raid card with 256MB cache, 72-hour cache battery backup and support for Raid 0, 1 and 5. The Raid card attaches to its own custom connector on the motherboard and does not take up either of the Xserve's two PCI-E expansion slots.

For the main Xserve the hardware changes are largely at the motherboard level. The latest model still uses the same high-quality 1U rack mounted server casing that has been in place since the launch of the G5-based version. Some

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minor tweaks have been made this time round, with the introduction of a new railing system to make it easier to both attach the rack mounting rails to the Xserve and to mount the server in a server rack.

The new rails use magnets to help with alignment and it is now possible for one person to fit an Xserve into a rack whereas previously two were needed. That said, the Xserve still weighs 14.4kg for the basic configuration, rising to 17.7kg for a fully loaded unit, so single-person lifting and fitting is probably not to be encouraged.

Other useful case features include a sturdy locking bolt that locks the three drive bays in place and prevents the Xserve from being switched off accidentally. An identifier button and light system make identifying a specific machine much easier, particularly when hunting from the back of a rack.

There are several nice touches not found on most 1U Intel-based rack servers - for example when two hot-swappable power supplies are fitted, if either of these is removed, a shutter drops down to cover the resulting hole. This ensures that airflow is not compromised while a power supply is out of the case or if the unit is ordered with only one power unit.

However, the legacy design of the case is not without its problems. The front of the Xserve still houses three removable drives, separated by two large air-intake ducts. The latter were a critical part of the cooling process for the G5 chips but are far less important for the cooler Intel processors. Instead these could and should make way for a fourth drive caddy, allowing this server to hold as much as 4TB of storage rather than the current 3TB maximum. The Xserve ships with the server version of Mac OS X Leopard, with unlimited client connection licence. This is in stark contrast to most Windows-based 1U servers, which usually ship either with no OS as standard, or with a five- or 25-client connection licence of the latest server version of Windows. Leopard Server is more than just the client version with extra apps, but is a fully featured server operating system, with support for many Windows server services including Active Directory.

Apple too has released an update to the Xsan Storage Area Network (San) software as an optional extra, at the same time taking the decision to exit the dedicated storage hardware business. It is quietly replacing the matching Xserve Raid storage array with a better performing and larger third-party array from specialist firm Promise.

The Xserve server range doesn't enjoy the same high profile as the rest of Apple's computer products, which is a shame as this foray into the enterprise data centre continues to deliver excellent results.

The only disappointment is that Apple has not redesigned the Xserve housing. Certainly there is scope for making better use of the available front panel space.