Apple's Snow Leopard Server to offer 64-bit power for $499

[AppleInsider]

Apple on Monday outlined plans for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Server, a full 64-bit UNIX server operating system based on open standards that is up to twice as fast as its predecessor. It will be priced at $499 with unlimited client licensing when it ships in September 2009.

"Snow Leopard Server is our best and fastest server operating system ever, and unlimited client licenses make it an incredible value for any size business," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "With easy to use new features like Podcast Producer 2 and Mobile Access Server, anyone can set up and manage its powerful services with just a few clicks."

Snow Leopard Server is a full 64-bit operating system designed to take advantage of multi-core processors and address massive amounts of memory, while remaining fully compatible with 32-bit applications. Up to twice as fast as its predecessor, Snow Leopard Server handles demanding server operations including web and application hosting, file sharing and mail.

Include with Snow Leopard Server is Podcast Producer 2 with its new Podcast Composer application, which automates the entire production process, making it easy to create podcasts with a customized, consistent look and feel. Podcast Composer creates a workflow to add titles, transitions and effects, save to a desired format and share to wikis, blogs, iTunes, iTunes U, Final Cut Server or the new Podcast Library.

Also include is a new Mobile Access Server, which offers a way for iPhone and Mac users to access secured network services, including corporate websites, online business applications, email, calendars and contacts. Without requiring additional software, Mobile Access Server provides strong encryption and authentication between the user's iPhone or Mac and a private network.

Additional new features in Snow Leopard Server includes the following:

-- Wiki Server 2, which improves its online collaboration with the ability to view wiki content on iPhone and preview attachments with Quick Look on any modern browser

-- The new Address Book Server, based on the CardDAV open standard, which provides a central location for users to store and access personal contacts across multiple Macs and synchronized iPhones

-- iCal Server 2, based on the CalDAV open standard, which includes web-based calendar access and the ability to view meeting invitations and details on iPhone using iPhone OS 3.0

-- A new Mail Server engine that supports push email so users receive immediate access to new messages

-- QuickTime X HTTP Live Streaming, which allows dynamic adjustment of movie playback quality to suit the available network speed

-- NetRestore, a new feature in System Image Utility, that allows easy custom image restore over a network

-- iPhone Configuration Utility, which simplifies the setup of multiple iPhones with configuration information, security policies, mail settings and certificates needed to connect to and communicate with enterprise systems.



Pricing & Availability

Mac OS X Server version 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available in September 2009 through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $499 (US), and includes unlimited licenses for Mac, Windows and Linux clients.

The Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Xserve system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller between June 8, 2009 and the end of the program on December 26, 2009, for a product plus shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US).

Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 90 days of purchase or by December 26, 2009, or whichever comes first.

Snow Leopard Server can run on any Mac computer with an Intel processor, a minimum 2GB of RAM and at least 10GB of available disk space.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[exscape]

The post does't contain "ZFS" anywhere. Main or only reason I'm waiting for Snow Leopard

[aga]

If you read between the lines AND this really works, then this is HUGE.

Apple has dropped the ball on server many times. Server, this time, appears to have a potential home run with the management features and remote access features.

hmmm............... waiting

[mdriftmeyer]

The Web Site team is not getting the Server site updated correctly.

fig. 2. Taken from Firefox 3.0.9 [http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/]

[mdriftmeyer]

They finally cleaned up Apple.com. Bravo!

[mdriftmeyer]

Open source foundation.

At the heart of Mac OS X Server is the Mach 3.0 microkernel — based on the OSF/mk project from the Open Source Foundation. The Mach kernel provides services for memory management, thread control, hardware abstraction, and interprocess communication. In addition, Mac OS X Server includes the latest technological advances from the open source BSD community. Originally developed at the University of California, Berkeley, the BSD distribution is the foundation of most UNIX implementations today. Mac OS X Server is based largely on the FreeBSD distribution and includes the latest advances from this development community.

With the move to Cocoa throughout, I wonder if the Mach 3.0 is now more streamlined to a more pure microkernel and away from the XNU mix. I'd like to see literature to see if this is true.

[amac4me]

Wow, a 50% price drop ... this is HUGE. Apple clearly has its sights on the enterprise.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by amac4me

Wow, a 50% price drop ... this is HUGE. Apple clearly has its sights on the enterprise.

Indeed they do. It also makes it more compelling for me to run Server and Client in development and production, along-side Linux.

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by amac4me

Wow, a 50% price drop ... this is HUGE. Apple clearly has its sights on the enterprise.

Whoa! I hope that's true cuz the wording is a bit ambiguous. A $500 SL server unlimited is fantastic!!

[lordeagle]

Snow Leopard Server can run on any Mac computer with an Intel processor, a minimum 2GB of RAM and at least 10GB of available disk space.

Does that mean I can legally install Snow Leopard Server on a Mac Mini!??

[hmurchison]

Originally Posted by lordeagle

Does that mean I can legally install Snow Leopard Server on a Mac Mini!??

Yup thus creating a $1099 server. Perfect for the small biz.

[Dlux]

Originally Posted by exscape

The post does't contain "ZFS" anywhere. Main or only reason I'm waiting for Snow Leopard

That was the first thing I checked for.

Me and my multi-TBs of data are seriously bummed out.

[GordonPrice67]

Originally Posted by hmurchison

Yup thus creating a $1099 server. Perfect for the small biz.

I would rather see a dedicated Mac Mini Server in a slightly larger form factor. Like the Mac Mini but as much as twice as tall. Quad core CPU and 8Gb of RAM. Internal RAID-1 SSDs for the OS. eSATA ports and a 3 or 5 drive eSATA RAID-5 external enclosure (think bigger WD MyBook II) for data storage. A couple WD Passports give you weekly offsite data storage. Optical drive is optional, but let me boot via WiFi from a laptop DVD, MBA SuperDrive, etc.
I would also like to see a business oriented version of MobileMe (OfficeMe? . Use it to backup ALL server and user settings to the .ME account, for example. Maybe offer a small daily backup of changed data files too. Basically hourly data file backup to TimeCapsule, then uploaded to OfficeMe on available server CPU cycles.
If my office burns down all I need is new hardware and internet to get my machines back to a useful state. Recover data from last week's offsite hard drive backup, and then everything newer comes down from ME. All my data security needs addressed. Recovery is nice and fast, all cheaper than a D(H)ell and Windows solution, and doing borderline magical stuff.

Oh, how would this be for cool. A server backup system where I pair my 2TB RAID-5 array (3 1TB drives) with a 2TB RAID-1 array (2 2TB drives). Initial backup is local. Then that RAID-1 array goes home, and via OfficeMe daily changed data files are backed up via internet connection thru an OfficeMe service. I still get hourly backups via TimeMachine to an in-house drive, but I have an offsite mirror that is never more than a day old, and could actually do offsite backups multiple times a day! If I loose my data, I just bring the mirror from home to use or restore from, either one.

I could easily see a small (5-15 person) architecture or graphic design firm able to run very happily on this setup. Maybe have a Mac mini and Snow Leopard (desktop) for a print server and media server. 30" CD in the lobby showing project work via FrontRow. Sweet.

Gordon

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by Dlux

That was the first thing I checked for.

Me and my multi-TBs of data are seriously bummed out.

I want to hear from the Sessions feedback to find out what it's status is within SL.

[taoshen1983]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

I want to hear from the Sessions feedback to find out what it's status is within SL.

Keep us posted. ZFS root is the "only feature" enterprise people need in Snow Leopard. Both Server and Client editions.

Nobody will understand how important ZFS is, unless they run L2ARC accelerators using OCZ Vertexes and saves thousands of dollars on SAS drives and RAID cards.

[MShock]

Originally Posted by taoshen1983

Keep us posted. ZFS root is the "only feature" enterprise people need in Snow Leopard. Both Server and Client editions.

Nobody will understand how important ZFS is, unless they run L2ARC accelerators using OCZ Vertexes and saves thousands of dollars on SAS drives and RAID cards.

but it seems to have been removed!!! that is frustrating to say the least...

[MShock]

Originally Posted by taoshen1983

Keep us posted. ZFS root is the "only feature" enterprise people need in Snow Leopard. Both Server and Client editions.

Nobody will understand how important ZFS is, unless they run L2ARC accelerators using OCZ Vertexes and saves thousands of dollars on SAS drives and RAID cards.

but it seems to have been removed!!! that is frustrating to say the least...

[meelash]

Is OS X Server just a lot of server applications added to the regular OS X. In other words would there be any disadvantage (besides price) of using OS X Server as one's day to day system. Anything OS X can do that OS X Server can't?