Rumor: Xserve RAID Delay Explained
[quote]Mac Whisper
January 29, 2003
Rumor: Xserve RAID Delay Explained A recent conversation with a storage industry executive potentially shed some light on what may turn out to be an extraordinary development in the saga of the much-expected Xserve RAID product from Apple. Though first shown early last year, the big disk array has been delayed repeatedly since that time.
The theory is that shortly following Apple's development of the pre-production prototypes last year of the Xserve RAID unit, a corporate decision was made to embrace the 1394b 800Mb/s FireWire standard across the board, on all future consumer and professional Macs. And, this decision created an entirely new development path for the Xserve and the Xserve RAID.
As the story goes, when it was realized that the 1394b standard is already in place to immediately scale FireWire all the way up to 3.2 gigabits per second, the original plan to embrace the 2Gb/s Fibre Channel data connection was questioned. It seems that after much internal wrangling a decision has now been made to build the final version of the Xserve RAID product around a FireWire link to the Xserve, not Fibre Channel.
If this tale is true, the data path between the server and the disk array will support the IEEE1394b S1600 data transmission rate using plastic optical fiber cabling, or the S3200 data rate using a multi-mode glass fiber connection. And, of course, in addition to being a uniquely Apple solution, it is both innovative and based around an open standard.
Again, this report is based only on one very intriguing conversation with one untested source, so it falls well short of our normal credibility standard. However, because, if true, this is such an unexpected and odd twist, we felt that this had to be published.<hr></blockquote>
I am not sure if I really believe this one but if it is true...SWEET! :cool:
<a href="http://www.envestco2.com/macwhispers/0000016.html"; target="_blank">Mac Whisper</a>
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: Jared ]</p>
January 29, 2003
Rumor: Xserve RAID Delay Explained A recent conversation with a storage industry executive potentially shed some light on what may turn out to be an extraordinary development in the saga of the much-expected Xserve RAID product from Apple. Though first shown early last year, the big disk array has been delayed repeatedly since that time.
The theory is that shortly following Apple's development of the pre-production prototypes last year of the Xserve RAID unit, a corporate decision was made to embrace the 1394b 800Mb/s FireWire standard across the board, on all future consumer and professional Macs. And, this decision created an entirely new development path for the Xserve and the Xserve RAID.
As the story goes, when it was realized that the 1394b standard is already in place to immediately scale FireWire all the way up to 3.2 gigabits per second, the original plan to embrace the 2Gb/s Fibre Channel data connection was questioned. It seems that after much internal wrangling a decision has now been made to build the final version of the Xserve RAID product around a FireWire link to the Xserve, not Fibre Channel.
If this tale is true, the data path between the server and the disk array will support the IEEE1394b S1600 data transmission rate using plastic optical fiber cabling, or the S3200 data rate using a multi-mode glass fiber connection. And, of course, in addition to being a uniquely Apple solution, it is both innovative and based around an open standard.
Again, this report is based only on one very intriguing conversation with one untested source, so it falls well short of our normal credibility standard. However, because, if true, this is such an unexpected and odd twist, we felt that this had to be published.<hr></blockquote>
I am not sure if I really believe this one but if it is true...SWEET! :cool:
<a href="http://www.envestco2.com/macwhispers/0000016.html"; target="_blank">Mac Whisper</a>
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: Jared ]</p>
Comments
If this story is true, why New PowerMac G4 has only one 800Mbps mode 1394b port, not 1.6Gbps or 3.2Gbps ?
The 1394b is not used for SAN environment yet and Apple has to follow the standard.
The real reason is This!
1) the best use of X-raid is use two 2-Gbps Fibra channel connect to one card to acheive maximum 800MB/sec.
To get this kind of performance, you need a 2-Gbps Fibra channel Host adopter which has Dual channel port in it.
There is only one such card available as this format.
It is ATTO ExpressPCI 3320.
However, It is not available for Mac. Because It has not been ready yet.
But it will be ready soon.
Check this out.
ATTO Technology Announces Industry?s First Dual-channel Fibre Channel Host Adapter To Support Mac OS X
<a href="http://www.attotech.com/press/pressdualchannelosx.html"; target="_blank">http://www.attotech.com/press/pressdualchannelosx.html</a>;
It has not come out and current version of OS X are not ready yet too.
2) If you check with spec of ATTO ExpressPCI 332, you will see something interesting.
To get the maximum performance out of this card, it need something in the PowerMac.
PCI-X !
<a href="http://www.attotech.com/epcifc3320.html"; target="_blank">http://www.attotech.com/epcifc3320.html</a>;
Now what do you think ?
Let's see what APPLE will bring next tuesday.
Think Hard, Think more,
Think differently!
P.S.: Hello Matsu, Happy New year. I mean Chinease New year!
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: kormac77 ]</p>
I am not the one reporting this rumor, just bringing to the AppleInsider masses...
You mean what you fantsized about over 2 years ago. You have NEVER predicted anything, ever, with any degree of accuracy at all. According to you, fruit flavor iMacs were to be LCD's with different sizes in each of the good, better, best points.
Please don't make me run down a list of your supposed predictions!
Go Kormac go... away!
Welcome back dude! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
But I still think it will come. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />
just a thought
Matsu: at least you have a sense of humor about your blood-presure problem when K is around.
Mandricard
AppleOutsider
P.s. Next Tuesday: iPod or BUST. Since "the accident" I have felt ....incomplete.
Actually I like Matsu! He is very logical.
It has been long time since I post here.
I will not write much like before anymore.
But I was always here to read all of your posts.
Lasy Year for APPLE product was disaster!
As I said before, I wish to see What I heard before to became realty this year.
Like Domino. :cool:
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: kormac77 ]</p>
But I was always here to real all of your posts.
<hr></blockquote>
As you can tell, I am a little <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002910&p="; target="_blank">DEPRESSED.</a>
I am keeping my fingers crossed for next Tuesday for my own reasons.
Mandricard
AppleOutsider
I think your wish will come to you this year.
Including Video ...... :cool:
kormac is back.
long time no nothing!
<strong>I am keeping my fingers crossed for next Tuesday for my own reasons.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Ah, the all important Tuesday - do the PowerMacs get another speed-bump then, or perhaps the 970 will be released because we just had a speed-bump and Steve's just messing with our minds thinking "we can't possibly have another upgrade so soon, not on successive Tuesdays, maybe a Wednesday, but not a Tuesday..."?
Alex
<strong>Does anyone know whose controller the Xserve RAID is using, or what prices are going to look like? I'm going to need a RAID of almost exactly its specification (well, ok, with bigger drives, too, but I'm expecting that to be remedied by release, probably by GXP180s) real soon now, and I don't want to pull the trigger on something else a week before Apple comes out with something just as good.
Alex</strong><hr></blockquote>
It will probably be their own home built controller, as I understand that there are going to be 14 independent ATA channels.
<strong>To get this kind of performance, you need a 2-Gbps Fibra channel Host adopter which has Dual channel port in it.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yikez.. Mind if I call U geek? :eek:
"The 10.2.4 Server Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability to the following applications, services and technologies: Mac OS Extended (HFS+) journaling, software RAID, Fibre Channel and SCSI device compatibility..."
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: JLL ]</p>