Customizing Xserve
I may be in a Apple's target market for an Xserve, but it's not clear. I currently colocate a G4 tower at an ISP - its size makes it rather expensive, so 1U is a great start.
However, I'm since I'm running a web server, I don't need OSX Server, client works just fine. I also don't need a second Gigabit ethernet port. I would like to add some drives, to create a RAID, but I'd rather put my own in (cost reasons). Does anyone know if the caddies come with the rack or do you just get faceplates?
Ideally I'd like to put a SCSI card in (no problem) and house the SCSI drives in the caddies which I'm sure is impossible.
Someone mentioned in one of the other threads that Xserve was available with OSX Client not Server, and it would be logical to offer a config without the second ethernet port but I can't see where these are available (perhaps in the future, or just for 'large' orders?)
I thought one of the touted benefits of the Xserve was that customers could have all kinds of configurations, but it seems the most obvious ones are not available.
Perhaps they're not really targeting web serving - but the size makes it perfect.
However, I'm since I'm running a web server, I don't need OSX Server, client works just fine. I also don't need a second Gigabit ethernet port. I would like to add some drives, to create a RAID, but I'd rather put my own in (cost reasons). Does anyone know if the caddies come with the rack or do you just get faceplates?
Ideally I'd like to put a SCSI card in (no problem) and house the SCSI drives in the caddies which I'm sure is impossible.
Someone mentioned in one of the other threads that Xserve was available with OSX Client not Server, and it would be logical to offer a config without the second ethernet port but I can't see where these are available (perhaps in the future, or just for 'large' orders?)
I thought one of the touted benefits of the Xserve was that customers could have all kinds of configurations, but it seems the most obvious ones are not available.
Perhaps they're not really targeting web serving - but the size makes it perfect.
Comments
you can't put SCSI drives in -- they are IDE.
<strong>However, I'm since I'm running a web server, I don't need OSX Server, client works just fine.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Someone asked about this at the presentation, and Steve's answer was that since you get Server free, there's no real reason to get Client. But it's there if you want it.
[quote]<strong>I also don't need a second Gigabit ethernet port. I would like to add some drives, to create a RAID, but I'd rather put my own in (cost reasons). Does anyone know if the caddies come with the rack or do you just get faceplates?
Ideally I'd like to put a SCSI card in (no problem) and house the SCSI drives in the caddies which I'm sure is impossible.</strong><hr></blockquote>
To use the rack slots, you have to use Apple's carriages (which only come with drives in them). SCSI drives would have to be racked in their own box.
[quote]<strong>I thought one of the touted benefits of the Xserve was that customers could have all kinds of configurations, but it seems the most obvious ones are not available.
Perhaps they're not really targeting web serving - but the size makes it perfect.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They explicitly targeted web serving. They seem to believe that their ATA solution is well-suited to it. From what I saw, the Apple drive carriages weren't that expensive - certainly not relative to SCSI HDDs - so is there any particular reason that you aren't interested in Apple's default storage option? Concern about ATA performance/reliability? After all, the cost argument for ATA is pretty good...
Saving something on those two would extend my budget from the single processor to the dual processor version, which I'd far prefer.
OK, I can live with the ATA drives - the 4 controllers is a good setup. I just hope they implement RAID 0/1 or RAID 5 with these. What's the point of a four drives unless you get performance and redundancy? Perhaps they'll do a bundle with the forthcoming SoftRAID X - Apple's current RAID offering doesn't really cut it.
I'd probably get one of these anyway but I really hope they bring in build to order soon.
<strong>I know you get server free but I wouldn't install it and it's worth - what - $999 ? Same goes for the second Ethernet card - I just don't need it.
Saving something on those two would extend my budget from the single processor to the dual processor version, which I'd far prefer.
OK, I can live with the ATA drives - the 4 controllers is a good setup. I just hope they implement RAID 0/1 or RAID 5 with these. What's the point of a four drives unless you get performance and redundancy? Perhaps they'll do a bundle with the forthcoming SoftRAID X - Apple's current RAID offering doesn't really cut it.
I'd probably get one of these anyway but I really hope they bring in build to order soon.</strong><hr></blockquote>
it is my understanding that Apple's RAID software is SoftRaid
<strong>I know you get server free but I wouldn't install it and it's worth - what - $999 ? Same goes for the second Ethernet card - I just don't need it.
Saving something on those two would extend my budget from the single processor to the dual processor version, which I'd far prefer.
OK, I can live with the ATA drives - the 4 controllers is a good setup. I just hope they implement RAID 0/1 or RAID 5 with these. What's the point of a four drives unless you get performance and redundancy? Perhaps they'll do a bundle with the forthcoming SoftRAID X - Apple's current RAID offering doesn't really cut it.
I'd probably get one of these anyway but I really hope they bring in build to order soon.</strong><hr></blockquote>
OS X Server comes preinstalled, setup for you. Also, if you ever do want to use some of those other services there are nice GUIs you can opt to use that would get the job done quicker.
Plus, Client doesn't come with all the Xserve specific tools to monitor the Xserve, and without Server I'm not sure if it could run headless.
Server and Client are exactly the same if you don't count the extra software and functionality bundled in.