The new Xserve base model sports two 64-bit dual-core Intel Woodcrest Xeon processors running at 2.0 GHz; 1 GB of 667-MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMM RAM; a single 80-GB, 3-Gbps Serial ATA (SATA) Apple Drive Module; onboard dual Ethernet; CD combo drive; single power supply; no expansion cards; built-in graphics; and Mac OS X Server Unlimited Client Edition. The base price is $2,999. That's quite a punch for such a low price.

Click To Enlarge The Xserve is for the front and back end of video workflows--on the front end as a tape-to-file ingestion system, and on the back end for output to broadcast or as a transcoding station.

I tested a bit more robust model, and I had it optimized for streaming media files from a storage area network (SAN) in a 24/7 data center. This model has two 64-bit dual-core Xeon processors running at 3.0 GHz; 8 GB RAM (4 x 2 GB, 667-MHz DDR2 ECC FB-DIMMs); one 73-GB, 15,000-rpm Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drive and two 750-GB, 7,200-rpm SATA drives; built-in graphics; dual power supplies; dual-layer SuperDrive; 2-Gb dual-channel Fibre Channel card; dual-port Gigabit Ethernet card; and Mac OS X Server Unlimited Client Edition. Pricing is still a bit lower than what you would expect for such a loaded machine: $9,971.

Remember, the Leopard Server OS is expected to be out in early 2008. When you buy the new Xserve, be sure to get the OS maintenance plan to guarantee you'll get the new OS at no additional charge.

This model was designed with the media user in mind, as a complement to the Mac Pro. It's for the front and back end of video work-flows. For example, use it as a tape-to-file ingestion system on the front end and as a playout server or as a transcoder station for broadcast on the back end. The Xserve graphics card is Quartz Extreme-capable. And while Xserve isn't made for transition- and effects-intensive editing, Xserve running FCP for mobile situations such as sporting events where you have an ENG truck with limited space would be a perfect choice.

Processors and fans

I removed the two captive thumbscrews holding the cover on, then took out the five Phillips screws to expose the fan assembly.

Click To Enlarge Remove the two captive thumbscrews holding the cover on, then take out the five Phillips screws to expose the fan assembly and reveal this interior view. Note the FB-DIMMs don't require heat sinks, and seven fans are controlled individually by a microprocessor.

The 64-bit, 256-bit wide processors use a four-channel data path to the FB-DIMMs. Acoustic performance was paramount in the Mac Pro, so special heat sinks are required to minimize use of the fans. Thus, in the Xserve, heat sinks are not required for the RAM. Overall bandwidth of the processor system reaches a blistering 20.1 GBps, which is three times faster than the Xserve G5. The practical reality of all these specs is the ability to deliver greater performance for tasks such as real-time H.264 encoding for streaming, postprocessing effects, and transcoding media files.

Click To Enlarge Xserve supports PCIe cards such as the latest AJA Kona cards. You can put a Fibre Channel card in the other slot and then use the Xserve as an ingestion system with output to a SAN.

In a nod to maximizing efficiency between power consumption and heat management, the seven fans are controlled individually by a microprocessor, and each can be spun at a different rate to cool only as needed.

Storage

In the new Xserve, Apple is the first vendor to mix and match both SAS and SATA drives on the same backplane in a 1U rack mount factor. Each technology has a particular benefit in server applications, giving users maximum flexibility.

For example, SCSI drives are substantially faster than SATA, so for transactional applications that require quick disk access (like OS and database operations) an SAS drive is ideal. To illustrate the difference, a SATA drive has about an 8 ms seek time, while the 15,000-rpm SAS drive seeks in only 3.5 ms. SAS drive capacities are smaller and cost nearly twice as much, however, so they should be used only as needed. In my configuration, I put a 73-GB SAS drive as my boot and Web service drive, and then had two 750-GB perpendicular-reading SATA drives for media serving.

In the previous Xserve release, Apple supported a hardware RAID card as part of its storage mix. While an internal hardware RAID has not yet been announced, I would expect this option to surface in the near future. Another item of note: the drives are user-installable, so as larger drive capacities become available they can be swapped out without replacing drive bays.

Expansion

Moving to the back of the machine, Xserve comes standard with two FireWire 800 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, and a DB9 serial port for console access. Inside, the built-in ATI x1300 Radeon graphics card sits on a daughtercard of the PCI bus to avoid taking a PCI slot for video. The 64-MB card is enough to drive a 23-inch Apple Cinema Display and supports Quartz Extreme, which means it can be used with Final Cut Pro to treat Xserve as a Final Cut Pro rendering station.

Xserve also supports PCIe cards such as the latest AJA Kona cards. You can put a Fibre Channel card in the other slot and then use the Xserve as an ingestion system with output to a SAN.

Click To Enlarge One of seven individually controlled fans.

If you place a custom order through the Apple store, the left PCI slot can be configured as a PCI-X slot to support your existing investments in specialty PCI-X cards.

Best new features

Data center managers often griped about power redundancy and lights-out management in earlier Xserve models. The biggest changes to the latest Xserve should make these managers happier. The first big change is the dual power supply option. These power supplies are load sharing and hot swappable, and a second power supply is included in the Xserve emergency parts kit.

The second new feature is lights-out management--for real this time. Apple has implemented the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) standard into its management interface, which allows the CPU to be monitored and controlled remotely by any IPMI-compliant device and by software packages such as HP OpenView. The management card has its own IP number and account, but setup is simple and added to the OS build. Initially, the system management account is used to provision the card.

Click To Enlarge A very useful plastic card with room for an asset management tag, machine serial number, box configuration notes, and MAC addresses of the network interface cards.

Third, and best of all, is something small and seemingly insignificant to anyone who has never had to do inventory or determine a MAC address in the dark. Included in every Xserve is a plastic card that pulls out but remains connected to the machine. The card has room at the bottom for an asset management tag of standard thickness, the machine serial number, configuration of the box, and MAC addresses of the network interface cards (NICs)--all in white, yes white, lettering.

Conclusion

The new Xserve delivers all the performance improvements expected in a server that uses dual-core Intel Xeon processors, plus the server enables some incredible storage options.

Data center managers will be pleased they can integrate the Xserve into their standard monitoring packages and can have greater reliability through redundant power supplies. The hands-on server folks will appreciate the new quick-rack feature that simplifies rackmounting and eliminates cage nuts forever. They also will really love the pull-out ID card. And video production houses will appreciate that Xserve can run Final Cut Pro for workflow tasks that don't require constant human interaction.