I joined Rob, Tony, Mark, and Morgan today on a conference call with one of the engineers working in the Xserve group at Apple. Among other things, we spoke about the massive boost in computing power and how the Nehalem processor architecture (also found in the newest Mac Pros) is poised to fully take advantage of Grand Central, a core new feature slated for release with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Grand Central is unique to Mac OS and enables the operating system to best take advantage of multiple processors and processor cores. As we approach the limits of silicon manufacturing processes, it is the number of cores and/or processors that will drive performance in the coming years. Apple recognizes this and Snow Leopard will be a big step forward for all of us on multiprocessor and multi core systems.
Of note was the big step forward in green design seen in the Xserve. This server uses 19% less idle power than its predecessor, has dynamic processor-level power control, active cooling that revs up only when needed, 89% efficient redundant power supplies, and optional solid-state drives that uses one measly watt instead of the 20 watts used by a typical server-grade hard drive while offering insanely fast throughput and incomparable mean time before failure (MTBF). Over a server’s lifespan, this can add up to pretty big savings for your organization and our planet.
I often hear grumbling about Xserve’s price point and am always confused by that. The hardware is top-notch, the service and support of AppleCare is second to none, the green factor is huge; this translates directly to your bottom line. But the biggest hidden value in Xserve is that each and every one comes with an unlimited-client license of Mac OS X Server—a $1000 value. If you’re a system administrator looking to switch either in part or entirely, you owe it to yourself to consider Apple hardware.
Drop Rob@smalldog.com a line with any questions you might have about the Xserve and its cousin, the Promise RAID, which offers massive amounts of completely redundant, secure storage at 89¢ per gigabyte. We offer end-to-end solutions ranging from project management to deployment to maintenance through our WatchDog Consulting services for everything from home businesses to multinational corporations.
