The Xserve is a discontinued series of rack-mounted servers that was manufactured by Apple Inc. between 2002 and 2011. It was Apple's first rack-mounted server, and could function as a file server, web server or run high-performance computing applications in clusters – a dedicated cluster Xserve, the Xserve Cluster Node, without a video card and optical drives was also available. The first Xserve had a PowerPC G4 processor, replaced by a PowerPC G5 in 2004, and by Intel Xeon processors in 2006; each was available in single-processor and dual-processor configurations. The Xserve was discontinued in 2011, and replaced with the Mac Pro Server and the Mac Mini Server.
Before the Xserve, Apple's server line included the Apple Workgroup Server, Macintosh Server, and Apple Network Server.
Xserve G4
 The original Xserve G4  The second-generation Xserve G4  The Xserve G4 Cluster Node | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Rackmounted Server |
| Release date | May 14, 2002 |
| Discontinued | January 6, 2004 |
| CPU | Single or dual PowerPC G4, 1 GHz – 1.33 GHz |
| Predecessor | Apple Workgroup Server and Macintosh Server Apple Network Server |
Apple introduced the Xserve on May 14, 2002 (released in June). Initially, two configuration options were available: a single-processor Xserve at US$2999, and a dual-processor Xserve at US$3999. Xserves sold before August 24, 2002 shipped with Mac OS X v10.1 "Puma" Server, while those sold after shipped with Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar" Server.
On February 10, 2003, Apple released an improved and expanded Xserve lineup. Improvements included one or two 1.33 GHz PowerPC G4 processors, faster memory, and higher capacity Ultra ATA/133 hard disk drives. The front plate was redesigned for a slot-loading optical drive. A new model, the Xserve Cluster node was announced at the same price as the single-processor Xserve, featuring two 1.33 GHz processors, no optical drive, a single hard drive bay, no video or Ethernet cards, and a 10-client version of "Jaguar" server.
On April 2, 2003 the Xserve RAID was introduced, providing a much higher capacity and higher throughput disk subsystem for the Xserve.
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.
| Component | Xserve G4 | Xserve G4 (Slot Load) | Xserve G4 Cluster Node |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model identifier | RackMac1,1 | RackMac1,2 | |
| Processor | 1 GHz or Dual 1 GHz | 1.33 GHz or Dual 1.33 GHz | Dual 1.33 GHz |
| CPU cache | 64 KB L1, 256 KB (1:1) L2, 2 MB L3 (Per Processor) | ||
| Front side bus | 133 MHz | 167 MHz | |
| Memory | 256 MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM (1 GHz) 512 MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM (DP 1 GHz) Expandable to 2 GB |
256 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (1.33 GHz) 512 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (DP 1.33 GHz) Expandable to 2 GB |
256 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM Expandable to 2 GB |
| Graphics | ATI PCI Graphics with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM Optional ATI Radeon 8500 (AGP 4x) |
ATI PCI Graphics with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM Optional AGP 4x card with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM |
None |
| Hard drive | 60 or 120 GB 7200-rpm ATA Up to 4x 120 GB (480 GB) |
60 GB 7200-rpm ATA Up to 4x 180 GB (720 GB) |
60 GB 7200-rpm ATA |
| Ultra ATA/100 (Optional Ultra 160 SCSI) Four Internal Bays |
Ultra ATA/133 Four Internal Bays |
Ultra ATA/133 | |
| Optical drive | CD-ROM Tray-loading |
CD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive Slot-loading |
None |
| Connectivity | 2x Gigabit Ethernet (One on PCI card) | 1x Gigabit Ethernet | |
| Expansion | 2x 64-bit 66 MHz PCI slots 1x 66 MHz PCI/AGP slot (used for Gigabit Ethernet card) |
2x 64-bit 66 MHz PCI slots | |
| Peripherals | 2x USB 1.1 3x FireWire 400 1x RS-232 serial |
2x USB 1.1 1x FireWire 400 2x FireWire 800 1x RS-232 serial | |
| Video out | VGA | VGA or (VGA, DVI and S-Video) with AGP 4x card | None |
| Minimum operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.1.5 Puma | Mac OS X Server 10.2.4 Jaguar | |
| Latest release operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.5.8 Leopard | ||
| Weight | 11.8 kg (26 Pounds) | ||
Xserve G5
 The Xserve G5 The Xserve G5 Cluster Node | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Rackmounted Server |
| Release date | January 6, 2004 |
| Discontinued | November 2006 |
| CPU | Single or dual PowerPC G5, 2 GHz – 2.3 GHz |
On January 6, 2004 Apple introduced the Xserve G5, a redesigned higher-performance Xserve. The 32-bit PowerPC G4s were replaced with one or two 64-bit PowerPC 970 processors running at 2 GHz. Ventilation issues restricted it to three SATA hot-swap drive bays, with the original space for the fourth drive bay used for air vents. The front plate and slot-loading optical drive were retained from the last Xserve G4. The higher memory capacity and bandwidth as well as the stronger floating-point performance of the PowerPC 970 made it more suitable for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. System X is one such cluster computer built with Xserves.
Three configuration options were available: a single-processor model at US$2,999, a dual-processor model at $3,999, and a dual-processor cluster node model (with an unchanged appearance from the G4 cluster node) at US$2,999.
On January 3, 2005, Apple updated the Xserve G5 with faster processors in the dual-processor configurations. 400 GB hard disks were made available for up to 1.2 TB of internal storage. The slot-loading optical drive was upgraded to a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW standard, DVD-/+RW optional. Soon after, Apple updated the Xserve and Xserve RAID to allow the use of 500 GB Hard Drives.
Xserve G5 models before April 2005 shipped with Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther", after April 2005 shipped with Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger".
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.
| Component | Xserve G5 | Xserve G5 Cluster Node |
|---|---|---|
| Order Number(s) | ML/9216A (2.0), ML/9217A (2.0 DP), M9745LL/A (2.3) | ML/9215A (2.0), M9742LL/A (2.3) |
| Model identifier | RackMac3.1 | |
| Processor | 2 GHz, Dual 2 GHz, or Dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC 970FX |
Dual 2 GHz or Dual 2.3 GHz PowerPC 970FX |
| CPU cache | 512 KB L2 | |
| Front side bus | 1 GHz (2.0 GHz SP or DP) 1.15 GHz (2.3 GHz DP) | |
| Memory | 512 MB or 1 GB of 400 MHz PC3200 ECC DDR SDRAM Expandable to 16 GB |
512 MB of 400 MHz PC3200 ECC DDR SDRAM Expandable to 16 GB |
| Graphics | None Optional PCI card | |
| Hard drive | 80 GB Up to 3x 500 GB (1.5 TB) | |
| Serial ATA 7200-rpm Three Internal Bays | ||
| Optical drive | CD-ROM, CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive or DVD-RW SuperDrive Slot-loading |
None |
| Connectivity | 2x Gigabit Ethernet | |
| Expansion | 2x 64-bit PCI-X slots | |
| Peripherals | 2x USB 2.0 2x FireWire 800 1x FireWire 400 1x RS-232 serial | |
| Video out | None (VGA with optional PCI card) | |
| Minimum operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.3 Panther | |
| Latest release operating system | Mac OS X Server 10.5.8 Leopard | |
| Weight | 15.1 kg (33 Pounds) | |
Intel Xserve
| The Intel Xserve | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Rackmounted Server |
| Release date | 2007 |
| Discontinued | January 31, 2011 |
| CPU | Single or Dual Intel Xeon Dual or Quad Core CPUs, 2.0 GHz – 3.33 GHz |
| Successor | Mac Pro Server Mac Mini Server |
| Website | apple.com/xserve |
The Intel-based Xserves were announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference on August 7, 2006, and are significantly faster compared to the Xserve G5. They use Intel Xeon ('Woodcrest') processors, DDR2 ECC FB-DIMMs, ATI Radeon graphics, a maximum storage capacity of 2.25 TB when used with three 750 GB drives, optional redundant power supplies and a 1U rack form factor. The Intel Xserves now had on board video, freeing up an expansion slot.
On January 8, 2008 Xserve was updated with Intel Xeon ('Harpertown') processors, faster memory, and a maximum storage capacity of 3 TB when used with three 1 TB drives. The front-mounted FireWire 400 port featured in previous models was also replaced with a USB 2.0 port. The Xserve RAID was discontinued on February 19, 2008.
On April 7, 2009 Xserve was updated to use Intel Xeon ('Gainestown') processors, DDR3 memory, and NVIDIA graphics with Mini DisplayPort output. The update also saw an increase to the maximum storage capacity, bringing it to 6 TB when used with three 2 TB drives. An option to add a SSD boot-drive that does not occupy a drive bay was also implemented. The addition of the SSD boot drive allows all drives to be swapped whilst the server remains online. It is also Apple's first Xserve to use PVC-free internal cables and components and contain no brominated flame retardants.
On August 28, 2009 Xserve was updated to ship standard with Mac OS X Server 10.6 Unlimited Client Server. In addition to improved functionality Mac OS X 10.6 Server added support for up to 96 GB of RAM.
On November 5, 2010, Apple announced that it would not be developing a future version of Xserve. While accepting orders for the current model until January 31, 2011, and "honoring" all Xserve warranties and extended support programs, the company suggested users switch to Mac Pro Server or Mac Mini Server.
After the Xserve's discontinuation, an annoyed customer emailed Steve Jobs, who responded that "hardly anyone was buying them".
According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete.
| Component | Xserve (Late 2006) | Xserve (Early 2008) | Xserve (Early 2009) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | August 7, 2006 | January 8, 2008 | April 7, 2009 |
| Model identifier | Xserve1,1 | Xserve2,1 | Xserve3,1 |
| Processor | Dual 2 GHz, Dual 2.66 GHz, or Dual 3 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 ("Woodcrest") |
2.8 GHz, Dual 2.8 GHz, or Dual 3 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 ("Harpertown") |
2.26 GHz, Dual 2.26 GHz, Dual 2.66 GHz, or Dual 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 ("Gainestown") |
| CPU cache | 1 MB L2 (Per Processor) | 2 MB L2 (Per Processor) | 4x 256 KB L2; 8 MB L3 (Per Processor) |
| System bus | 1333 MHz Front side bus (Per Processor) | 1600 MHz Front side bus (Per Processor) | QPI |
| Memory | 1 GB of 667 MHz PC2-5300 Fully Buffered ECC DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 32 GB |
2 GB of 800 MHz PC2-6400 Fully Buffered ECC DDR2 SDRAM Expandable to 32 GB |
3 GB of 1066 MHz PC3-8500 ECC DDR3 SDRAM Expandable to 24 GB (Quad Core) or 48 GB (Eight Core) |
| Graphics | ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM Optional ATI Radeon X1300 with 256 MB of DDR2 SDRAM |
ATI Radeon X1300 with 64 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM | NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM |
| Hard drive | 80 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 750 GB (2.25 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 300 GB (900 GB) |
80 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 1 TB (3 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 450 GB (1.35 TB) |
160 GB SATA SATA: Up to 3x 2 TB (6 TB) SAS: Up to 3x 450 GB (1.35 TB) |
| Serial ATA 5400-rpm or SAS 15000-rpm Three Internal Bays |
Serial ATA 7200-rpm or SAS 15000-rpm Optional 128 GB SSD Boot Drive Three Internal Bays | ||
| Optical drive Slot loading |
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive or DVD-RW DL SuperDrive | DVD-RW DL SuperDrive | |
| Connectivity | 2x Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Expansion | 1x PCIe ×8 1x configurable slot (PCIe ×8 or 133 MHz PCI-X) |
1x PCIe 2.0 ×16 1x configurable slot (PCIe 2.0 ×8 or 133 MHz PCI-X) |
2x PCIe 2.0 ×16 (1x 6.6" length and 1x 9.25" length) |
| Peripherals | 2x USB 2.0 2x FireWire 800 1x FireWire 400 1x RS-232 serial |
3x USB 2.0 2x FireWire 800 1x RS-232 serial | |
| Video out | Mini-DVI (VGA with adapter) Dual-Link DVI with optional ATI video card |
Mini DisplayPort | |
| Minimum operating system | Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard | |
| Latest release operating system | Mac OS X 10.7 Lion & Mac OS X Server | OS X 10.11 El Capitan & macOS Server | |
| Weight | 14.4 kg (31.7 Pounds) | 14 kg (30.86 Pounds) | |
Supported operating systems
| macOS release | Xserve G4 | Xserve G5 | Xserve Xeon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Slot Load/Cluster Node | All | Late 2006 | Early 2008 | Early 2009 | |
| RackMac1,1 | RackMac1,2 | RackMac3,1 | Xserve1,1 | Xserve2,1 | Xserve3,1 | |
| 10.1 Puma Server | 10.1.5 |  |
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| 10.2 Jaguar Server |  |
10.2.4 | |
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| 10.3 Panther Server | |
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| 10.4 Tiger Server | |
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10.4.8 | |
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| 10.5 Leopard Server | |
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| 10.6 Snow Leopard Server | |
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| 10.7 Lion and Mac OS X Server | |
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| 10.8 Mountain Lion and OS X Server | |
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patch | patch |
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| 10.9 Mavericks and OS X Server | |
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patch | patch |
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| 10.10 Yosemite and OS X Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch, upgraded GPU |
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| 10.11 El Capitan and OS X Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch, upgraded GPU |
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| 10.12 Sierra and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 10.13 High Sierra and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 10.14 Mojave and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 10.15 Catalina and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 11 Big Sur and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 12 Monterey and macOS Server | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 13 Ventura | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| 14 Sonoma | |
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patch, upgraded GPU | patch |
| Timeline of Macintosh servers |
|---|
See also: List of Mac models
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Notes
- ^ Apple products that have been discontinued for 7 years and no longer receive hardware support nor spare parts
References
- "Apple serves up rack-mountable server". CNET. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "Xserve Transition Guide" (PDF). November 5, 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
- ^ "Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty". support.apple.com. March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Xserve (2009) - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
- "Apple Xserve Xeon Nehalem 2.93 "Eight Core" Specs". Archived from the original on September 27, 2022.
- Furno, Nicolas (November 8, 2010). "Xserve : "Pour ainsi dire, personne ne les achetait" (Steve Jobs)". MacGeneration (in French). Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- "Xserve (2009) - Technical Specifications". support.apple.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Apple Introduces Xserve with Quad 64-bit Xeon Processors". Apple Inc. August 7, 2006. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- "Apple Introduces New Xserve—Most Powerful Apple Server Ever". Apple Inc. January 8, 2008. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- "Apple Updates Xserve with Twice the Performance". Apple Inc. April 7, 2009. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
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