Mac Pro Server Guide

The Mac Pro Server is the most powerful Apple server hardware ever available. Offering unrivaled scalability and processing power, the leader of the Apple server line can provide remote users with enhanced graphics and video acceleration that blurs the line between remote and local desktops. The Mac Pro Server also brings new challenges to the data center that can be met with solutions from Apple or third party vendors. Our Mac Pro Server Guide will help you meet the challenges of the data center while giving you the roadmap to create an optimized Mac terminal services environment.

Redundancy of System Components

The Mac Pro Server includes a dual-port gigabit Network Interface Controller (NIC) but also includes several PCI express slots providing for the ability to expand capabilities. The Mac Pro Server also supports Apple's Hardware RAID controller that is a modified LSI RAID controller commonly found in other server platforms. This can be installed when ordered or can be manually installed upon arrival of the server. Software RAID solutions are available, some of which are bundled with Mac OS X Server. The Mac Pro Server can handle up to four internal hard drives which will provide for storage redundancy. Mac Pro Servers support a large number of external hard drives that can be used in a software RAID solution to add redundancy to external components. The Mac Pro Server can also support redundant video cards and fiber channel cards that are ideal for SAN environments.

Mac OS X Server includes a complete failover solution that goes far beyond the capabilities of redundant hard drives or power supplies which allows for complete server redundancy in case of complete server failure. The form factor of the Mac Pro Server may cause some customers to worry about data center space efficiency, but when it comes to expansion and system components, the Mac Pro Server outperforms the Xserve in almost every way.

Remote Management & Power Cycles

Remote power control can be achieved via 3rd party add-ons. The most commonly used add-on is an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) with network management. With a high quality UPS, redundant power supplies are not necessary. There are other more simple solutions such as a Remote Power Switch that can provide you with remote power control. Hardware add-ons such as a KVM over IP provide remote power and keyboard/video/mouse support enabling you to restart the Mac Pro Server into safe mode remotely and still interface with it. The most cost efficient solution is the remote power switch that starts at roughly $100 USD. If you would like a suggestion on which manufacturer we suggest, please feel free to contact your Aqua Connect Sales Consultant.

Rack Mountable

There is no hiding from the fact that the Mac Pro Server's physical form is not ideal for data centers. There are rack mountable solutions available though for less than $200 that will help save you valuable space in the data center. This will allow you to put two Mac Pro Servers side by side in the data center. The Mac Pro Server is data center friendly in terms of air flow. Like the Xserve, the Mac Pro cooling system goes from the front of the machine to the back thus allowing for rack mountable efficiency. Tower PCs do not have this air flow feature, but the Mac Pro Server does.

RAM and Processors: What the Mac Pro Does Better!

The Mac Pro is capable of providing more processing power and memory than the Xserve, making it ideal for Aqua Connect Terminal Server optimization. With the Mac Pro Server, you can get more concurrent users than ever before!

· The Mac Pro Server can hold up to 96 GB of RAM with 3rd party memory modules, compared to only 48 GB of RAM on the Xserve. 96 GB of RAM can handle over 275 concurrent Aqua Connect Terminal Server sessions with users running Microsoft Office and Safari web browsing!

· The Mac Pro Server can house up to 12 cores of processing power, compared to only 8 cores on the Xserve.

· PCI express slots on the Mac Pro Server are full height compared to only half the height on the Xserve.

· You can utilize non-Apple hard drives on the Mac Pro Server which was not possible on the Xserve.

· The Mac Pro Server comes with an advanced video card compared to the Xserve, which will enhance graphics and video acceleration in future releases.

· The design of the Mac Pro Server allows for easier access to the expansion slots, allowing for easier upgrades of processors and memory.