APPLE DEBUTS XSERVE G5 WITH 30-GIGAFLOP PROCESSING POWER.Apple has introduced Xserve G5, the most powerful Xserve yet, delivering over 30 gigaflops (GIGA FLoating point OPerations per Second) One billion floating point operations per second. See FLOPS. (unit) gigaflops - (GFLOPS) One thousand million (10^9) floating point operations per second. of processing power per system, about 60 percent more than the PowerPC G4-based Xserve. Xserve G5 features the same revolutionary PowerPC G5, 64-bit processor used in Virginia Tech's cluster of Power Mac(R) G5s -- the world's third fastest supercomputer. With unparalleled performance and manageability in a 1U rack-mount enclosure, Xserve G5 is the perfect server for today's UNIX-based applications. Xserve G5 includes a new system controller with up to 8GB of PC3200 error correcting code (ECC (1) (Error-Correcting Code) A type of memory that corrects errors on the fly. See ECC memory. (2) (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) A public key cryptography method that provides fast decryption and digital signature processing. ) memory; three hot-plug Serial ATA See SATA. Serial ATA - Serial Advanced Technology Attachment drive modules that deliver up to 750GB of storage; optional internal hardware RAID; dual PCI-X (PCI eXtended) An enhanced PCI bus technology originally developed by IBM, HP and Compaq that is backward compatible with existing PCI cards. PCI and 32-bit PCI-X slots are physically the same, and PCI cards can plug into PCI-X slots. slots, supporting 133 MHz (MegaHertZ) One million cycles per second. It is used to measure the transmission speed of electronic devices, including channels, buses and the computer's internal clock. A one-megahertz clock (1 MHz) means some number of bits (16, 32, 64, etc. PCI-X cards with over 1 GBps of throughput; and dual on-board Gigabit Ethernet An Ethernet standard that transmits at 1 Gbps. Used mostly to connect high-end workstations and servers as well as for network backbones, Gigabit Ethernet transmits full duplex from point to point using switches and half duplex in a shared environment (CSMA/CD) using a hub. for high-performance networking. "Xserve G5 delivers just what our customers have been asking for," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With dual G5 processing power and up to 8GB of ECC memory (Error-Correcting Code memory) A memory system that tests for and corrects errors automatically, very often without the operating system being aware of it, let alone the user. , Xserve G5 is affordable, easy to manage and easy to cluster. Starting as low as $2,999, no one can offer better price performance in a 1U rack-mount design." Available with either single or dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors, the Xserve G5 architecture is based on an execution core that features massively parallel See MPP. computation for an unprecedented 215 in-flight instructions, full symmetric multi-processing, two double precision floating-point units and an optimized Velocity Engine. Xserve G5 has the industry's fastest front side processor bus -- running at up to 1.0 GHz and delivering 8 GBps per processor. Building on the engineering feats first introduced in the Power Mac G5, Xserve G5 squeezes the incredible performance of dual PowerPC G5 processors into an ultra-thin 1U enclosure. An innovative copper heat sink A material that absorbs heat. Typically made of aluminum, heat sinks are widely used in amplifiers and other electronic devices that build up heat. Small heat sinks are the most economical method for cooling microprocessors and other chips. design effectively removes heat from the processors while eight high-performance fans provide airflow for cooling the system. The fans are individually managed and monitored by a dedicated fan control processor; if a single fan fails the others speed up to compensate. The 1U enclosure has an array of over 30 sensors, including eight dedicated to temperature control, that continually monitor all critical system functions throughout the server. Xserve G5 is the ideal server solution for cross-platform file and print, workgroup management, video streaming See streaming video and video stream. , database applications, high-performance computing High-speed computing, which typically refers to supercomputers used in scientific research. , and web and mail serving. Apple also offers a cluster node configuration specifically designed for high-performance computational clustering that delivers the compute performance of dual G5 processors without the cost of additional components, such as a CD-ROM drive A device that holds and reads CD-ROM discs. CD-ROM drives generally also play audio CD discs by sending analog sound to the sound card via a 4-pin cable. For specifications of 10x, 20x, etc. drives, see CD-ROM drives. See CD-ROM, CD-ROM changer, CD-ROM server and CD-ROM audio cable. . Xserve G5 features new capabilities designed to make server setup and remote management easier than ever before. Server Monitor, Apple's hardware remote monitoring application, provides both high-level red/yellow/green status on all key subsystems, as well as detailed information on server status. Xserve G5 includes an updated Server Monitor that now provides information from over 30 sensors, including power supply voltages, temperature sensors, fan speeds and Ethernet and hard drive performance. Xserve G5 ships with an unlimited client edition of Mac OS(R) X Server version 10.3 "Panther" software pre-installed. Panther Server integrates leading open source and open standards software with easy-to-use management tools that make it easy to deploy popular open source solutions for Mac(R), Windows and Linux clients. Apple offers a choice of world-class services and support programs for Xserve including 4-hour on-site response, 24x7 technical support, AppleCare(R) Service Parts Kits and the AppleCare Professional SupportLine and Tools program. Pricing & Availability Xserve comes in three standard configurations or can be fully customized to meet specific customer requirements. The three standard Xserve G5 configurations include the following: -- a single 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processor with 512MB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module with expandability for up to 750GB, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire(R) 800 and USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. 2.0, and an unlimited client license of Mac OS X Server for a suggested retail price of $2,999 (US); -- dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors with 1GB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module with expandability for up to 750GB, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0, and an unlimited client license of Mac OS X Server for a suggested retail price of $3,999 (US); and -- cluster-optimized dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors with 512MB of PC3200 ECC RAM, a single 80GB Apple Drive Module, dual Gigabit Ethernet on-board, FireWire 800 and USB 2.0, and a 10-client license of Mac OS X Server for a suggested retail price that starts at $2,999 (US) per cluster node. For more information, call 408/974-8388 or visit http://www.apple.com. |
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