Apple updates Xserve

Apple unveiled an updated version of its Xserve server this week, adding Intel's latest server processors, reports cnet.

The Xserve is possibly the least-promoted product in Apple's line-up, but the company has certain educational and creative-professional customers that like to run a Mac OS X environment top to bottom.

The new models come with the option of one or two of Intel's quad-core 2.26GHz Xeon processors and 3GB of Ram, with the base model starting at $2 999 with the single processor. Several configuration options are available, including Xeon processors up to 2.93GHz.

Bull will make the Intel Xeon 5500 processor available on its NovaScale family of servers, having previously incorporated them in its European-built supercomputers, writes DatacentreDynamics.

Equipped with two 4-core Intel Xeon 5500 processors, eight of the models in Bull's NovaScale family will benefit from the improved price/performance ratio offered by these twin socket servers.

The lower power consumption and heat dissipation of the new processors also means performance-per-watt is better than the previous-generation Intel Xeon processors by a factor of two, and almost six times better than those available in 2005.

On 23 April Canonical will release the next version of Ubuntu Server, version 9.04, also known as 'Jaunty Jackalope', which includes expanded virtualisation and cloud computing capabilities, states Channel Web

Ubuntu Server 9.04 features a new version of Kernel-based Virtual Machine that facilitates live migration of virtual machines, as well as broader cluster support for file serving and deeper integration with Microsoft systems, said Steve George, director of support and services at Canonical.

Ubuntu Server 9.04 lets developers build applications for the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud and use Ubuntu as the operating system and delivery platform, according to George. "The APIs and delivery mechanism are compatible with EC2. Developers can build an application and deploy it through Amazon, and select Ubuntu to be the operating system layer," he said.