Xserve RAID
From Free net encyclopedia
Xserve RAID is a mass-storage device offered by Apple Computer. Xserve RAID holds up to 14 hot-swappable Ultra-ATA hard drives, and current models have a maximum capacity of 7 TB when filled with 500 GB modules. Xserve RAID can be configured for most RAID levels. It is rack-mountable and is 3U high.
Xserve RAID manages its hard drives with two identical RAID controller chipsets. The controllers are independent, but not redundant; each manages seven of the storage array's fourteen drives. Xserve RAID does, however, have redundant cooling units and power supplies. Xserve RAID's ports are two Fibre Channel ports for regular data transfer, a 10/100 Ethernet port for remote management, and a serial port for UPS communication via the Simple Signaling Protocol.
Apple markets Xserve RAID mainly as a companion to Xserve in file server and high-performance technical computing applications, but the storage array is also useful in some professional environments such as non-linear video editing. Also, Apple has certified Xserve RAID for use with some other vendors' servers, such as those running Windows Server 2003 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Xserve RAID is available in models costing between $5,999 and $12,999, plus configuration and support options. In the past, Apple has claimed an extreme price advantage for Xserve RAID. It is hard to say how accurate the claims were. Apple's competitors do not usually reveal to the public the prices of their own Fibre Channel RAID products, preferring instead to speak directly with customers. The greater amount of information Apple offers is characteristic of the company's showroom style of product presentation, which is rarely seen in enterprise IT.
External links
Template:Apple hardware since 1998it:Famiglia Xserve RAID zh:Xserve RAID