Apple Workgroup Cluster
Image by Michael Trott
Thanks to qualified, integrated components and easy-to-use management tools, the Apple Workgroup Cluster has everything you need to get up and running quickly. Add cluster-aware commercial applications — such as iNquiry or gridMathematica — or develop your own custom applications using Xcode. You’ll soon discover the fastest and most affordable path to cluster computing.
Everything You Need
We’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing your hardware and software infrastructure. Because all components are preselected — and integrated — you don’t need in-depth technical expertise to configure a system that meets your needs.
All the Hardware
- Xserve with Quad-core Xeon processing
- Foundry EdgeIron switches
- Xrack PRO2 or APC VX racks
- APC Smart-UPS
- Power distribution
- Ethernet cables
All the Support
- AppleCare Premium Service and Support on each node
- Three-year hardware warranty
- 24/7 telephone support
- Four-hour on-site response
Easy Management for Performance and Reliability
As always, Apple takes the complexity out of even the most difficult tasks. Administration tools built into Mac OS X Server, along with Apple Remote Desktop remote management software, deliver the control and flexibility you require, while dramatically reducing the overhead of cluster management. Apply software updates, generate reports, and install new applications to entire cluster systems all in one step. Execute shell scripts across your cluster with the click of a mouse. And because all of Apple’s tools are based on industry standards, you can even run them over the Internet from anywhere in the world.
Scale Without Modifying Your Infrastructure
When the time comes to boost your system’s horsepower, you can increase your cluster’s capacity with minimal effort and cost. The standard 1U rackmount design of the Xserve makes it easy to add nodes to your cluster. Foundry EdgeIron switches leave ports for growth over time. And Mac OS X Server scales to hundreds of nodes without changes to your configuration.
Add Power
- Free ports on the Gigabit Ethernet switch make it easy to add nodes
- 1U design minimizes space requirements
- Services in Mac OS X Server scale effortlessly beyond 64 nodes
Add Storage
- Each Xserve RAID adds terabytes of storage to any cluster
- Multiple Xserve RAIDs add up to 21TB of storage per volume
- Xsan enables multiple Xserve RAIDs to scale to up to 2 petabytes per volume
Add Memory
- Each Xserve Xeon supports up to 32GB of ECC SDRAM
- Eight slots enable scaling without replacing your existing memory chips
Robust Platform for Cluster Computing
The Xserve, complete with dual 64-bit Xeon processors, teams with Mac OS X Server, a UNIX-based operating system, to make the Apple Workgroup Cluster a powerful and flexible choice for scientists and researchers. Easily deploy gridMathematica to accelerate Mathematica-based computations. For bioinformatics, use iNquiry by The BioTeam for instant access to more than 150 bioinformatics applications for sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis, and other common domains.
If you’re writing custom software, you’ll have the world’s best development environment at your fingertips. Based on open source GCC, Xcode gives you the power of a commercial integrated development environment at no additional cost. With the flexibility of open standards, porting Linux- or other UNIX-based codes to Mac OS X is a breeze.
