Xserve RAID Connect Xserve to Apples affordable Xserve RAID storage solution for enormous capacityup to 3.5TB1and advanced data protection in a high-availability 3U enclosure.
Xserve G5 Apples new Xserve packs high-density PowerPC G5 computing power and fast, affordable storage in a 1U rack-optimized enclosure. Customers can choose from two standard server configurations and one cluster node configuration, as well as from an array of build-to-order options.
High-bandwidth I/O. Two open 64-bit PCI-X slots provide throughput of up to 1GB/s for PCI devices. Dual onboard Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and FireWire 800 ports offer highperformance connectivity and deployment flexibility. Flexible storage. Three drive bays hold up to 750GB of fast, internal Serial ATA (SATA) storage1 in hot-plug Apple Drive Modules.4 Fast PCI-X slots and optional cards allow connection to external storage devices, including Apples Xserve RAID storage system. Innovative hardware monitoring. Dedicated monitoring hardware integrates with industry-leading software for remote monitoring of one or many Xserve G5 systems. The software can even send automatic notifications via email or pager. UNIX-based operating system. An unlimited-client license for Mac OS X Server,4 complete with easy-to-use open source workgroup and Internet services, is included at no additional cost. Built on open standards, Mac OS X Server integrates seamlessly into enterprise infrastructures. Whats more, Apple has written the latest version of Mac OS X Server to maximize the computing power of the 64-bit PowerPC G5. Server-class support products. To minimize downtime, Apple offers a suite of enterprise-class support products, including onsite hardware repairs, advanced software support, and convenient spares kits.
Rack-Optimized Server Design
With enormous processing power and ample storage in a compact 1U-high, 19-inchwide enclosure, Xserve G5 is designed from the ground up for performance, serviceability, and easy integration into a wide range of computing environments. All the necessary rackmounting hardware is in the box, including rack rails with sliders, mounting brackets for industry-standard four-post racks and telco center-post racks, and complete setup instructions. For trouble-free servicing, the power cord connection has a cable-locking clip, and a cable management arm keeps cables with the system when you slide it out of a four-post rack.

High-Density Cluster Node Configuration
With the compute performance of two superscalar 2GHz PowerPC G5 processors, the Xserve G5 cluster node configuration is ideal for High Performance Computing (HPC) in scientific and technical environments, as well as for workgroup clusters and render farms. One dual processor node can execute over 9 billion double-precision floatingpoint operations per second, or 9 gigaflops per U. That means a rack filled with Xserve G5 systems can offer over 378 gigaflops of processing power. Single-precision floatingpoint performance is also remarkable: With a dual-pipeline Velocity Engine on each processor, the Xserve G5 cluster node can execute over 30 gigaflops. Best of all, by eliminating the cost of unneeded components, Apple has made this high-density 1U system extremely affordable. For more information about Apple solutions for computational clusters, see www.apple.com/xserve/cluster.
Xserve G5 Cluster An Xserve G5 cluster uses a dedicated server system as the head node, which can manage hundreds of Xserve cluster nodes. Apples Xserve RAID adds high-performance, high-availability storage. Each cluster node has these robust features: Computational power. Dual 2GHz PowerPC G5 processors provide highperformance computation and superior scalability. Fast PCI-X. Two PCI-X slots support cluster interconnect technologies, such as InfiniBand and Myricoms Myrinet. Dual Gigabit Ethernet. Two onboard high-speed interfaces enable independent gigabit connections to the head node for network services and to the cluster interconnect for loosely coupled cluster environments. FireWire 800. Two FireWire 800 ports support small clusters using TCP/IP over FireWire. FireWire Target Disk Mode allows easy cloning of system configurations. Advanced cooling system. An array of eight fans keeps air flowing over high-performance processing components. Intelligent management of the fan array keeps noise and power consumption to a minimum. Indicator lights. Xserve G5 provides continuous, at-a-glance information about the health and status of all the systems in the rack. Built-in sensors. Hardware sensors integrate with Server Monitor to provide easy monitoring of hundreds of systems from a single, intuitive interface. Automatic setup. Mac OS X Server makes it easy to set up an entire rack of systems automatically from a directory on the network or a USB or FireWire disk. Startup options. Front Panel Mode allows the system identifier button to be used for selecting startup options, such as booting from a network server or restoring default system settings.

LINPACK: Double-Precision Calculations $333 per gigaflop Apple offers compute power at the lowest cost per gigaflop of any tierone vendoronly $333 per gigaflop, or $333,000 per teraflop.5
Dual 2GHz PowerPC Ggigaflops

Dell PowerEdge 1750

Dual 3.2GHz Xeon

IBM eServer x335

IBM eServer x325

Dual 2GHz Opteron 10

Billions of floating-point operations per second (gigaflops)
Two double-precision floating-point units enable the dual 2GHz Xserve G5 to perform the linear equations 8 percent faster than the 3.2GHz Xeon-based servers and 50 percent faster than the 2GHz Opteron-based server.
A/G BLAST A/G BLAST is a version of NCBI BLAST developed by Apple in collaboration with Genentech. Optimized for dual PowerPC G5 processors, the Velocity Engine, and the symmetric multiprocessing capabilities of Mac OS X, A/G BLAST makes a wide variety of searches available at higher speeds.
BLAST To demonstrate the advantages of Xserve G5 for processor-intensive scientific analysis, Apple used Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, or BLAST. BLAST is a popular open source biotechnology application used by life science researchers to find matches in DNA and protein sequences. BLAST searches are based on word size, or the number of nucleotide pairs specified by the researcher to register as a match. Different word sizes are used for different kinds of research, and users can adjust word size to the sensitivity appropriate to their needs. With long-word-size, or high-performance, searches, the researcher is looking for similarities between DNA sequences that are nearly identical. For short-word-size searches (fewer than 11), the researcher is comparing more distantly related sequences; these searches require high resolution to find the small matches between dissimilar sequences.
BLAST: DNA Sequence Matching
3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0.40 Word length
Dual 2GHz IBM eServer x325 Dual 3.2GHz IBM eServer x335 Dual 3.2GHz Dell PowerEdge 1750 Dual 2GHz Xserve G5
In common searches using a word size of more than 11, Xserve G5 far outperformed the Xeon-based servers. Even at word size 11, for which NCBI BLAST has been extensively optimized, Xserve G5 performed on par with the competition.
Millions of nucleotides per second
HMMer 2.3.3 HMMer is another application that demonstrates the advantages of Xserve G5 with Velocity Engine for processor-intensive scientific analysis. HMMer is a genome sequencematching application that uses Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) to identify similarities in genetic structures. The core routines of HMMer repeatedly perform the same operation on large amounts of data. To test the performance of the HMMer code, Apple searched for an HMM created from a 358-residue sequence in the protein databank (PDB) and measured the time to search the entire PDB.
HMMer: Genome Sequence Matching
Dual 2GHz PowerPC G5 69% faster 33% faster

27% faster

Dual 2GHz Opteron Percent faster than Opteron-based system

Baseline

The dual 2GHz Xserve G5 performed the HMMer search up to 33 percent faster than the 3.2GHz Xeon-based servers and 69 percent faster than the 2GHz Opteron-based server.

Networking Throughput

To minimize bottlenecks and ensure maximum data throughput, Xserve G5 features a high-performance I/O architecture optimized for server tasks. NetBench SMB Xserve G5 provides the best balance of processor, network, and disk performance critical for delivering file services to large numbers of network clients.
NetBench SMB: Windows File Serving
Xserve G5 with Mac OS X Server

160 Megabits per second

IBM eServer x335 with Windows Server 2003

28 Simultaneous clients

With more than 12 NetBench clients, Xserve G5 with Mac OS X Server delivers Windows file services significantly faster than the Xeon-based server with Windows Server 2003, and its performance remains high even as clients are added to the network.
WebBench For fast network throughput, Xserve G5 features dual onboard Gigabit Ethernet controllers, as well as optimized network drivers and a high-performance BSD network stack in Mac OS X Server. Apple used WebBench from eTesting Labs to demonstrate the superior web server performance of Xserve G5 based on the number of connections each server can support.
WebBench: Apache Web Serving

Dual 2GHz Xserve G5

Dual 2GHz IBM eServer x325

6000 Requests per second

Dual 3.2GHz IBM eServer x335

Simultaneous clients

Xserve G5 easily supports a large number of network connections. With more than 16 WebBench clients, it outperforms the Xeon- and Opteron-based servers, and its performance advantage increases as clients are added to the network.
Apple performed the NetBench and WebBench tests without the supervision or verification of eTesting Labs, which makes no representation or warranty of the results. eTesting Labs WebBench version 4.1 was used with the standard test suite STATIC_WB41.TST, with the threads variable set to 5 and with 28 client computers. For the WebBench test, Xserve G5 ran Apache 1.3; the IBM systems ran Apache 2.0.

PowerPC G5 Processor

The breakthrough performance of the 64-bit PowerPC G5 is now available to Apple server customers. With 64-bit-wide data paths and registers, this revolutionary processor can address vast amounts of main memory, while handling multiple 64-bit integer and double-precision floating-point math calculations in a single pass. Its wide execution core manages immense operations in parallel, supporting up to 215 in-flight instructions.

4.3 billion times bigger To grasp the enormous leap from 32-bit to 64-bit processing, imagine equating the range of numbers a processor can express with a two-dimensional area. A 32-bit processor can express a range of integers equal to the size of a postcard, while a 64-bit processor can express a range of integers larger than the island of Manhattan.
Support for more memory in Mac OS X Server The latest version of Mac OS X Server makes the most of the expanded memory capabilities of the PowerPC G5. With up to 4GB of memory allocated per application, each server task can have dedicated space in the systems generous memory.
Vast amounts of addressable memory The move to 64-bit processing results in a similarly dramatic leap in the amount of memory supported. A memory address is a special kind of integer, and each address points to one byte in memory. Since memory addresses are computed in 64-bit registers capable of expressing 18 billion billion integers, the PowerPC G5 can theoretically address 18 exabytes (18 billion billion bytes) of virtual memory. In practice, memory addressing is defined by the physical address space of the processor. The PowerPC G5, with 42 bits of physical address space, supports a colossal 242 bytes, or 4 terabytes, of system memory. Although its not currently feasible to purchase 4 terabytes of RAM, the advanced architecture of this new processor allows for plenty of growth in the future. Multiple high-precision calculations With 64-bit-wide data paths and registers, the PowerPC G5 can execute multiple instructions on 64 bits of dataincluding huge integer calculations and doubleprecision floating-point mathematicsin a single pass. In contrast, a 32-bit processor has to split up any data larger than 32 bits and process it in multiple passes. This leap in performance, from 32-bit to 64-bit processing, brings previously unmanageable tasks into the realm of practicality, facilitating highly accurate calculations required for scientific analysis, technical research, 3D effects, and video encoding.
Next-Generation PowerPC Architecture
Apple and IBM built the PowerPC G5 processor for maximum efficiency and performance. Its architecture features processing innovations that optimize the flow of data and instructions, including a high-bandwidth execution core with dual floating-point units and dual integer units. For more information about the PowerPC G5 architecture, see www.apple.com/g5processor.

PowerPC G5 Architecture The execution core contains 12 discrete functional units: The Velocity Engine uses two large queues and dedicated 128-bit registers for vector processing. Two 64-bit double-precision floating-point units provide the speed and accuracy required for highly complex computations. Two 64-bit integer units perform calculations for a broad range of computing tasks. Two load/store units manage data as it is processed, keeping the processors large registers filled for faster operations. The condition register stores the results of branch predictions to improve the accuracy of future predictions. The branch prediction unit uses innovative three-component logic to maximize processor efficiency.
High-Bandwidth Server Architecture
The PowerPC G5 is only part of the Xserve performance story. Xserve G5 features the industrys fastest frontside bus to keep data moving in and out of the processor, and a superefficient point-to-point system controller allows data to move directly between all subsystems. Bandwidth is further enhanced by a 400MHz, 128-bit memory bus and a high-speed HyperTransport interface that connects the PCI-X controller and the I/O subsystems to the system controller. Together these advanced technologies provide the power and throughput for demanding Internet applications, robust network infrastructure solutions, and high-performance computational clustering environments.
Server-Optimized Architecture
Gigahertz frontside bus. Provides up to 8GB/s bandwidth between the processor and the rest of the system. Dual independent frontside buses. Provide up to 16GB/s aggregate bandwidth in dual processor systems. Advanced system controller. Uses a point-to-point architecture to enable data to pass directly between subsystems. 400MHz ECC memory. Uses a 128-bit-wide data path to support high-speed PC3200 SDRAM with Error Correction Code (ECC) protection. PCI-X expansion. Supports two high-performance 100MHz PCI-X cards or one 133MHz PCI-X card, providing total throughput of up to 1GB/s. Dual onboard Gigabit Ethernet. Provides two independent ports, as well as hardware support for VLAN, jumbo frames, and TCP, IP, and UDP hardware checksum. High-performance I/O controller. Integrates three fast Serial ATA (SATA) drive controllers and FireWire 800 interfaces using a HyperTransport interconnect. Serial ATA storage. Supports up to 750GB of affordable hot-plug internal storage1 using three independent, high-performance 150MB/s SATA drive controllers.4

Gigahertz Frontside Bus

Xeon Xeon PowerPC G5 PowerPC G5
Industrys fastest frontside bus The dual-channel frontside bus allows data to travel to and from the PowerPC G5 processor at the same time. On dual processor systems, each PowerPC G5 has its own dedicated interface to maximize throughputcompared with dual Xeon-based systems, in which the processors must share a single bus.

To harness the power of the G5 processor, a 64-bit Double Data Rate (DDR) frontside bus speeds up communication between the PowerPC G5 and the memory controller. Unlike conventional processor interfaces, which carry data in only one direction at a time, this dual-channel frontside bus has two 32-bit point-to-point links: One link travels into the processor and another travels from the processor, which means no wait time while the processor and the system controller negotiate which will use the bus or while the bus switches direction. This elastic interface self-tunes during startup for optimal signal quality. On the 2GHz PowerPC G5, the frontside bus operates at 1GHz for a total theoretical bandwidth of up to 8GB/s. Dual processor systems get an even greater performance boost, because each PowerPC G5 has a dedicated frontside bus. This unique feature results in a maximum aggregate raw bandwidth of 16GB/s on dual 2GHz Xserve G5 systems. This is well over twice the 6.4GB/s maximum throughput of Itanium 2based systems and almost four times the 4.3GB/s throughput of Xeon-based systems. Because theres a dedicated data path in each direction, transaction-intensive server operations execute fast and without contention for dataso the processor doesnt sit idle, waiting for data to arrive. On dual processor systems, the two independent frontside buses allow each PowerPC G5 to handle its own tasks at maximum speed with minimal interruption. They also enable each processor to discover and access data in the other processors caches, a technique called intervention, or snooping. Cache intervention guarantees cache coherency, which ensures that the processor always fetches the correct data, even if the data has been modified and is stored in the cache of the other processor.
Point-to-Point System Controller
A new system controller is central to the overall performance of Xserve G5. This revolutionary application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)built using advanced IBM technologyis one of the industrys fastest. A superefficient point-to-point architecture provides each primary subsystem with dedicated throughput to main memory, so massive amounts of data can traverse the system without contention for bandwidth. In contrast, subsystems on Xeon-based servers must share bandwidth, which can result in time-consuming arbitration while they negotiate for access across a common data path.
Advanced ECC Memory Technology
Xserve G5 maximizes the efficiency of its computing power with an advanced 128-bit DDR memory architecture and support for up to 8GB of RAM. This high-speed, highcapacity memory architecture enables video encoding, transaction-intensive networking, and scientific applications to perform radically faster. Whats more, it works with ECC logic in the system controller to protect data from corruption or errors. Double Data Rate (DDR) memory Xserve G5 features a memory controller that supports 400MHz, 128-bit DDR SDRAM. With fast DDR memory and a wider 128-bit interface that addresses two banks of SDRAM at a time, Xserve G5 can reach a memory throughput of up to 6.4GB/smore than double the throughput of the G4-based Xserve. For even greater performance, direct memory access (DMA) works with the point-to-point system controller, so subsystems can access main memory without needing to interact with the processor.

Support for up to 8GB of RAM Xserve G5 comes standard with 512MB or 1GB of DDR SDRAM. Main memory is scalable up to 8GB in eight DIMM slots, allowing you to increase memory as application and networking requirements increase. More main memory enables the system to run strenuous processes simultaneously and to accommodate spikes in demand. Enormous files and data sets can be loaded into RAM for rapid processing by the PowerPC G5 without having to access disk storage. Data is transferred to memory 40 times faster than to the hard drive. In fact, accessing the first critical word of data from memory is 60,000 times faster than from a hard drive, so manipulation and analysis of data can be performed at remarkable speeds. ECC protection Xserve G5 uses Error Correction Code (ECC) logic to protect the system from data corruption and transmission errors. Each DIMM has an extra memory module that stores checksum data for every transaction. The system controller uses this ECC data to identify single-bit errors and corrects them on the fly, preventing unplanned system shutdowns and protecting data integrity. In the rare event of multiple-bit errors, the system controller detects the error and triggers a system notification to prevent bad data from corrupting further operations. For additional protection, the ECC modules on the DIMMs integrate with Server Monitor software. If error rates exceed a defined threshold, which typically indicates a hardware problem, Server Monitor can alert the administrator for fast resolution.
High-Performance PCI-X Expansion
PCI expansion options Built-to-order Xserve G5 configurations can include the following: Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card Hardware RAID PCI card Apple PCI-X Gigabit Ethernet Card Dual-channel Ultra320 SCSI PCI-X card VGA video card
Xserve G5 features the latest 133MHz PCI-X expansion protocol with throughput of up to 1GB/s. PCI-X operates more efficiently than PCI, resulting in more usable bandwidth at any PCI-X bus speedideal for connecting to high-performance networking, storage, and backup devices using optional SCSI and Fibre Channel cards. For fast data access, the PCI-X bus connects to the system controller using a high-speed, dual-channel HyperTransport bus with a throughput of up to 4.8GB/s (2.4GB/s each way). Two open 64-bit PCI-X slots allow you to add one card running at up to 133MHz or two cards running at up to 100MHz. The PCI-X specification is designed to support 3.3V signaling and is compatible with Universal 33MHz and 66MHz PCI cards.6
Dual Onboard Gigabit Ethernet
Apple extends the networking performance of Xserve G5 with a high-performance Ethernet controller on the main logic board. This advanced controller includes two independent 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet interfaces, each with its own interrupt, on a dedicated 64-bit, 133MHz PCI-X bus. The result is tremendous networking bandwidth and no contention for data with the I/O subsystems. In addition, the Gigabit Ethernet controller provides these networking features: Hardware-generated TCP, IP, and UDP checksum detects packet corruption and transmission errors. 802.1q VLAN (Virtual LAN) tags allow Xserve G5 to be a member of multiple virtual networks and to provide unique network services to each one. A large 64K packet buffer per interface supports jumbo frames, or packets up to 9K, to reduce system overhead and increase throughput of all network activities.

Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card Xserve RAID connects to a host Xserve G5 system using the dual-port 2Gb Apple Fibre Channel PCI Card (sold separately), for easy integration into copper or optical infrastructures.
Integrated Hardware Monitoring
Xserve G5 includes built-in remote monitoring capabilities that enable network administrators to stay in touch with their Xserve systems from anywhere on the network or over the Internet. Xserve monitoring tools run over TCP/IP using robust password authentication to protect management data and server deployments from unauthorized access. With 38 sensors in the enclosure, Xserve G5 is the most instrumented server in its class. Embedded hardware sensors integrate with Apples sophisticated Server Monitor software to check the condition of all critical subsystems, such as memory, fans, power supplies, and Ethernet links. Temperature measurements for hard drives, processors, memory, PCI, power supply, and incoming ambient temperature are processed using three dedicated microcontrollers and three dedicated communication buses on the logic board. To maximize server uptime, Server Monitor aids in the early identification and easy diagnosis of system problems. This powerful application uses data from the hardware sensors to continuously report on the status of all Xserve subsystems, for all servers on the network. If operating conditions for any component exceed predefined thresholds, Server Monitor can instantly send notification via email or email-capable pager, so network administrators can respond quickly to prevent or repair the problem.
Remote monitoring Server Monitor allows administrators to review information on hundreds of Xserve systems from any Internet-connected Mac OS X system.
Server Monitor can monitor hundreds of servers using a single, intuitive interface. Each server is identified by name and IP address (or DNS host name), and at-a-glance summary information (greenOK, yellowwarning, rederror) indicates the status of individual components. A click on any icon displays detailed status and performance information.
Server Monitor provides instant access to status and performance details, including these individual server attributes, subsystems, and system variables: Info. Lists key attributes of the server: name, IP address, device kind, operating system version, processor type, amount of memory, firmware version, uptime, last monitoring update, and hardware serial number. Memory. Displays the size, speed, and type of memory installed in each system, as well as ECC error counts. Drives. Provides the status of each of the servers hard drives, including SMART data for predictive failure notification.
Automatic notifications Server Monitor can send a customized email to alert specified individuals when operating conditions exceed predefined thresholds. Short text messages can be sent to email-capable pagers, cell phones, or PDAs; full-text details can be sent to email clients or full-function PDAs.

Power. Shows the current, voltage, and processor power, as well as a historical line graph for each supply rail. It also provides Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) information and status when available. Network. Indicates the status of active network links, network stack, and link settings and provides a historical line graph for each link.
Xserve Remote Diagnostics Xserve G5 includes a new set of server-class diagnostic tools that support hardware profiling and advanced diagnostics, as well as remote, headless operation.
Temperature. Provides the values of the ten enclosure and processor temperature sensors, as well as a historical line graph for each sensor reading. Blowers. Shows the revolutions per minute and status of the eight fans, including a historical line graph for each one. In the case of a single blower failure, the other fans speed up to compensate, allowing the server to continue to run, while also notifying the system administrator.
Security. Displays the security status of the Xserve enclosure. Xserve G5 features a hardware enclosure lock that prevents drives from being removed, as well as softwarebased I/O port security that allows administrators to disable CD mounting, removal of hard drives, or use of USB and FireWire devices. In addition, Server Monitor records a log of activities and messages for each monitored Xserve. The log provides the times Server Monitor attempted to contact the server and whether a connection was successful. It also shows changes in server status. For asset tracking or support logging, a System Profiler report can be saved for a selected server or multiple servers.
Mac OS X Server Version 10.3
New in Mac OS X Server version 10.3 The latest release of Mac OS X Server has more than 150 new features, including: PowerPC G5optimized kernel and numerical libraries Automatic Setup for configuring multiple servers Server Admin application for easy setup and monitoring of services Open Directory 2 for delivering enterprise directory and authentication services Single sign-on using Kerberos v5 Samba 3 for supporting Windows users Postfix mail server for Mac and Windows users VPN server for Mac and Windows users JBoss application server for running J2EE-based applications
Xserve G5 ships with Mac OS X Server version 10.3, the fourth major release of Apples award-winning server operating system. Mac OS X Server provides open source, standards-based workgroup and Internet services without the complexity inherent in Linux and other UNIX-based solutions. Hardware and software work together to deliver powerful, scalable solutions for supporting Mac, Windows, and Linux workgroups; deploying powerful Internet services; and hosting enterprise applicationsall with an ease of use that is uniquely Macintosh. And with the unlimited-client license, there are no additional per-seat fees for connecting more users.4 This kind of power has never been easier to put to workor easier to integrate into your organization.

AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan
This server-class support product provides up to three years of up-and-running telephone and email support and onsite hardware service. Apple technical support experts are available 24 hours a day to help you determine whether youre experiencing a hardware failure or a Mac OS X Server configuration issue. In either case, Apple will work to get systems up and running quickly. And because Apple hardware and software are uniquely integrated, theres only one vendor to call. The AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan delivers up-and-running telephone and email support within 30 minutes24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hardware repair coverage provides onsite response within four hours during business hours and next-day onsite response when you contact Apple after business hours (terms apply).7 For added peace of mind, youll have the assurance that Apple-authorized technicians will perform repairs using genuine Apple parts. The AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan can be purchased at any time while Xserve G5 is still under its original one-year warranty. However, since coverage ends three years after the hardware purchase date, youll get maximum advantage when you make both purchases at the same time.
AppleCare Service Parts Kit
Xserve G5 is designed for quick and easy swapping of crucial parts; no special tools or training certifications are needed. AppleCare Service Parts Kits let system administrators keep key components handy to address the most common hardware failures. Each kit has a logic board, a power supply, a PCI fan unit, and a fan array module. When the AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan is combined with an AppleCare Service Parts Kit, technical support experts can often help troubleshoot and fix systems right over the phoneday or nighteliminating the need for an onsite technician.
Convenient replacement modules Problem resolution is fast with AppleCare Service Parts Kits for Xserve G5 (sold separately).
Mac OS X Server Software Support
Apple also offers support programs for Mac OS X Server that extend beyond the upand-running support provided by the AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan. Apple technical support experts can provide consultative phone and email support for Mac OS X Server integration and migration issues, as well as help with command-line configuration.

Software

Mac OS X Server Unlimited-client edition (server configurations); or 10-client edition (cluster node configuration) Included services File and printer sharing: Macintosh (AFP, AppleTalk PAP), Windows (SMB/CIFS), UNIX and Linux (NFS, LPR/LPD), Internet (FTP, WebDAV) Directory services: Open Directory 2 (OpenLDAP, Kerberos, SASL), NT Domain Controller (Samba 3) Networking and security: DNS server (BIND 9), DHCP server, NTP server, Firewall (IPFW), WINS, VPN server (L2TP, PPTP) Mail services: SMTP (Postfix), POP and IMAP (Cyrus), Berkeley DB for indexing, SSL/TLS encryption (OpenSSL), mailing lists (Mailman), webmail (SquirrelMail) Web hosting: Apache web server, SSL/TLS (OpenSSL), WebDAV, server-side includes (SSIs), PHP, Perl, Ruby, Python, MySQL 4 Application services: JBoss application server (EJB), Apache Tomcat (JavaServer Pages, Java Servlets), Java virtual machine (J2SE), Apache Axis (SOAP, WSDL Web Services), WebObjects 5.2 Deployment Media streaming: QuickTime Streaming Server (MPEG-4, MP3, AAC, RTP/RTSP), QuickTime Broadcaster, QuickTime Streaming Server Publisher, unicast and multicast Workgroup management: Workgroup Manager, NetBoot, Network Install Remote management: Server Monitor, Server Admin, SNMPv3, command-line tools

For More Information

For more information about Xserve G5 and other Apple server solutions, visit www.apple.com/server.
1For hard drive capacity measurements, 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes; actual formatted capacity less. Maximum capacity of 750GB achieved through use of three 250GB Apple Drive Modules (server configurations only). 2 Third most powerful
based on TOP500 List of Supercomputer Sites, November 2003. 3Based on LINPACK tests conducted by Apple in January 2004 using preproduction dual 2GHz Xserve G5 units; all other systems tested were shipping units. 4 The cluster node configuration has one drive bay and no optical drive and includes a 10-client license for Mac OS X Server. 5 Based on U.S. MSRP $2799 and LINPACK performance of 9 gigaflops. 6 Check with manufacturer for compatibility. 7A separate AppleCare Premium Service and Support Plan must be purchased for each Xserve RAID system to be covered. To qualify, systems must be within the one-year hardware warranty. Coverage ends three years after date of Xserve RAID purchase. Actual onsite response time and availability of onsite service depend on location; see www.apple.com/support/products/premium for details. Local telephone fees may apply; telephone numbers may vary and are subject to change. 8 Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. 2004 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Store, AppleTalk, FireWire, Mac, Macintosh, Mac OS, Power Mac, QuickTime, WebObjects, and Xserve are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. QuickTime Broadcaster, Velocity Engine, and Xcode are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. AppleCare is a service mark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley, FreeBSD, Inc., The NetBSD Foundation, Inc., and their respective contributors. Software subject to licensing terms. Product specifications are subject to change without notice. This material is provided for information purposes only; Apple assumes no liability related to its use. January 2004 L301323A

Xserve G5 Developer Note

(Legacy)

2008-02-21

Apple Inc. 2002, 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Apple Inc., with the following exceptions: Any person is hereby authorized to store documentation on a single computer for personal use only and to print copies of documentation for personal use provided that the documentation contains Apples copyright notice. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Inc. No licenses, express or implied, are granted with respect to any of the technology described in this document. Apple retains all intellectual property rights associated with the technology described in this document. This document is intended to assist application developers to develop applications only for Apple-labeled computers. Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014 408-996-1010.Mac is a registered service mark of Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Carbon, FireWire, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, QuickTime, SuperDrive, Velocity Engine, and Xserve are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. DEC is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation. PowerPC and and the PowerPC logo are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom.
Even though Apple has reviewed this document, APPLE MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THIS DOCUMENT, ITS QUALITY, ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. AS A RESULT, THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, AND YOU, THE READER, ARE ASSUMING THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO ITS QUALITY AND ACCURACY. IN NO EVENT WILL APPLE BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT OR INACCURACY IN THIS DOCUMENT, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. THE WARRANTY AND REMEDIES SET FORTH ABOVE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. No Apple
dealer, agent, or employee is authorized to make any modification, extension, or addition to this warranty. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

Contents

Introduction
Introduction to Xserve G5 Developer Note 9
Organization of This Document 9

Chapter 1

Overview of the Xserve G5 11
Hardware Features 11 Features of the Enclosure 13 System Activity Lights Definitions 15 System Software 16 Server Software Features 16 Security Features 17 Storage Support 17 Management Support 18 Computer Feature Identification 18 Velocity Engine Acceleration 19

Chapter 2

Architecture 21
Block Diagram and Buses 21 Processor Module 23 PowerPC G5 Microprocessor 23 Cache Memory 23 Dual Processors 24 U3H Bridge and Memory Controller 24 Processor Bus 24 Main Memory Bus 24 HyperTransport Technology 25 PCI or PCI-X Expansion Slots 25 Ethernet Controller 26 K2 I/O Controller 26 DMA Support 26 Interrupt Support 26 Internal PCI Bus 27 Serial ATA Interface 27 Serial Interface 27 Ultra DMA ATA/100 Interface 27 FireWire Controllers 28 Power Controller 28 Dual System Monitor ICs 28 System Activity Lights 28 Device Identification 28

Legacy Document | 2008-02-21 | 2002, 2008 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CONTENTS

Optional Graphics Card 29 Chapter 3
Input and Output Devices 31
USB Ports 31 USB Connectors 31 FireWire Ports 32 FireWire 800 Connector 32 FireWire 400 Connector 34 Booting from a FireWire Device 35 Ethernet Ports 35 Serial Port 36 Disk Drives 37 Combo Drive 37 SuperDrive (Optional) 37 Hard Disk Drives 38 VGA Connector 39

Chapter 4

Expansion 41
RAM Expansion 41 DIMM Specifications 41 DIMM Configurations 42 RAM Addressing 42 PCI and PCI-X Expansion Slots 43

Appendix A

Supplemental Reference Documents 45
Apple Technical Notes 45 PowerPC G5 Microprocessor 45 Velocity Engine (AltiVec) 45 Mac OS X and Mac OS Server 45 I/O Kit 46 ROM-in-RAM Architecture 46 Open Firmware 46 RAM Expansion Modules 47 ATA Devices 47 Ethernet 47 Serial ATA 47 USB Interface 47 FireWire Interface 48 EIA Rack Standards 48 Serial Interface Standards 48

Appendix B

Conventions and Abbreviations 49
Typographical Conventions 49 Abbreviations 49

Index 53

Figures and Tables
Figure 1-1 Figure 1-2 Figure 1-3 Table 1-1 Table 1-2 Table 1-3 Xserve G5 slot load front panel 14 Xserve G5 slot load and cluster node back panel 15 Xserve G5 cluster node front panel 15 Hardware Features of the Xserve GHardware Features of the Cluster Node Xserve GDefinition of System Activity Lights 16
Figure 2-1 Simplified block diagram 22

Chapter 3

Figure 3-1 Figure 3-2 Figure 3-3 Figure 3-4 Figure 3-5 Table 3-1 Table 3-2 Table 3-3 Table 3-4 Table 3-5 Table 3-6 Table 3-7 Table 3-8 Table 3-9 USB connector 31 9-pin FireWire 800 connector 33 FireWire 400 connector 34 Serial port connector 36 VGA connector 39 Signals on the USB connector 31 Signals on the 9-pin FireWire 800 connector 33 Signals on the FireWire 400 connector 34 Signals for 10Base-T and 100Base-T operation 35 Signals for 1000Base-T operation 35 Serial port signals 36 Media read and written by the Combo drive 37 Media read and written by the SuperDrive 38 Signals on the VGA connector 39
Table 4-1 Table 4-2 Sizes of ECC DDR SDRAM expansion DIMMS and devices 42 Address multiplexing modes for ECC DDR SDRAM devices 42

FIGURES AND TABLES

INTRODUCTION
Introduction to Xserve G5 Developer Note
Important: The information in this document is obsolete and should not be used for new development. Links to downloads and other resources may no longer be valid. This developer note describes Apple Computers Xserve G5. The note provides information about the internal design of the computer, its input-output and expansion capabilities, and issues affecting compatibility. This developer note is intended to help hardware and software developers design products that are compatible with the Macintosh products described here. If you are not already familiar with Macintosh computers or if you would simply like additional technical information, refer to Supplemental Reference Documents (page 45)

Figure 1-2

Xserve G5 slot load and cluster node back panel
Gigabit Ethernet port(s) Power socket Ethernet activity lights PCI-X card expansion slots (2)
USB ports (2) Ethernet link lights System identifier button/light FireWire 800 ports (2) Serial console port
Figure 1-3 (page 15) shows the front panel of the cluster node Xserve G5, which has a power button and light, an enclosure lock and status light, a system identifier button and light, a FireWire 400 port, two Ethernet link lights, a two-by-eight set of system activity lights, and drive module and lights. Additional drive modules cannot be installed in the cluster node configuration. The rear panel is mostly the same as the slot load configuration and is shown in Figure 1-2 (page 15). Figure 1-3 Xserve G5 cluster node front panel
System identifier button/light Enclosure lock and status light On/standby button and light FireWire 400 port Built-in Ethernet link light (Port 2) Processor 1 system activity lights
Processor 2 system activity lights Built-in Ethernet link light (Port 1) Apple Drive Module bay Drive module status light Drive module activity light
System Activity Lights Definitions
The system identifier button on the servers front panel can be used to initiate a limited number of firmware boot commands without connecting a keyboard or monitor. For instructions on entering the commands, refer to the Xserve G5 Users Guide that shipped with your computer.
The bottom row of system activity lights on the Xserve G5 (shown in Figure 1-1 (page 14) and Figure 1-3 (page 15) indicates the state of the computer when commands are entered and during normal operation. The lights are referenced from right to left, with light one being the rightmost and light 8 being the leftmost. The bottom row of system activity lights are defined below in Table 1-3. Table 1-3 Definition of System Activity Lights
Light 1(far right) Start up from a system disc in the optical drive (also ejects a disc already in the optical drive). Light 2 Light 3 Light 4 Light 5 Light 6 Light 7 Light 8 Start up from a network server (NetBoot). Start up from the internal drive (leftmost drive if more than one). Bypass the current startup disk and start up from any other available startup disk. Begin target disk mode (all drives, including the optical drive, will show up). Restore the systems default settings (reset NVRAM). Enter Open Firmware (via the serial port if no monitor and keyboard are connected). Put the system into diagnostic hardware test mode.
Note: If Open Firmware Security is turned on, front panel mode is not available. In this case, the two rows of system activity lights flash twice when you try to enter a command with the system identifier and the system resumes its regular startup sequence.

Security Features

Here are the key security features supported by the system software on the Xserve G5.
Secure ports: Xserve G5 prevents mounting of CDs as well as hot-plugged USB and FireWire hard drives by means of an enclosure lock. Secure remote management: Xserve G5s remote monitoring and management tools run over encrypted links.

Storage Support

Here is a list of the key software features relating to hard disk storage on the Xserve G5.
Disk utilities tool: You can use the filesystem consistency check and interactive repair tool, included with Mac OS X, to work on the Xserve G5s file system. For more information, launch the Terminal application in Mac OS X and enter the following line after the prompt:

man diskutil

Remote volume configuration: The system software can remotely configure newly mounted volumes. USB and FireWire alerts: Xserve G5s keyswitch security prevents unauthorized hot-plugging and mounting of a USB or FireWire hard drive. When the keyswitch is locked, the CD is ejected. In addition, the Security System pane provides configuration support for USB keyboard and mouse.

Management Support

Here are some of the management support features of the system software on the Xserve G5.

Command Line Tools

The following command line tools provide management support. Use the man command to display usage syntax. systemsetup to change the system preferences networksetup to change the network settings pmset to change the power management settings

SNMP Implementation

The SNMP implementation in Mac OS X Server allows the Xserve G5 to be monitored by standard SNMP management consoles. The SNMP implementation on the Xserve G5 is based on the net-snmp project. For more information, see the net-snmp page on the World Wide Web at http://www.net-snmp.com/
Computer Feature Identification
Rather than reading the box flag or the model string and then making assumptions about the servers features, applications that need to find out the features of the server should use IORegistry calls to test for the features they require. IORegistry calls are part of the I/O Kit API. For more information, see the references listed at I/O Kit (page 46). Asset management software that reports the kind of computer it is running on can obtain the value of the model property from the device tree root node. The entry banner of the Open Firmware user interface software displays the model property. Or, to display the model property from within the Open Firmware user interface, type the following to display the model property:
0 > dev / 0 >.properties
The "dev /" selects the root device and ".properties" displays all properties of the device selected. For both Xserve G5 configurations, the value of the model property is RackMac3,1.

Serial ATA Interface

Based on the Serial ATA 1.0 specification, Serial ATA (SATA) is a disk-interface technology that delivers up to 1.5 Gbps of performance to each independent drive on the Xserve G5. It provides a scalable, point-to-point connection that allows multiple ports to be aggregated into a single controller. Serial ATA uses a thin, point-to-point cable connection that enables easy routing within a system, avoiding master/slave, daisy-chaining, and termination issues and enabling better airflow within a system. The K2 IC implements three Serial ATA revision one ports, each of which accommodates one independent internal hard drive. For information about the drive bays, see Hard Disk Drives (page 38).

Serial Interface

The K2 IC implements an RS-232-compatible serial port for use with a terminal. See see Serial Port (page 36). You can use the RI input on the serial port connector to wake the Xserve G5 system from sleep mode.
Ultra DMA ATA/100 Interface
The K2 IC provides an Ultra DMA ATA/100 interface to support an optical drive. For information about optical drives, see SuperDrive (Optional) (page 37) or Combo Drive (page 37).

FireWire Controllers

The K2 IC includes a FireWire controller that supports both IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) with a maximum data rate of 800 Mbps (100 MBps) and IEEE 1394a (FireWire 400) with a maximum data rate of 400 Mbps (50 MBps). The IC is backwards-compatible with 1394a (FireWire 400). The K2 IC provides DMA (direct memory access) support for the FireWire interface. Two physical layer (PHY) ICs connected to the U3H IC implement the electrical signaling protocol for the FireWire ports. The FireWire 400 port is located on the front panel; two FireWire 800 ports are located on the back panel. While the PHYs are operating, they act as repeaters so that the FireWire bus remains connected. For more information, see FireWire Ports (page 32). Note: The PHYs are powered even when the system is turned off, as long as the computer is connected to AC power.

Power Controller

The power management controller in Xserve G5 is a microcontroller called the PMU99. It supports several modes of power management that provide significantly lower power consumption than previous systems.

Dual System Monitor ICs

The Xserve G5 hardware contains an IC that monitors system voltages and the operation of both fans in the Xserve G5 enclosure. Voltages monitored include 5 V main, 12 V main, 3.3 V trickle, 2.5 V sleep, logic Vcore and processor Vcore. The system monitor IC also contains a built-in temperature sensor that measures the hardwares ambient temperature; a second sensor on the processor card measures local processor temperature. Software can access the system monitor IC through the second U3H IIC bus at port addresses 0x5A and 0x5C.

System Activity Lights

Two rows of eight lights indicate system activity. In a server with a single processor, the rows of system activity lights operate together; in a dual-processor server, the rows of lights operate independently to show each processors activity. In that case, CPU 0 is shown by the top row, CPU 1 by the bottom.

Device Identification

Each Xserve G5 boot ROM contains a unique device serial number. However, because the boot ROM is a flash EPROM device, it is possible to overwrite the serial number and lose it irrecoverably. As an alternative, software that needs to identify an individual Xserve G5 can access the local-mac-address property of its Ethernet node, which is set by Open Firmware at boot time. You can read this property using a tool such as IORegistry Explorer.

Optional Graphics Card

The Xserve G5 has a build-to-order option of an ATI RVMB RAM VGA/PCI graphics card with a VGA connector. The ATI RV100 runs at 64-bit PCI 33 or 66 MHz. The Xserve G5 can boot headless (that is, without an attached monitor). While booted headlessly, the system actually creates a virtual display and draws into an off-screen buffer, without attempting to update a physical display. It is important that application design take this condition into account and not assume that graphics activity implies that a user is present. The Xserve G5 cluster node configuration does not have a graphics card or internal graphics and is accessed via remote command line. For more information about the ATI RV100 VGA/PCI graphics card, see VGA Connector (page 39).

CHAPTER 3

Input and Output Devices
This chapter describes the Xserve G5s built-in I/O devices and the ports for connecting external I/O devices. Each of the following sections describes an I/O port or device.

USB Ports

The Xserve G5 has two external Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 ports. The USB ports are off of the USB controller connected to the PCI bus, bridged by K2. All USB ports are fully compliant with the USB 2.0 specification, including support for high-speed (480 Mbps) devices using an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI). Ports are automatically routed to a companion Open Host Controller Interface (OHCI) controller when a classic-speed (full-speed or low-speed) USB device is attached to a root hub port. For low-speed and full-speed devices, the USB register set complies with the OHCI specification. For high-speed devices, the USB register set complies with the EHCI specification. For more information about USB, refer to sources listed in USB Interface (page 47).

USB Connectors

The USB ports use USB Type A connectors, which have four pins each. Two of the pins are used for power and two for data. Figure 3-1 (page 31) shows the connector and Table 3-1 (page 31) shows the signals and pin assignments. Figure 3-1

USB connector

Table 3-1
Signals on the USB connector
Pin Signal name Description 3 VCC D D+ +5 VDC Data Data +
Pin Signal name Description 4 GND Ground
The Xserve G5 provides power for the USB ports at 5 V and up to 500 mA on each port. The ports share the same power supply; a short circuit on one will disable both ports until the short has been removed. The USB ports support all USB 2.0 speeds: high-speed (480 Mbps) and classic USB speeds of full-speed (12 Mbps) and low-speed (1.5 Mbps). High-speed operation requires the use of shielded cables. The Macintosh system software supports all four data transfer types defined in the USB specification.

FireWire Ports

The Xserve G5 has three external FireWire ports: two FireWire 800 on the rear panel of the enclosure and one FireWire 400 on the front. The bilingual FireWire 800 ports have 9-pin connectors and support transfer rates up to 800 Mbps; the FireWire 400 port has a 6-pin connectors and supports transfer rates of 100, 200, and 400 Mbps. As long as security is not engaged, the Xserve G5 can boot through FireWire; see Booting from a FireWire Device (page 35). The FireWire ports
provide a total of 15 watts of power when the computer system is on support up to 61 devices (each Xserve G5 has 2 internal devices) provide bus repeating capability as long as the computer is connected to AC power
The FireWire hardware and software provided with the Xserve G5 are capable of all asynchronous and isochronous transfers defined by IEEE standards 1394a and 1394b. Developers of FireWire peripherals are required to provide device drivers. A driver for DV (digital video) is included in QuickTime 4.0 and later. For more information about FireWire on Macintosh computers, please refer to the Apple FireWire website and the other sources listed in FireWire Interface (page 48).

FireWire 800 Connector

The FireWire 800 port on the Xserve G5 is based on IEEE 1394b and enables a 800 Mbps transfer rate. FireWire 800 uses a 9-pin connector and is backwards compatible with original 1394 FireWire devices with 6-pin or 4-pin connectors. With the appropriate cable, the 9-pin port works seamlessly with legacy FireWire devices. Cables are available to go from both 6-pin and 4-pin connectors to a 9-pin, and 9-pin to 9-pin. Note: FireWire adapter cables are not included in the package. The 9-pin FireWire 800 connector is shown in Figure 3-2 (page 33). Its connector signals and pin assignments are shown in Table 3-2 (page 33).

Figure 3-2

9-pin FireWire 800 connector

Table 3-2

Signals on the 9-pin FireWire 800 connector
Pin Signal name Description 9 TPB TPB+ TPA TPA+ TPA (R) VG SC VP TPB (R) Twisted-pair B Minus Twisted-pair B Plus Twisted-pair A Minus Twisted-pair A Plus Twisted-pair A Ground Reference Power Ground Status Contact (no connection; reserved) Power Voltage (18 to 25 V DC) Twisted-pair B Ground Reference
VP (pin 8) provides up to 15 W power, shared with the other FireWire connectors. The voltage on the power pin is 18 to 25 V. The 9-pin FireWire port is capable of operating at 100, 200, 400, and 800 Mbps, depending on the device it is connected to. Using a cable with a 9-pin connector at one end and a 4-pin or 6-pin connector at the other, the 9-pin port is capable of directly connecting to all existing FireWire devices. Using a cable with 9-pin connectors at both ends, the 9-pin port is capable of operating at 800 Mbps. The IEEE 1394b standard defines long-haul media using Cat 5 UTP and several kinds of optical fiber. The Xserve G5 is interoperable with such cables but cannot be directly connected to them. To use long-haul cables, connect the computer to a 1394b hub that has the desired kind of long-haul connectors. If the hub has a bilingual port, that port can be connected to any of the computers FireWire ports. If the hub has a beta-only port, it can be connected only to the computers 9-pin port.

FireWire 400 Connector

The FireWire 400 port has a connector with six pins, as shown in Figure 3-3 (page 34). The connector signals and pin assignments are shown in Table 3-3 (page 34). Figure 3-3 FireWire 400 connector

Table 3-3 Pin 5 6

Signals on the FireWire 400 connector
Signal name Description Power Ground TPB TPB+ TPA TPA+ Power (approximately 25 V DC) Ground return for power and inner cable shield Twisted-pair B Minus Twisted-pair B Plus Twisted-pair A Minus Twisted-pair A Plus Outer cable shield

Shell

The power pin provides up to 15 W total power for all three FireWire connectors. The voltage on the power pin can be from 18 to 25 V. Pin 2 of the FireWire 400 connector is ground return for both power and the inner cable shield. In a FireWire cable with a 4-pin connector on the other end, the wire from pin 2 is connected to the shell of the 4-pin connector. The signal pairs are crossed in the cable itself so that pins 5 and 6 at one end of the cable connect with pins 3 and 4 at the other end. When transmitting, pins 3 and 4 carry data and pins 5 and 6 carry clock; when receiving, the reverse is true.
Booting from a FireWire Device
Xserve G5 can boot from a FireWire storage device that implements SBP-2 (Serial Bus Protocol) with the RBC (reduced block commands) command set. Detailed information is available from Developer Technical Support: dts@apple.com. For additional information about the FireWire interface and the Apple APIs for FireWire device control, see the references shown in FireWire Interface (page 48).

Table 3-6

Serial port signals

Pin Signal name Signal description RLSD RD TD DRT Received line signal detector Received data Transmitted data DTE ready
Pin Signal name Signal description 9 SGND DCR RTS CTS RI Signal ground DCE ready Request to send Clear to send Ring indicator (wake up system)

Disk Drives

The standard Xserve G5 has three bay modules supporting up to three internal hard disk drives. The cluster node Xserve G5 has a single internal bay with one drive. Depending on the configuration purchased, some bays may be empty; empty bays are filled with blank drive carrier modules. The standard Xserve G5 also supports a Combo drive or a build-to-order SuperDrive.

Combo Drive

The standard Xserve G5 supports a slot-loading combination DVD-ROM and CD-RW drive. The Combo drive can read DVD media and read and write CD media, as shown in Table 3-7 (page 37). Table 3-7 Media type DVD-R DVD-ROM CD-R CD-RW Media read and written by the Combo drive Reading speed Writing speed 8x (CAV max) 8x (CAV max) 24x (CAV max) 24x (ZCLV)
24x (ZCAV max) 16x (ZCLV, for Ultra speed media)
CD or CD-ROM 24x (CAV max)

SuperDrive (Optional)

The standard Xserve G5 supports an optional, slot-loading SuperDrive (combination DVD-R and CD-RW drive). The SuperDrive can read DVD media and read and write CD media, as shown in Table 3-8.
Table 3-8 Media type DVD-R DVD-RW DVD-ROM CD-R CD-RW
Media read and written by the SuperDrive Reading speed (maximum) Writing speed 6x (CAV max) 6x (CAV max) 8x (CAV max) 24x (CAV max) 24x (CAV max) 8x ZONE CLV, 4x/2x/1x (CLV) depending on media type 4x/2x/1x (CLV) depending on media type _ 24x ZONE CLV 14 (CLV) high speed CD-RW disc
The Apple SuperDrive writes to DVD-R 4.7 gigabyte General Use media. These discs are playable in most standard DVD players and computer DVD-ROM drives. For compatibility information regarding recordable DVD formats, refer to http://dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#4.3

Hard Disk Drives

The standard Xserve G5 enclosure has three drive bays for three fixed-media mass storage devices. For software applications, the bays are numbered one to three from left to right. In Open Firmware, the bays are numbered SD0 to SD2 from left to right. The cluster node Xserve G5 enclosure has a single drive bay on the left, which is referred to as 1 on the panel and SD0 in Open Firmware. Note: Pin eleven supports the drive activity light. For full functionality of the drive activity light and system monitoring, use Apple drives. Other drives are not supported. The drives on the independent Serial ATA buses implement revision one ports. For references to SATA website information, refer to Serial ATA (page 47). Each drive carrier has two LEDs. The top one is a multicolor LED indicating drive state as follows:

Green: Drive in normal use by system Yellow: Drive changing state (spinning up or down) or pre-failure warning Red: Drive has failed No color: No power to drive
The bottom (blue) LED indicates the individual drives disk activity. The monitoring software supports only drive modules manufactured by Apple.

VGA Connector

As a build-to-order option, the Xserve G5 slot load can have a video graphics card installed in Bus A of the PCI-X bridge. The card has a VGA connector for the video monitor. The VGA connector is a three-row DB-15 (also called mini sub D15) connector for use with a VGA, SVGA, or XGA monitor. Figure 3-5 (page 39) shows the pin configuration and Table 3-9 (page 39) lists the signals and pin assignments. Figure 3-5

VGA connector

Table 3-9
Signals on the VGA connector
Pin Signal name Description 15 RED GREEN BLUE n.c. GND RED_RTN GREEN_RTN BLUE_RTN n.c. GND n.c. SDA HSYNC VSYNC SCL Red video signal Green video signal Blue video signal No connect Ground Red video signal return Green video signal return Blue video signal return No connect Ground No connect I2C data Horizontal synchronization signal Vertical synchronization signal I2C clock

CHAPTER 4

Expansion
This chapter describes the RAM expansion slots and the PCI expansion slots of the Xserve G5.

RAM Expansion

The main logic board of the Xserve G5 has four pairs of ECC DDR SDRAM expansion slots for unregistered, unbuffered DDR400 (PC3200) dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) for a maximum memory of 8 GB. The Xserve G5 has eight memory slots (in two banks for four each), at least two of which are filled at the factory. Additional DIMMs must be installed in pairs, starting with the slots closest to the center of the banks. Detailed instructions for installing additional memory modules are provided in the Xserve G5 Users Guide that shipped with your server. To check the amount of DRAM installed, use Apple System Profiler (in Applications/Utilities).

DIMM Specifications

The RAM expansion slots accept 184-pin, unbuffered, ECC DDR400 SDRAM DIMMs that are 2.5 volt, unbuffered, 8-byte, with parity, and PC3200 compliant (3200 Mbytes/second bus bandwidth).
Mechanical Specifications
The mechanical design of the unbuffered ECC SDRAM DIMM is defined by the JEDEC specification JESD21-C, MODULES4_20_4, Release 11b. To find this specification on the World Wide Web, refer to RAM Expansion Modules (page 47). The maximum height of DIMMs for use in the Xserve G5 is 1.25 inches.

TN 2004: Debugging Open Firmware Using Telnet, at http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn2004.html

RAM Expansion Modules

The Xserve G5 uses (DDR400) PC3200-compliant, 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMMs. The electrical and mechanical characteristics of the DIMM are given in JEDEC Standard 21-C. The specification can be found by using the search string JESD21-C on the Electronics Industry Associations website at http://www.jedec.org/DOWNLOAD/default.cfm

ATA Devices

Information about ATA is available on the world wide web at http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/DeviceManagers/ata/ata.html Information about the ATA standards is available at the Technical Committee T13 AT Attachment website, at http://www.t13.org/

Ethernet

For information on Ethernet specifications and design guides, go to the World Wide Web at http://standards.ieee.org/

Serial ATA

For information on Serial ATA specifications and design guides, go to the World Wide Web at http://www.serialata.org

USB Interface

For more information about USB on the Macintosh computer, refer to Apple Computers Accessing Hardware from Applications at
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/HardwareDrivers/index.html For full specifications of the Universal Serial Bus, you should refer to the USB Implementation Forum on the World Wide Web, at: http://www.usb.org/developers/docs

FireWire Interface

For additional information about the FireWire 400 IEEE 1394a and FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b interfaces and the Apple APIs for FireWire software, refer to the resources available at http://developer.apple.com/hardwaredrivers/firewire/index.html The IEEE 1394a nd 1394b standards are available from the IEEE; you can order that document electronically from the IEEE Standards Department website at http://shop.ieee.org/store You may also find useful information at the 1394 trade associations website at http://www.1394ta.org/

EIA Rack Standards

The Electronics Industries Association standard for 19-inch racks and cabinets are available from Global Engineering Documents at http://global.ihs.com/.
Serial Interface Standards
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is the trade organization that publishes the standards for the RS-232 serial interface. To obtain copies of the standards, you can contact the TIAs web page at http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/

APPENDIX B

Conventions and Abbreviations
This developer note uses the following typographical conventions and abbreviations.
Typographical Conventions
Note: A note like this contains information that is of interest but is not essential for an understanding of the text.
Important: A note like this contains important information that you should read before proceeding.

Abbreviations

When unusual abbreviations appear in this developer note, the corresponding terms are also spelled out. Standard units of measure and other widely used abbreviations are not spelled out. Here are the standard units of measure used in developer notes: A dB GB Hz in. k K KB kg amperes decibels mA A milliamperes microamperes megabytes
gigabytes MB hertz inches kilobytes
MHz megahertz mm ms s ns millimeters milliseconds microseconds nanoseconds seconds volts watts

kilograms sec. V W

kHz kilohertz k lb. kilohms pounds
Other abbreviations used in developer notes include these: ADM ATA ATAPI CAS CD-ROM CLI DBDMA DDR DIMM DMA DRAM ECC EDO EIDE EMI FTP G5 GUI HID I2C IIS IC IDE IEEE IEEE 1274 IEEE 1394a Apple drive module advanced technology attachment advanced technology attachment, packet interface column address strobe compact disc read-only memory command line interface descriptor-based direct memory access double data rate, a type of SDRAM dual inline memory module direct memory access dynamic random-access memory error code correction extended data out DRAM device type extended IDE electromagnetic interference file transfer protocol Generation 5, the fifth generation of PowerPC microprocessors graphic user interface human interface device, a class of USB devices same as IIC same as IIS integrated circuit integrated device electronics Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers the official specification for Open Firmware the official specification for FireWire 400
IEEE 1394b the official specification for FireWire 800 IIC inter-IC (an internal control bus)
IIS I/O ISO JEDEC L2 LAN MAC Mac OS MIB MPI PCI PCI-X PDC PHY PIO RADIUS RAID RAM RAS RBC RGB RISC rms ROM RS-232 RS-422 SBP SPD
inter-IC sound bus input/output International Organization for Standardization Joint Electronics Devices Engineering Council level 2 (refers to level of cache) local area network media access controller Macintosh Operating System management infomation base message passing interface Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended Peripheral Component Interconnect primary domain controller physical layer polled input/output Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service redundant array of inexpensive drives random-access memory row address strobe reduced block commands a video signal format with separate red, green, and blue components reduced instruction set computing root mean square read-only memory standard serial interface standard serial interface Serial Bus Protocol Serial Presence Detect

OHCI 27, 31 Open Firmware technical notes for 46

Velocity Engine 19

video monitor ports 39 VGA 39

write combining 26, 27