Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 9, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Snow Leopard Server is based entirely on open-standard 64-bit UNIX and is up to twice as fast as the previous version. (*) Snow Leopard Server includes innovative new features such as Podcast Producer 2, a tool for automating the creation and publication of podcasts, and Mobile Access Server for secure access to firewall-protected network services from iPhone and Mac. Snow Leopard Server will be available in September 2009.
“Snow Leopard Server is our best and fastest server operating system ever. Licences for an unlimited number of clients represent tremendous value for organisations of every size,” says Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering. “With easy-to-use new features such as Podcast Producer 2 and Mobile Access Server, anyone can set up and manage powerful services with just a few clicks.”
Snow Leopard Server is an entirely 64-bit UNIX-based operating system designed to take advantage of multicore processors and huge amounts of memory while remaining compatible with 32-bit applications. Snow Leopard Server handles demanding server tasks such as web and application hosting, file sharing and email up to twice as fast as the previous version.
Podcast Producer 2 includes the new Podcast Composer, which automates the entire production process and makes it easy to create podcasts with a customised, consistent look and feel. With just a few clicks, Podcast Composer creates a workflow to add titles, transitions and effects, save in the desired format and share through wikis, blogs, iTunes, iTunes U, Final Cut Server or a new podcast library.
The new Mobile Access Server gives iPhone and Mac users a simple, convenient way to access secure network services such as corporate websites, online business applications, email, calendars and contacts. Without installing additional software, Mobile Access Server provides powerful encryption and authentication between the user’s iPhone or Mac and the private network.
Snow Leopard Server includes additional new features:
* Wiki Server 2 expands its online collaboration capabilities with the ability to view wiki content on iPhone and preview attachments using Quick Look in any other modern browser;
* a new Address Book Server based on the open CardDAV standard, providing a central place to access and store personal contacts across multiple Macs and synchronised iPhones;
* iCal Server 2, based on the open CalDAV standard, enabling web-based calendar access and the ability to view meeting invitations and other details on an iPhone running iPhone OS 3.0;
* a new mail-server engine with push-email support, giving users immediate access to new messages;
* QuickTime X HTTP Live Streaming, which dynamically adjusts movie playback quality to match available network speed;
* NetRestore, a new feature in System Image Utility that enables easy restoration of customised images over the network; and
* iPhone Configuration Utility, simplifying the setup of multiple iPhones with the configuration information, security policies, email settings and certificates required to communicate with a corporate network.
Prices & Availability
Mac OS X Server version 10.6 Snow Leopard will be available in September 2009 through the Apple Store (www.applestore.de), Apple Retail Stores and authorised Apple resellers. The Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server Up-To-Date Upgrade Package is available to customers who purchase a qualifying new Xserve from Apple or an authorised reseller between June 8, 2009 and the programme’s end on December 26, 2009. Pricing will be announced at launch. Users must apply for the Up-To-Date Upgrade within 90 days of purchase or by December 26, 2009, whichever comes first. Further information is available at http://www.apple.com/de/macosx/uptodate. Snow Leopard Server runs on any Mac with an Intel processor and requires at least 2 GB RAM and 10 GB free storage.
(*) The performance claim is based on tests conducted by Apple in May 2009 using a 2.93 GHz 8-core Xserve with 48 GB RAM, a four-port 4 Gbps Fibre Channel adapter, a SmallTree six-port Gigabit Ethernet adapter, and a Promise VTrak E-Class RAID array with dual controllers and sixteen 300 GB 15K RPM SAS drives.
The system ran a current version of Mac OS X 10.5.7 Leopard Server and a prerelease version of Snow Leopard Server. Tests with Leopard Server 10.5.7 produced 19,313 SPECsfs2008_cifs operations per second with a global response time of 1.89 ms, and 9,189 SPECsfs2008_nfs.v3 operations per second with a global response time of 2.18 ms. Tests using Snow Leopard Server produced 44,347 SPECsfs2008_cifs operations per second with a global response time of 1.89 ms, and 18,784 SPECsfs2008_nfs.v3 operations per second with a global response time of 2.67 ms. Leopard Server 10.5.7 achieved SPECjbb2005 bops = 205,224 and SPECjbb2005 bops/JVM = 51,306; the prerelease version of Snow Leopard Server achieved SPECjbb2005 bops = 269,977 and SPECjbb2005 bops/JVM = 67,494. SPEC and the SPECjbb2005 and SPECsfs2008 benchmarks are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); further information is available at http://www.spec.org. The latest SPECjbb2005 benchmark results can be found at http://www.spec.org/osg/jbb2005. The competing benchmark results above reflect internal Apple testing and were submitted to SPEC in May 2009. Performance tests use specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of Xserve and Mac OS X Server.
