Joining a mac to an xserve

Hi All
Is there a way to join a mac to a xserve once you have completed the beginning setup?? Ie when you install leapard it asks you if you want to join to a server. But if you miss this can you do it later? If so how do you do it
Thanks
Daniel

I might be completely misremembering, but unless your network has a custom login script for your users, I'm not aware of any option to "join" a network server when you first set up Mac OS X. You're asked if you want to migrate data from another location, including another Mac, and you're asked if you want to set up a .Mac/MobileMe account, but I don't remember any option during setup to connect to a file server.
But in any case, you can mount a server at any time. Finder ->Go menu -> Connect To Server
Regards.

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How do I effectively join the Macs to the AD?

Hi. First, I must qualify that I am NOT a network individual. Some of the research I've done, I've managed to follow, but I don't have the technical know-how to fully understand it all. I desparately need help, please.
I work in a medium-sized environment, about 50 PCs and we employ Windows Server 2003. I've been charged with making 10 or so Macs work in Active Directory. Our Mac users constantly run into expiring netword passwords every 30 days (extending this is not an option because of the nature of the work).
How do I effectively join the Macs to the AD and allow changes to network passwords from the Mac? So far, for every Mac users, I've used SMB to connect to server files/folders. But when the users' password expires, they are 1) not notified that their passwords are expiring and 2) are not able to change their passwords from their Macs when their passwords expires. I've tried binding my Mac to the AD and used a free software called ADMon to monitor my own expiring network password. And that's proving useless because it's monitoring the local password for the Mac instead of the network password.
Mac users are mostly on OS Lion, one Mac user on Snow Leopard.
I would really appreciate any help/advice you can provide.
Thanks!

AD is still broken with Lion as at 10.7.2. May want to read this thread to try the workarounds, mainly Page 5, while Apple sort it out.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3198558?start=60&tstart=0

Joining a Mac OS X server to a Windows Domain

Hi all, new to the forums here and fairly new to a Mac environment. I'm looking for some guidance and assistance with how to join a Mac Server to an existing Windows domain. My questions are what kinds of options do I have for setting up a server that will be part of the Windows domain and also hosting multiple Mac clients. I looked briefly at the server options like stand alone, member server, domain server, etc. I'm having trouble distinguishing what we want the server to be defined as. I'm also wondering what are the steps I'll need to take in order to join the system to the Windows domain. Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated!
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You use the Directory Access app found in the /Applications/Utilities folder to join the computer to the domain. Once there you can see what options you have.
You also may want to browse http://www.macwindows.com and/or post further questions you have in the Windows Compatibility forum:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=687

I have adobe cc on pc but i have now joined the mac world but not sure how i change my pc software to mac please help

i have adobe cc on pc but i have now joined the mac world but not sure how i change my pc software to mac please help

Your Photoshop CC can be installed on a Mac or PC. Just install the Mac CC Desktop app and install Photoshop CC from there. It will be in your Application folder.

Mac Mini or Xserve server

hello everyone i have a question involving the mac mini and the xserve system. I am running a home video company and use about three different macs to edit. My server is currently a dual core xserve g5 at 2.0ghz with 3gb ram. it has two internal drive raided together. In my house we also have about 14 computers, which the rest of my family use. I was thinking of integrating things like network home directories and netboot into the house, but i dont want to do this off my xserve because i want my video to be separate from everyone else's things.
Im thinking about buying the standard mac mini server, except i dont know which i should use it for. I can keep my xserve for video, and the mac mini for everything else like the network home and netboot, or i can do the opposite and switch to the mini server for video and the xserve for the house. i like that on the xserve i can expand it a lot, but on the mini, it comes with a terabyte drive standard, and i can add a couple firewire.
I dont really know which to pick, id like other peoples perspectives
thanks

An interesting conundrum...
First off, I concur with the concept of network home directories vs NetBoot.
The pain, heartache and overhead of setting up and maintaining NetBoot isn't really worth it for your network. Dozens or hundreds of identical systems (e.g. a lab or cluster network), maybe, but a few disparate systems? not so much.
That said, the decision really comes down to your video workflow.
How well is the G5 standing up to the task now? If it's stressing then it might make sense to upgrade that and use the Mini for your video work. Overall, though, I wouldn't expect a huge performance boost going to the Mini - it doesn't have the best graphics performance, or the best disk performance, both of which will impact video production. It should be slightly faster overall but not enough to make it a must-have upgrade.
The other advantage would be a more modern platform, the latest OS version and the ability to take advantage of the latest application updates, all of which would be waning on the G5.
So, overall I'd probably go with the Mini for video and turning the XServe into a home directory/media server for the rest of the systems in the house.

AV Coupler/Joiner for Mac Mini 2009 (MiniDVI version)?

I'm sure it's wishful thinking but being that everyone's seemingly biggest gripe with Mac Mini '09 is that it's missing HDMI and subsequently utilizes the optical audio and MiniDVI outputs. This makes things very difficult when trying to set up a media center from it.
This leads me to this thought. Is there a sort of coupler/joiner for the audio and video? For instance, an adapter that receives Mini (or fullsize) DVI as well as Toslink digital optical audio and outputs HDMI? Again I'm sure it's wishful thinking but I figured I'd ask.

You nearly sold me on that second option with taking the DVI and Optical and outputting to HDMI. I was so excited! ...until I saw these reviews under that product which made me very sad. Essentially it doesn't seem to be mac friendly? The whole issue comes down to the fact that my soundbar only receives 1 optical toslink cable and I have 2 devices that ultimately need it (due to the mac mini not having HDMI). Everything is running in to my HDTV via HDMI and out to the soundbar via Toslink. Now that the mini is in the picture, I tried finding an optical auto switch which essentially doesn't exist apparently. They have manual ones but I'm a lazy american that enjoys doing everything from my logitech harmony remote. I tried a cheap 2-to-1 optical combiner but that isn't outputting correctly either. --CUE THIS POST-- That's when I figured if I could get the mac mini to output to HDMI and go in to the TV, life would be merry. I almost want to try it and see if those two reviews were from a couple of whiners, however it seems to good to be true and with them complaining about it, it doesn't reinforce my confidence haha. Either way, your answer was an excellent one! I hope I get more feedback from you/others! :-D
Review #1
"I should of listened to the first reviewer with a MacBook Pro. It also doesn't work at all on my intel Mac Mini connected to my HD TV. In the directions I read that it will not work on non compliant HDCP products. Well, ALL Macs are non compliant HDCP. So if you own any Apple Computer DON"T PURCHASE THIS DEVICE!!! Now I have to go through the process of paying to send this back and waiting for the refund. Plus I purchased a DVI to DVI cable that I also have to send back. To make your Mac ALL DIGITAL you need a Toslink mini cable with a standard Toslink on the other end and connect this to your ear phone jack and the other cable end to a toslink home theater connection- the ear phone jack can be standard analog or digital depending on what cables you purchase. Connect another cable with DVI on one end and HDMI on the other end. The DVI end connects to your MAC and the HDMI connects to your TV- this will be strictly for the video part of the digital connection. A DVI cable can only carry video. NOW click on that HDMI port on your HD TV (for your video) and click the port on your home theater where the Toslink optical connection is. Now both the video and audio are all digital. It takes me less than 10 seconds to do this and my h.264 movies look and sound FANTASTIC! Good luck..."
Review #2
"This is a piece of junk. The best resolution I can get from this on my 1080p 50" TV is 640x480. Absolute trash. My MacBook Pro can't detect the TV correctly. The plug and play information is not passed through correctly. And I get no sound."

Joining My Mac on a windows domain??? Please Help!!!!!!!!!

Hi,
I am a IT professional and are new to macs.
My company just purchased a new mac the new dual 2 core imac.
I know you can install Windows XP on it but I don't want to do that.
What i want to know is can you join a domain on the new mac os x tiger so the user can get all of there network resources such as shared drives, printing, microsoft exchange server email etc.
If there is anyone can enlighten me on if this can be done or not and if there is some type of client that needs to be installed in order to do this.
We have 2003 Server Standard Edition (Microsoft)
2003 exchange server for email.
Thank you,
Craig Lush
imac 1.83 ghz dual core Mac OS X (10.4.7)
imac 1.83 ghz dual core Mac OS X (10.4.7)

"What i want to know is can you join a domain"
Yes...use the Directory Access app located in the Utilities folder. And see this page: http://www.macwindows.com/AD.html

Getting a new Windows laptop to join my Mac network

I have 2 macbooks (Mountain Lion) and a XP laptop connected wirelessly to a time capsule...(the 2 macs backup) and I get my wireless signal from the TC. There is also an HP wireless printer which all three computers can print to.   I am replacing my Windows machine (which I like to use for work) with one running Windows 8. (I know, I know - but it was a great buy and I need to connect to my work server - and no, I did not want to dual boot or use parallels as it defeats the pupose of having a mac - as far as I'm concerned).
When I originally put my windows XP machine on the network, I believe, I just used the disc that came with the time capsule and the printer (for mac and PC) and it installed the proper software - I believe it was bonjour, the printer software, and airport (did that come from TC setup?). I don't quite understand what airport and bonjour do. I THINK bonjour finds the printer and macs? and Airport connects to the TC for internet - Am I on track?
Since I have a new Windows OS on my new laptop, what do I need to connect to the time capsule? I ***-u-me the CDs won't work as the drivers are older. The windows machine does not back up to TC - but there is a small space on the TC that I am able to copy pictures from my Windows computer to the TC for backup purposes.    Basically, I need to connect to the Internet and my wireless printer. Connecting to the TC would be awesome and sharing with the macs would be great as well. The new computer is supposed to have software to grab files and settings from my old windows computer. Will that set me up automagically? (pc move or whatever that software is called) - My gut says no.....things like that never go smoothly for me....DOH.
I am more of an 'oiffice' user and networking is not a forte - so could you please respond with exact steps and software I would need? Just got my two macs to 're-talk' to my wireless printer after installing ML and it wasn't easy for me!!!!   Took a long time. Any thoughts would be appreciated

I don't quite understand what airport and bonjour do. I THINK bonjour finds the printer and macs? and Airport connects to the TC for internet - Am I on track?
Pretty close. Bonjour does help "find" Macs or printers for the PC, especially if those printers are attached to the AirPort's USB port. The AirPort Utility, on the other hand, is only required if you plan on administrating the AirPort from your PC, otherwise, you don't need to install it. You can find both Bonjour and the AirPort Utility for Windows from the Apple Support Downloads site.
Since I have a new Windows OS on my new laptop, what do I need to connect to the time capsule?
For basic wireless access, your PC just needs a wireless adapter. Windows 8 already has the right software to provide wireless capability for the device. For accessing the TC's internal or externally attached HDDs, again the PC has the right software to do so right "out of the box." PC use the SMB protocol to "talk" to network drives. Your TC supports this file sharing protocol. Accessing the TC would be no different than any other network file share. You would do so through Windows Explorer.

Join a mac in a windows 2003 domain

Hi @ all
since over 20 years i work as systemengineer. with os , as:
novell netware,
microsoft dos , all versions
micosoft windows 3.1 up to windows 7 and all server versions from ms windows.
and was certified lotus notes domino developper
since 2008 i work at home with an macbook, and i love the macintosh very much.
So i have a new task in my company.
I have to integrate MacBooks, MacPro, Imac, all with the actual os, in our large windows 2003 domain.
Please give me help, how i can do this task.
1. How to install the AppleFileProtocol
2. Have i install the afp of all servers ? Domain Controllers, Fileservers, Printservers, Exchange Emailservers and so on ?
3. How can i manage the mircosoft ads with my macintosh.
Please give me a detailed answer. I need tips, and the solution, because i am very interested, that
we use more and more macintosh in our company.
Many thanks
Stefan .. from Germany

ok i can work until 19th of july
on my mac i update to os x lion. what is changed.
i try to connect with the 2008 windows fileserver and get the offer to connect 3 shares.
OK., i connect with 3 shares, and have of all the modify right
on one share i get no access. (could it be that the macuser guest is connected?)
the local username on the mac is the same username as in the win 2k3 ads
the passwort is also the same
since 10.7 lion there is no samba more,
So how can i connect without problems in the windows network.

HT204053 my husband has his own apple ID account on his pc that is old and slow can he join my mac with his own ID

my husband has a pc which is old and slow he has his i tunes with his own apple ID account on it. We have just purchased a MAC which me and my children use for our i tunes and own account. Can my husband transfere his Itunes and own account to my mac

You could combine the content in one library on the Mac, but it could lead to a few problems, if you would take only one Apple ID (e.g. for App updates you would persistent have to sign/out, ...). So I would recommend to use different librarys unless you take one of your IDs for all future purchases. In this case it would make sense to combine everything in one library.

Avi. Joiner for Mac OsX

Anyone know of a program that can merge .avi?

I use MPEG Streamclip. Choose "open files", select all of the separate files of the .avi, and when you click open it merges them all together. Then just export to whatever format you want.

Problem joining Mac with Mavericks to AD domain

Like many other users I've seen on various forums, I'm encountering a common error joining a Mavericks Mac to an AD domain. The error reads:
Unable to add server.
The plugin encountered an error processing the request (10001).
Like others, I previously joined my Mac to the domain without incident when it was running Mountain Lion. I upgraded to Mavericks and there were no problems. Now, I've had to join my Mac to a new domain and Mavericks is causing this problem.
I've deleted the Mac computer account in AD. I've disabled IPv6. I've attempted to join from the GUI and from Terminal, both with the same error.
Apple support wants me to partition my drive, install a fresh copy of Mavericks and try again. I'd rather not go to all that trouble when I expect the error will persist. They act like they don't know about the problem.
Does anyone know what the resolution to this problem is?

Good idea, but didn't work for me. Only using 6 characters still generated the "plug-in" error. I wish Apple would make solving this a priority. Before Mavericks, I joined using the same method without a hitch.
Thanks for the suggestion.

Xserve or Mac as server

Hi,
I currently run a Windows 2000 server as a domain controller and another as a file/mail server. Also on the LAN:
-18 client PCs running XP pro
-5 printers
-1 plot server and plotter running XP pro
-1 firewall/router pc running XP pro connected to cable modem
I'm considering migrating to a Mac OS based server next year, but I'm curious if someone could tell me if/why I should invest in a Mac tower or xserve.
Also, if I plan on introducing Mac clients into the mix next year would you recommend that I start by replacing the DC prior to getting the clients?
Thanks,
Eric

Ok, some key points to consider then:
Yes, the hardware is very good. Still, I highly suggest you purchase the extended hardware warranty.
Please keep in mind that the Apple Drive modules for OS X Servers and XRaids are stress-tested by Apple and the price reflects this. Failures can and do hapen, but for my part of the slightly more than 100 of these at various clients, I've seen only 2 fail in the last 3, maybe even 4 years now. Standard desktop drives simply do not compare, despite what anyone tells you.
As for setting up your server. One key point that many miss and I'll stress it for you here:
You must, must, must, have working DNS for your OS X Server. Doesn't have to be running ON the server itself but needs to be there. Do not collect rent, do not pass "Go" , until you have working DNS with verified forward and reverse lookup for the Fully Qualified Domain Name of your OS X Server.
Setup your basic server settings as "Standalone," do NOT configure mail or file services. Verify working DNS.
Then, promote your server to Open Directory Master.
Create your users as Open Directory user accounts (makes sure in Workgroup Manager that you're authenticated to: /LDAPv3/127.0.0.1
From that point, you can setup your server as a PDC.
Of course, read Apple's documentation,
http://www.apple.com/server/documentation/
But, I'd suggest in the strongest yet most friendly terms, that you pick up Michael Bartosh's "Essential Mac OS X Panther Server Administration", pay no mind that it's the "10.3" version, it is still invaluable.
For a mere pittance, you can purchase what is available of the 10.4 version released posthumously (thank you Josh Wisenbaker & Joel Rennich of afp548.com, and Schoun Regan !)
Schoun Regan's Peachpit books on OS X Server are also excellent, add those to your list.
For a good "how to" for getting started, be sure to read the following:
http://homepage.mac.com/johnd/.cv/johnd/Sites/.Public/Latest_Tips/Tiger-tips/tan dtv12.1b-tiger.pdf-zip.zip

Xserve - A week of uncertainty

A week since the announcement and I see no clear guidance from Apple. My contemplative confusion is turning into apprehension for the loss of what we had and a sense of uncertainty about the products that my business thrives on supporting. Is Apple not aware of how Xserves are used by their customers? Is Apple not aware of the gaping hole they have created in their product line? Or far worse, is Apple completely abandoning OS X Server and in turn the pro market?
I am not a doom and gloom type of person but the impact that this decision is having on my business and on my customer's perception of Apple could drive anyone to the brink of despair. Let me share with the community some of the conversations that I had this past week.
*Customer 1: North America's largest manufacturer of residential and commercial roofing materials*
_What they have:_ 12 TB Xsan supporting three Final Cut edit bays with a StorNext client in the data center for integrated backup to a CommVault backup system. (I should point out that we also support a graphic design department as well so there are more than 3 Macs in this company.) The Xsan is built on two G5 Xserves and 2 Xserve RAIDs with integration help from internal IT, including the fibre channel department, networking, backup, and others. The solution has enabled the video department to dramatically increase workflow, speed encoding through the use of a qmaster cluster, and improve backup integration with the enterprise CommVault system. The Xsan solution revolutionized the workflow of the department in so many ways that it is difficult to quantify.
_What they need now:_ To expand the volume. They are running over 90% capacity (yes, I know it is dangerous). The Xsan deployment above was done as a proof of concept as it took existing hardware (previously used as departmental file servers) and turned it into a now business critical solution. They have filled the volume in less than 8 months and are now begging for more. The proof of concept resulted in proof that Xsan is a superior product in providing services and features found no where else in the video market. Xsan, with its speed, function, integration with other products, and Spotlight makes the product indispensable. The integration into the corporate Active Directory domain and the ability to collect systems into a render cluster are simple and effective.
+What do we do?+ The existing Xserves are G5s so we are stuck at Leopard and Xsan 2.1.1. Now we have a real tough decision ahead of us. Do we buy Xserves and run with Xsan despite the announcement? And if we do, what is the future of Xsan beyond Jan 31 without a rack mount server. In this customer, rack space is a pricy commodity. Every U counts and I can not consume 12 U for 3 people, regardless of the benefits. Apple has a product, both hardware and software, that satisfies this customers need so well that they are begging for more of it. But can I give them the solution they are begging for? Can I sell them a couple Xserves and run the solution for the near term? But what are my future prospects? What do I do in three years or less from now when they run out of room again? What is my roadmap in the absence of true server hardware? Is there even a replacement for Xsan? Sure MetaSan is looking interesting... but no Spotlight. Sure I can run a StorNext solution... but no Spotlight. We can move to Windows storage, but then I am back on Ethernet file services and no Spotlight instead of a shared file system. If I stand on this hill and say "go with the Xserves as it is the best we have right now" and then there is an announcement from Apple about "one more thing," then my reputation is in question.
*Customer 2: NYC Advertising Agency that is 99.99% Mac based, including server architecture*
_What they have:_ We walked into this customer for our first service call back in February 2004. We found the G4 Xserve we sold them in October 2002 mounted on a wall by another consultant (oh the horror). Within two visits, I had closed all the security holes, implemented OD and single sign on, and started a relationship with the customer that grew from 12 employees, 1 G4 Xserve, and 10 Macs to 120+ employees, 3 Intel Xserves, and 120+ Macs. The Xserves support traditional print design as well as a video, new media, and development departments. Open Directory powers the organization and all Mac clients, over 120 systems, are joined to the domain and enjoy single sign on, centralized management via MCX, and unified access across all services including VPN, groupware (through Kerio), and more.
_What they need:_ This customer is growing. We just upgraded their network backbone to 10GigE, replaced the tape library with an LTO5 40 slot, and added another Active array. They expect 160 users by the end of 1Q 2011. This equals more Macs, more storage requirements and more reliance on OS X Server and the Xserve. In addition, we have had the discussion with them regarding Xsan for the video department. This was a very compelling solution that they were taking a serious look. But now, they are shaken by the announcement.
_What do we do?_ And I ask the community.... How would you respond when this customer asks, "Does this mean we have to switch to Active Directory?" Yes, they really asked me that question. My answer was that the announcement in no way devalues what they have. But I do understand their concern for the future. What do they do in a year? How about 2 years? This is a company running COMPLETELY on Apple hardware and software solutions. Where do we go from here?
*Customer 3: Fortune 500 Retailer of Domestic Merchandise and Home Furnishings*
_What they have:_ In January of 2003, we installed the first Mac in this company. A single G4 tower running Classic applications because the "patient 0" demanded a Mac as part of her accepting employment. Today, this company has over 100 Macintosh systems and three Xserves in three different states. Macs are in the IT department and we went from the platform of distrust to a platform that is a peer of Windows and Unix, including at the server level. The first Xserve was deployed in 2005. The second was installed in 2006. And the final one in 2008. All three are still in active production today and provide critical file services for over 100 Mac users and many Windows users. The servers are all bound to Active Directory, participate in enterprise backup, are monitored by internal IT via SNMP, and provide unparalleled uptime and performance.
_What the need now:_ They are running out of space. No, they ran out of space a long time ago. In October we started the process of proposing upgrades to both the Xserves and the storage to greatly enhance the solution and expand it to cover more departments and likely more Macs. Two of the servers are G5 Xserves so Snow Leopard is out of the question. They were planning on buying two new Xserves and new storage. But as of today, the talks are off. It appears that we are going to lose this business to a Windows storage solution. Farewell Mac servers. Farewell Spotlight searching. Farewell simple management of the Mac systems.
_What do we do?_ What is our argument here? We have none. In light of the announcement, I no longer have a viable solution to offer this customer. The Mac Pro is not a solution. They need more storage and they need a device that fits deployment requirements. The Mini does not do this? How do I get 10+ TB of storage connected and how do I support 100+ concurrent users?
*Customer 4: US Branch of Major Magazine Publisher that is 99.99% Mac, including server architecture*
_What they have:_ This customer is the poster child for Xserves. They have 11 Xserves, including a G4 still in active use. At their peak, we were running 16 Apple Xserve RAIDs (these have mostly been replaced by Actives). These Xserves run file services, FTP, Mail (Kerio), automation, Open Directory, offsite replication, and much much more. And here is the kicker! We deployed them in May 2006 running 10.4.6! The last time the primary cluster was touched was January 2009 when we upgraded to 10.4.11. Yes! There are 7 of the 11 servers still running 10.4.11! And do you know how often we service that cluster? 4 times a year. That is it. There is no downtime. There are no problems. This is an environment of about 450 users (all Mac) working directly from servers on multiple shifts. All machines are bound to OD and we are using MCX, Kerio Mail Server, UTS, NetInstall, and much more in this environment. And the whole thing is managed by a staff of 2 technicians. Oh, and in 2007 we built a dedicated datacenter for the Xserves, including proper power, cooling, and fire prevention. This set the foundation for a 10 GigE backbone and all servers operating with aggregated links to stacked edges switches with EAPS ring failover. This environment is a model of enterprise deployment of Apple hardware rivaling any Windows deployment out there.
_What they need:_ The customer is currently rolling out workstation replacements company wide. These units are 10.6.x. The 10.4.11 server are doing fine but it would be nice to unify and get all the MCX stuff working without the hacks. Purchasing new Xserves was a planned project for the beginning of next year.
_What do we do?_ This is the one customer in which we will likely still push the Xserve before it is no longer available. The nature of the business and the cyclical nature of upgrade cycles can likely allow us to operate on 10.6.x at the client and server for at least 4 years. So despite what Apple is doing, we may be able to keep the dream alive in this one customer. But in February will we be standing with egg on our face for a foolish recommendation?
*Customer 5: Fortune 100 Insurance Company*
_What they have:_ We support Mac departments in 4 states. Two of the departments are running Xsans. These are obviously driven by Xserves that have been embraced by corporate IT. In corporate America, projects take time to plan and approve. The Xsan expansion project has been in the works most of the year. It has been approved is now ready to start placing orders. But we are clearly caught in a tough position.
_What they need:_ More storage! And InnerPool from Active. InnerPool will go down in history as the greatest product that never will be. The success of Xsan in these two departments almost can not be measured. The undeniable reality is that the solutions is a wild success and the departments want more.
_What do we do?_ The word from Active is that InnerPool is dead and will never reach a customer. The Xserve is no longer. Yes we can buy it and yes it is approved. But I have the same uncertainty as listed above. Great, I deploy Xserves and Xsan today. But what is its future? And without InnerPool I has inefficient LUN carving.
Conclusions:
I am sure that my scenarios are shared by many in the consulting and IT fields. Over this past week I've struggled to understand Apple's decision to discontinue the Xserve. I've struggled to ease the concerns of my customers. I've struggled to find the correct message to tell customers in this time of uncertainty. I've struggled to understand what my company will do to fill the void left by the absence of the Xserve. And, most troubling, I've struggled to understand what the loss of the Xserve will do to Apple's enterprise solutions including the future of OS X Server and the traditional markets Apple supports.
I understand that on the surface this is the retirement of a hardware product. I understand the basic argument that the product was not a powerful seller. But being an Apple Reseller and ACN, I also know that no one is pushing Xserves other than us. The Apple retail store is incapable of pushing the Xserve as a product. And please, real businesses are not going to Apple retail. Does anyone walk up to a person selling iPods and have a discussion about real business needs? And why was I never able to find the Xserve on store.apple.com's home page? If you want to sell a product, you really need to let your customers know it exists.
I understand that Apple is all about the one thing. They always have been. When the iMac saved Apple it was the hot item. Then the iPod replaced it. Then the phone. Now the iPad. Apple focuses like a laser on the one thing that is big. But what they are missing is that there is a loyal group of customers in content creation that are only able to do their work because of the power, ease of use, and products that make up the "pro/enterprise" segment of Apple's business. This includes the Mac Pro, the Xserve, OS X Server, Xsan, Final Cut, and more. What is the future of all these products? The Mac Mini Server is surely not the future.
Again, this is speculation driven by lack of guidance and leadership. But if my customer reaction is an indication, the inability to deploy a server class device means the inability to run OS X Server. This will mean that all of the duties found in OS X Server will be replaced by other systems. This means no OD, no AFP, no NetBoot/NetInstall, no iCal, no Xsan, no qMaster, no MCX, no synchronized home folders. The list goes on and on. And by translation, this likely means the decline of the viability of Final Cut deployments and even content creation in general. If we are going backward to isolated workstations and the inability to deploy space efficient direct to broadcast solutions, the business will be going elsewhere. In the space of a single Mac Pro, I could deploy and entire 50 TB Xsan with 1U left over (2 Xserves, 2 Active arrays, 2 FC switches, 1 MD switch). Apple is not offering progress and this is not a better solution.
When Apple retired the Xserve RAID, Apple provide the community with a better solution. The Xserve RAID was a product of its time and time marched on. Apple was not interested in maintaining a peripheral product and rightly left the business to organizations specializing in mass storage. By bowing out of the segment, the community got faster devices with more redundancy. The difference then was that Apple said, "hey, we are not going to make the Xserve RAID anymore but here is something better." Today, they are saying, "hey, we are not making the Xserve any more and we have nothing better to tell you."
Yet, the Xserve RAID was a peripheral. It was not a host system running Apple's OS. For the company that is known for making the whole widget, how does this announcement sit? We are now missing the hardware component of the whole widget and the options, virtualization or licensing to third party hardware vender, goes in direct grain to everything Apple has done.
I know others in the community have covered this. The hardware Apple is offering is not a replacement. Honestly... A Mac Pro that has a hardware problem is a minimum of 2 days of lost operations for a company. Take the power supply. On an Xserve, you have a second one and if you were smart enough to get the spares kit, you can replace it in less than 1 minute with one hand tied behind your back. No downtime. No service disruption. Now, the Mac Pro... There is no spares kit. That means if the unit goes down you call Apple to diagnose the problem (or good golly you bring it to the Apple Store?), they send the part to your closest Apple Authorized Repair Center, and then they arrange for an onsite repair. This process will put you out of business for 2 days minimum. Unacceptable.
I am not sure who Apple thinks their server customers are. But the customers I support will never be satisfied with the Mini Server. Apple targets the Mini Server to SMB. Well, let's assume that the SMB has 10 iMacs. The iMacs have a collective storage capacity of 10 TB. The Mini has 500 GB. How does that help the environment. If we look at Apple's traditional customers running content creation, a single user could fill the server with 100 photoshop files or a few video files. And don't get me started on the expansion issues with the Mini.
Apple, regardless if the end result is licensing server to another vender for hardware development or allowing virtualization, please open up the communication channel and reassure a shaken industry on what you see as the realistic future of your server products. The guidance of your transition guide is not guidance at all. Please come down from the iPod cloud and understand that you have a lot of customers quavering in uncertainty.
And finally, if Apple is using the retail stores to provide guidance to the types of businesses that they sell their product to, then they should call us. We have been integrating Macs in enterprise for over a decade. We have Macs in every pharma in the state, many in regulatory roles meeting strict government requirements. We have Macs in insurance, research and development, finance, law, and more. These system meet or exceed HIPPA, SOX, FDA, FTC and other government regulatory requirements. Apple, you are already in the enterprise. Please don't give up on what has taken years to achieve.
Thank you for reading. We are passionate about the services we offer and strive to give our customers the best possible solutions. Apple has enabled us to do that for a number of years. Now I am concerned. As an ACN employing numerous ACSAs we are concerned with the writing on the wall. Apple, please provide more communication on your intentions.

Funny you should ask... At about the same time that the Xserve was discontinued, we also lost our channel rep of nearly 14 years. Right now we are not sure who our rep is. I have however, sent this to as many people in Apple that I could think of. And I plan on continuing to reach out to as many as possible.
The sad reality is that this decision is impacting customer deployments and the future of customer installations. Apple strives for market share and loves to tout those numbers. But the numbers we fought for over these last eight years are going to disappear.
As much as this impacts our business, we are making up for it in enterprise deployment of systems. We will survive and lead in our geographic area. I do not fear that. But OS X Server is a UNIX server and with it has come all of the benefits of a UNIX system, including legitimacy in a data center. The Intel Xserve cemented this reality because of its hardware configuration and form factor. Yes, we have G4 and G5s still in service. But those are mostly in all Mac shops that understand the benefits and can work around the buzz word limitations. But fortune 100/500 IT departments did not really get on board until the release of the Intel server.
Still beating the drum to raise awareness. Spread the word and talk to your Apple reps.
Also, ask about the direction that Apple's Enterprise team is going. If the news I hear is correct, then our fears about all things pro and enterprise going away are likely true.

I am new to Macs and, although I like it, I still don't understand it's behavior. When would you need to provide the administrative password at boot time? Safe Mode?

Background...
I joined the Mac bandwagon about 2 months ago. I am still getting used to it, but like it so far. Last week, I activated a new Iphone on my Imac. I needed to key in my userid and password. 3 days later, my itunes account was hacked into. My itunes information was scrambled. My itunes email, home address, and password were changed. Also, they didn't use my credit card which was attached to my account to make any purchases (they deleted my card and put someone else's card on my account to buy $100 worth of gift cards). I didn't receive any emails from Apple that my password, or email were changed, but I did get 2 receipts from the Itunes Store identifiying the purchases. Apple support fixed everything, but couldn't offer any explanation on what happened, other than to say my account was "modified". I don't like coincidences.
I freely admit that I didn't do enough to protect my login credentials as I used the same userid and password on multiple sites (since corrected). I still don't know how my account was accessed. I started to wonder if there may have been a key logger installed on my Imac without my knowing it. I am pretty careful with installing software and have purchase about 15 applications, all either from the itunes store, or from other reputable sources. I have never made any in-app purchases.
I understand that to install a key logger you would need to supply the admin password, which brings me to my question....
About 4 weeks ago, my wife was using the Imac on facebook. While she was there, the Imac experienced a hard crash. We had to do push and hold the button on the back of Imac to get it to shut down and reboot. When it came up, it required the admin password, and dropped me into a mode where it wouldn't recognize the external disk drive which was attached via USB. I needed to restart the machine and everything appeared to be normal. I assumed that this was Apples version of "safe" mode, but now I am not so sure. Could a key logger have been installed during this event? Is this expected behavior after a hard reset?
I have McAfee for Mac installed and it hasn't detected any threats, but McAfee is pretty wishy-washy on it's ability to detect key loggers. I am thinking about Macscan or Little Snitch. I would do a reinstall of the OS, if I only knew how.
Any help?

your itunes accoutn have nothing to d with your computer
you can go to any computer with internet access in the world and
login into your itunes account if you have the appleID and password
the itunes account is placed on apples itunes servers

Joining a mac to an xserve

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