Apple Previews Mac OS X Server "Tiger"
"Tiger" Server Includes Support for 64-bit Applications,
Weblog Server, iChat Server & Windows NT Migration Tools
WWDC 2004, SAN FRANCISCO-June 28, 2004-Apple today previewed
Mac OS X Server version 10.4 "Tiger," the next major release
of Apple’s award-winning, UNIX-based server operating system that
makes it easy to deploy popular open source solutions for Mac, Windows
and Linux clients. The fifth major release of Mac OS X Server, Tiger
Server continues Apple’s blazing pace of innovation to deliver over
200 new features including native support for 64-bit applications,
ideal for high performance computing; Weblog Server that makes hosting
a weblog as simple as checking a box; iChat Server to deploy private,
encrypted communications within an organization; and migration tools
to make it easy to upgrade from legacy Windows servers to Mac OS X
Server.
"With more than 200 new features, Tiger Server is the
best release of Mac OS X Server ever," said Philip Schiller,
Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
"Tiger Server combines over 100 of the best solutions from the
open source world with Apple’s legendary ease-of-use to create the
easiest way to deploy powerful open source server solutions."
For the first time, Tiger Server can natively run 64-bit
processes for database, engineering and scientific applications to
take advantage of the increased performance unleashed when accessing
massive amounts of memory while still running side-by-side with
existing 32-bit applications. Combined with Apple’s Xserve G5 server
hardware, Tiger Server offers an affordable, easy-to-manage solution
for high performance computing.
Weblog Server is fully compatible with Safari RSS in Mac OS X
Tiger and makes publishing a weblog as simple as checking a box in
Server Admin preferences. Weblog Server is based on the popular open
source project ‘Blojsom’ and is fully integrated into Tiger Server
with an easy-to-use interface, Kerberos authentication support and
LDAP integration. Weblog Server provides users with calendar-based
navigation and customizable themes and users can post entries using
the built in Web-based functionality or with weblog clients that
support XML-RPC or the Atom API.
Tiger Server includes a brand new iChat server designed for
organizations that need to keep internal communication private.
Organizations can define their own namespace, use SSL/TSL encryption
to ensure privacy and Kerberos for authentication. Tiger Server’s
iChat server works with Apple’s popular iChat conferencing software
in Mac OS X Tiger and is compatible with open source Jabber clients
available on Windows, Linux and popular PDAs.
Tiger Server has also been updated with tools that make migrating
from Windows-based servers easy. Administrators can now migrate the
user and group account information from an existing Windows Primary
Domain Controller automatically into Open Directory. Tiger Server can
then take over as the Primary Domain Controller for Windows clients
and even host Windows users’ home directories, group folders,
roaming profiles and shared printers.
Other new features in Tiger Server include:
* Mobile Home Directories that give mobile users the best
of both worlds-access to files and preferences while on the road
with the user’s home directory centrally stored and managed on the
network;
* a Software Update Server that lets system administrators host
their own proxy/cache server to control the availability of Apple’s
software updates for Mac OS X Tiger and Tiger Server systems;
* Access Control Lists that provide a more flexible permissions
model that gives administrators better control over files, folders and
network services, making it easier to set up collaborative
environments;
* Internet Gateway Setup Assistant to make it easy for small
business and home office users to set up complex network services,
including DHCP, NAT, DNS, Port Routing, Firewall and VPN services;
and
* Xgrid(font size=”+1″ color=”#000000″)(tm) 1.0, Apple’s
easy-to-use clustering software is integrated into Tiger Server to
make it easy for scientists and researchers to build a distributed
computing cluster that supports up to 128 agents, up to 10,000 queued
jobs and up to 10,000 tasks per job.
Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X Server version 10.4 "Tiger" will be available
in the first half of 2005 through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), at
Apple’s retail stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a
suggested retail price of $499 (US) for a 10-client edition and $999
(US) for an unlimited-client edition. At the time of release, current
subscribers to the Apple Maintenance Program will receive Tiger Server
as part of their service agreement. More information on Tiger Server
can be found at http://www.apple.com/server
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with
the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with
the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal
computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals
and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware,
software and Internet offerings.