14 DAY TRIAL // The “Server Diagnostics” is a free package from Apple containing tools that test your server for hardware issues. Apple Server Diagnostics version 3X106 is now compatible with Snow Leopard Server on the Xserve (Early 2009), Xserve (Early 2008), and Mac mini (Early 2009), according to the Mac maker.
“Apple Server Diagnostics (AXD) runs a customizable set of tests to help you diagnose issues with server components,” Apple reveals on the Support / Downloads section of its website. Components include the Boot ROM, Ethernet controller, fan, hard drive, memory, power supply, processor, sensor, USB ports, and the video controller.
“You can run AXD in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is referred to as AXD EFI tools, or in Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server,” the company adds. The installer can be found in the same AppleServiceDiag3X106.dmg file.
“During the past ten years, Apple has rapidly delivered new versions of Mac OS X Server, the world’s easiest-to-use server operating system,” Apple says in the “Quick Look at Snow Leopard Server” (PDF). “The introduction of Mac OS X Server version 10.6 Snow Leopard brings dramatic performance improvements and innovative new capabilities to Apple’s open standards–based server platform—making it both fast and easy for your organization to collaborate, communicate, and share information. And for ready access to all those advantages, Apple now offers a single affordable edition of Snow Leopard Server with licenses for an unlimited number of clients.”
“Snow Leopard Server is a full 64-bit operating system designed to take advantage of multicore processors and address massive amounts of memory,” the Mac maker further outlines. “With a new 64-bit kernel and teamed with the latest Xserve or Mac Pro system, Snow Leopard Server can easily handle the most demanding server operations—including file sharing, mail services, and web hosting—at speeds up to twice as fast as its predecessor.”
“Whether you’re a small business manager with no technical expertise or a veteran IT director of a large enterprise, you’ll find Snow Leopard Server surprisingly straight-forward to deploy and manage,” according to Apple. “Start small with a Mac mini or Mac Pro—then scale all the way up to a rack or data center full of Xserve systems,” the PDF reads.