Sure, why not iPhone colocation too?
This seems like buying a Ferrari for your mailman. Well, except the difference is you'd actually get to see the Ferrari once a day.
MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
31–40 of 48 posts
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can (per the EULA [1]) virtualise OS X on Apple hardware. VMware can run on Apple hardware. run up to two (2) additional copies or instances of the Apple Software within virtual operating system environments on each Mac Computer you own or control that is already running the Apple Software [1] http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf
Thanks, I didn't know you couldn't legally visualize OS X on non-Apple hardware. That's gotta be hurting them now they have no xServe
You can't. The terms quoted above specifically restrict it to virtualizing Mac OS X on Apple hardware.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you are an enterprise you would not be using modified kernels with the copy protection neutered in production.
If you are an enterprise, you will not be running MacOSX on a server at all.
If you want to do continuous integration on a Mac or iPhone/iPad/iPod application and still be compliant with Apple's license, that's pretty much the only way to go.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#34I will offer my translation services for their marketing copy:
"Meticulously engineered and constructed to facilitate 270 Mac Pro servers per POD while occupying only 12 square feet of datacenter floor space. "
means
"we have a cage in a datacenter with hot and cold aisles, and we bought off the shelf commercial racking and figured out how many we can fit in that racking"
"a pressurized environment allowing the Mac Pro servers to effortlessly draw in conditioned air from the central chamber, and expel it thru its unified thermal core. "
means
"the datacenter, as usual, has hot and cold aisles, so we will orient the Macs so they draw in chilled air from the big Lieberts and expel the heated air into the hot aisle; we will use blanking panels, custom cut styrofoam, or other materials to keep hot air from backwashing into the cold air aisle"
"Each server is provided redundant power, cooling, and a full Gigabit of Internet connectivity, all backed by live 24x7 support ensuring 100% uptime "
means
"we are relying on the datacenter's existing usual, typical power and cooling infrastructure, which is redundant of course; and, we will install 1 or more gigabit drops, with gigabit switches for each Mac to plug into"
(all pretty standard stuff in any DC)
"and the datacenter has remote hands capability, which we will use if needed" . Since we don't know exactly the nature of their 24x7 support, we don't know anything more.
100% uptime means only "in months that there isn't 100% uptime, you will get a credit on your bill". Check for exclusions they give themselves for maintenance windows.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#35What a waste of a Mac. I'm all for the novelty of doing something neat with Apple hardware (System X, macminicolo), but this machine isn't suited for headless closet-sitting. It's meant to be on a desk in Pixar, NBC or another live video venue, rendering things in real time and lighting up 4K displays.
Someone probably discovered that it's cost-effective due to heat and power efficiency.
It might make more sense than you think. Maybe.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#36Oddly enough, back when the cylindrical Mac Pro was first announced, a coworker and I discussed how exactly one would rack them. We came up with something very similar, but slightly asymmetric, and designed to hook into a standard 19" rack.
(This was prompted by the question of what Apple's Web site runs on if they don't make servers any more.)
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
OSX can only be run on Mac hardware. If you want virtual Macs within the EULA, this is what you must do. This would be attractive for people wanting to to build testing on mac machines, for example.
> OSX can only be run on Mac hardware. http://www.tonymacx86.com/
Thinking about it, I am thinking commoditization of the entire device is flawed while commoditization of parts is not.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
> OSX can only be run on Mac hardware. http://www.tonymacx86.com/
If you are an enterprise you would not be using modified kernels with the copy protection neutered in production.
Two quick technical points:
1) OS X itself does not utilize any copy protection. There are no serial numbers, call-home activations, etc.
2) You can run OS X without any modified kernels or kexts with the right mix of hardware.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#39A desktop system with a novel thermal design is being packed in tightly in a way that the manufacturer probably hasn't tested, and in a way that's going to be hard to diagnose or fix? He who dares I guess :) What do people use hosted Macs for anyway? I guess there must be some niches, but surely everything that's great about a Mac is optimised for local usage?
I'm leasing a server from MacStadium that's used for iOS continuous integration. I could also see MacStadium being useful for someone learning iOS development who isn't ready to splurge on a new Mac.
From the OS X Mavericks license:
The grant set forth in Section 2B(iii) above does not permit you to use the virtualized copies or instances of the Apple Software in connection with service bureau, time-sharing, terminal sharing or other similar types of services.
and
Except as expressly permitted in this Section 2G, or except as otherwise licensed by Apple, you agree not to use the Apple Software, or any of its functionality, in connection with service bureau, time-sharing, terminal sharing or other similar types of services, whether such services are being provided within your own organization or to third parties.
where the quoted section allows remote access by a single device, remote viewing by a "reasonable number" of devices, and remote access to a separate desktop session by a single Apple-branded device.
So buying/leasing a hosted Mac for development is fine, but renting remote access to a shared Mac for development is right out unless only one person (or two, with the second connecting only from Apple-branded devices) is using it at a time and virtualization is not used.
Re: MacStadium: Dedicated Mac Pro Hosting and Colocation
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you are an enterprise, you will not be running MacOSX on a server at all.
If you want to do continuous integration on a Mac or iPhone/iPad/iPod application and still be compliant with Apple's license, that's pretty much the only way to go.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but that would be more a development environment than a traditional server. That it would be used for developing client side applications would reinforce such a distinction.