Apple xserve early 2009 User Manual

Xserve (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 11 2010-06-28
Serial Number Location
The serial number is located at the rear of the unit: on the ID Tab.  

Xserve (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 12 2010-06-28
Hot-Pluggable SATA or SAS Drives 
The server includes three hard drive bays at the front of the Xserve. All bays support Apple 
qualified hot-pluggable Apple Serial ATA (SATA) or Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drive modules. 
Xserve drive bays support qualified Apple Drive Modules with Apple qualified hard drives 
and firmware only. Drive bays not configured with an Apple Drive Module ship with a non-
functional blank drive carrier which do not support...

Xserve (Early 2009) Basics — Overview 13 2010-06-28
Power Supply Redundancy
The Xserve (Early 2009) supports up to two power supply modules for redundancy. There are 
two power supply bays in the rear of the enclosure. You can replace or install a power supply 
from the back panel without removing the Xserve from the rack. If the Xserve has two power 
supplies, they are hot-swappable; the Xserve will continue to operate using only one supply 
while the second is removed. For more information about...

© 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
 Apple Technician Guide 
Troubleshooting
Xserve (Early 2009)   

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Update System Software 15 2010-06-28
General Troubleshooting
Update System Software
Important: Whenever possible before beginning troubleshooting, ensure the latest software 
and firmware updates have been applied.
Troubleshooting Theory
For general information on troubleshooting theory, refer to:
http://service.info.apple.com/service_training/en/006/troubleshoot/index.php?page=intro
Emerging Issues
For the latest on troubleshooting issues, refer to:...

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Xserve Firmware Updates 16 2010-06-28
Xserve Firmware Updates
Firmware is the name given to software that is written into memory circuits, such as flash 
memory, that will hold the software code indefinitely, even when power is removed from the 
hardware. Firmware on Intel Mac computers is designed to be updated if necessary through a 
software update.
EFI and SMC firmware is stored on the Xserve (Early 2009) backplane board. EFI firmware 
updates update the...

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Configuration 17 2010-06-28
DIMMs must fit these specifications:
• PC3-8500,1066 MHz, DDR3 SDRAM UDIMMs
• 72-bit wide, 240-pin modules
• 36 memory ICs maximum per UDIMM
• Error-correcting code (ECC)
For proper operation of Xserve (Early 2009) computers, Apple recommends using only Apple-
approved DIMMs. Refer to GSX for Apple DIMM service part numbers. Memory from older 
Xserve computers is not compatible with Xserve (Early 2009). 
Single Processor...

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Configuration 18 2010-06-28
Dual Processor
Dual-processor (eight-core) computers have twelve memory slots. You can install 1 GB, 2 GB, or  
4 GB DIMMs for a total of up to 48 GB of memory. 
You can install different size DIMMs. in Xserve (Early 2009) However, for best performance, Apple 
recommends you install equal-size DIMMs (all 1, 2, or 4 GB) filling the slots in the order listed in 
this table.
If you haveFill in these slots
Three DIMMsA1, A2, and...

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Configuration 19 2010-06-28
Memory Slot Utility
If you install different size DIMMs in single-processor or dual-processor computers, follow the 
order in the tables above. If the DIMM configuration you install doesn’t provide optimized 
performance, the Memory Slot Utility will appear on screen and recommend an improved 
configuration. To use the Memory Slot Utility again, go to /System/Library/Core Services.
Example of Memory Slot Utility Screen for...

Xserve (Early 2009) General Troubleshooting — Memory Configuration 20 2010-06-28
Example of Memory Slot Utility Screen for Dual-Processor Computer