Does Mavericks support the LSILogic LSI7404EP?

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Level 1

12 points

Does Mavericks support the LSILogic LSI7404EP?

Hello again,

I've got an Xserve early 2009 running OS X Server 10.5.8 that I've been told is upgradeable to Mavericks.

It has a Promise VTrak E-Class 16 x SATA RAID Subsystem that attaches to it via the LSILogic LSI7404EP and is running Firmware version 1.3.23.0

If I upgrade to Mavericks, will I still be able to see the RAID?

All I want is to utilise the raid for archiving, but I need it updated to work with the newest iMacs.

Cheers,

-Mark

Xserve, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Oct 2, 2014 9:07 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 2, 2014 7:30 PM in response to chewybacher

The LSI7404EP is the Apple 4 port FC card. Yes, it works on Mavericks. And yes 2009 Xserves can run Mavericks. I recommend more than 4 GB of RAM but if that is all you have you likely don't want to invest more in the device. Also, you will lose lights out management administration. Set you values before upgrading if you use the feature.

Have a backup. And if you can, perform a clean install of Mavericks. Not sure what services you are running, but going from 10.5.x to 10.9 is generally not recommended. Best to nuke and pave.

Reid

Apple Consultants Network

Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author "Mavericks Server – Control and Collaboration" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

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Answer 2

chewybacher Author

Level 1

12 points

Oct 3, 2014 1:54 AM in response to Strontium90

Thanks for that.

I want to explain that I am not a server engineer or sys admin.

This server was purchased to run Final Cut Server which now, thanks to Apple, no longer exists and none of our up-to-date iMacs can access it due to the Java update no longer allowing us to see the server software.

So, this Xserve has been sitting in a corner twiddling it's thumbs for the past three to four years and I want to resurrect it, as it has the Promise RIAD with a decent amount of space waiting to be filled up with archivable HD video data.

And that about sums it up. It would be nice to utilise the server as an extra node for rendering, seeing that it has some decent processing power, as well as 12GB of memory.

I've got one other query, is the GPU upgradeable for this Xserve? (It currently has an NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256MB of memory, and it would also be nice if we could replace that with a more update GPU to utilise Adobe CC's GPU accelerated software (Premiere Pro, After Effects, etc..).

Thanks again, I look forward to your reply.

-Mark

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Answer 3

Oct 3, 2014 4:10 AM in response to chewybacher

Ah, yes. I was burned by the demise of Final Cut Server also. You could not beat the price and the feature set was decent.

As for the GPU, you have two PCI Express expansion slots. One full height and one half height. So, you can add a discreet graphics card to the unit. As far as I know there is no replacement for the built in card. That GForce is as far as it goes. Also, I don't recall there being many options that work in the slots as I do not believe there is the optional power cable to support the newest of cards. You can take a look at some of the cards that were offered in the MacPro from around the same time but be careful what you purchase. I think there are crazy solutions like external PCI cases that can provide faster graphics but I am not sure you want to invest in a machine of such age.

Good luck.

Reid

Apple Consultants Network

Author "Mavericks Server – Foundation Services" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

Author "Mavericks Server – Control and Collaboration" :: Exclusively available in Apple's iBooks Store

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Answer 4

chewybacher Author

Level 1

12 points

Oct 3, 2014 7:11 AM in response to Strontium90

Thanks again for your help in this matter.

As it sounds, it might be best to keep 10.5.8 running on this Xserve and just use it as a simple file server for archiving, unless you could suggest a better option.

It's currently only accessible via an admin account using VNC, but I will endeavour to change that, so at least a few of the academics and my fellow technicians in our school can have access to it.

All the best,

-Mark

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Answer 5

Oct 3, 2014 5:50 PM in response to chewybacher

A 2009 Xserve runs Mavericks well. The challenge is getting Mavericks onto the machine. Apple really only supports upgrades from 10.6. If this is going to only be used for archive, then you can likely just leave it be. A handful of users connecting and dropping data does not require much. However, if you have other needs, like Caching server, Profile Manager, etc. then moving to Mavericks is good. The benefit here is the Mavericks is "free" and if the device has been sitting that long a nuke and pave is likely fine. Start clean, build a solid foundation.

Oh, if you are supporting Windows systems, you will be better off on 10.5. As sad as it sounds, the SMBX server in Mavericks is really crappy.

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