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i have a Apple XServere RAID Array with one controller complete with 7 500GB HDD s. I am wondering how can I use this as a media typa server (maybe even run Plex?) / storage place for files with my imac and macbook. NAS Servers these days can just be plugged into a router via ethernet, so what would I need to get to be able to use this to store files etc.

thanks

user3764684
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This feels like you're trolling us but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

Have you got an XServe server and the XServe RAID disk array or just the array on its own - it's not clear from your question. If you have just the array then it's entirely useless on its own, if you have both the server and array then you could install a very old version of OSX Server on it and use it as a very large and underpowered (yet ironically very power hungry) NAS/room-heater.

Bear in mind that the most recent RAID array itself was discontinued over 8 years ago and even the most recent XServe was discontinued over five years ago (although that latest version does support OSX 10.11). The earliest XServe was discontinued over 13 years ago and could only run OSX 10.5. Yours will be somewhere between these - you probably understand why you trolling us is a possibility right?

Buy a cheapo NAS instead.

Chopper3
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  • i just have the array. i know i could get a NAS, but im just curious to see what id need for it to work – user3764684 Sep 25 '16 at 18:40
  • It's utterly useless on its own, you'd need to buy a compatible XServe server and configure it, oh and pay the electric bill - which would be higher than you'd think. – Chopper3 Sep 25 '16 at 21:43
  • @user3764684 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xserve_RAID If it's like this, it sounds like you'd have compatibility issues with anything you get to control it. Maybe you can pull the drives and use them. The hard drives (according to the link) would be ATA, probably crazy slow, old and small. – Ryan Babchishin Sep 25 '16 at 22:28
  • okay cheers guys. saw someone saying you could use a fibre channel card adapter for it to work with a computer. not sure if thats possible though – user3764684 Sep 25 '16 at 22:36
  • @user3764684 You probably *can*, as long as you can manage the device. It appears to have built-in redundant RAID controllers and present LUNs over fiber channel. The tough part is to get the software used to manage the device. And if you get it running, it'll probably draw 400W or more continuously - as already noted, a room-heater indeed. Performance would depend on how well you set up the RAID array(s), and how you used them. Do it right, and it'd probably still scream and be much faster than any 2-4 drive cheap NAS; do it wrong, and it'd crawl. It's a fun toy to play with, that's all. – Andrew Henle Sep 26 '16 at 11:05