Xserve as media center?

[Brien]

I'm looking into setting up an Xserve as an iTunes Library/Time Machine drive/all-purpose server.

I know the last one is pretty easy to set up, but what about the first two? Is this feasible?

Moreover, how hard would be be to set it up to sync the iPods/Phones via a computer in the house while the library was stored on the Xserve? Would it be any different than storing an iTunes Library on an external drive?

Thanks in advance.

 

[milk242]

Why do you want to use a rack server thats pretty powerful to do tasks so basic that a mac mini or even a macbook can?

 

[Padraic]

Why do you want to use a rack server thats pretty powerful to do tasks so basic that a mac mini or even a macbook can?

Maybe because he has one? If you look on e-bay you can get a PPC powered one or an early intel xeon model fairly cheap.

To the OP, the iTunes library part shouldn't be that hard at all. Load your iTunes library on the xserve, install iTunes, enable sharing and leave it running. The iPod syncing might work with iTunes 9 and the home sharing thing, I haven't messed with it that much to figure out what it can/can't do.

I don't know about time machine, maybe someone else can answer that.

 

[Consultant]

The things you want to do you can do with Mac OS X client.

FYI Xserves, like any servers, are loud.

 

[Brien]

I'm not an idiot, I know how loud Xserves are. I know it's overkill for what I described in the OP - but I'm not getting one just for that, I'd rather have it handle server duty AND Time Machine/iTunes/etc. than have two machines handle the job or filling up my MBP's HD.

Padraic: Thanks.

 

[milk242]

alright, just wondering...

With Leopard or Snow Leopard server you should be able to choose a disk or allocate space for time machine so other laptops/desktops can back up to it over the network. Then on the client you should be able to see the time machine disk. If not you could try that terminal command that enables time machine to see afp disks over network, but theoretically, it should just work like a time capsule.

Also to add to the itunes syncing, in the past (on itunes 8), you weren't able to sync from a shared library, but if you do mess with the home sharing and it works please post it.

 

[Brien]

Cool, thanks! And I'll definitely post back if I can get remote sync to work.