Hardware Requirements To Run Lion Server
When writing your Lion Server hardware specifications, start with the minimum requirements and then add based on the number of users, type of use, and other specifications of your application. Here are the minimum requirements to run Lion Server:
Computer: a Mac. Although you can hack non-Apple devices to run Mac OS X, it is in violation of the End User License Agreement.
Processor: Intel 64-bit processor. The oldest 64-bit processor found in Macs that supports Lion is the Core 2 Duo. Lion will not run on Macs with an Intel Core Sole or Core Duo, the first generation of Intel processors Apple used. (Older PowerPC Macs are not supported either.)
RAM: 2 GB of RAM. If you’re running Podcast Producer, you need an additional 512MB of RAM per processor core. For example, if your Mac has two dual-core processors, you will need 3GB minimum.
Hard Disk Space: 8 GB free hard disk space.
The processor is, for the most part, determined by the model of Mac you’re using. Macs with an Intel Core 2 Duo dual-core processor are slower than Macs with an Intel Core i3 dual-core processor. Quad-core processors, such as the Intel Core i7, are by far the fastest.
The quad-core Intel Xeon processors available in the Mac Pro are faster than the Core i7. (Core i5s come in dual-core and quad-core models.) Mac Pro has a hexa-core processor option. (Logic and Latin might dictate that this is “the essence of sex,” but the tech industry is wise enough to steer clear of that.)
The gigahertz (GHz) rating is less important than the processor model and the number of cores. It only makes sense when comparing two processors of the same model and the same number of cores. So a 3.2GHz Intel Core i3 processor is faster than a 3.06GHz Intel Core i3 processor.
As a general rule, use more RAM in a computer than the minimum amount of RAM required by the operating system. Some Macs can hold tens of gigabytes of memory, which is more than most people need.
To store a hard drive, you need a hard disk drive or drives as large as the data you want to store. Hard disk storage is relatively inexpensive.