Recently, a new job advertisement from Apple indicated that it is using Oracle and IBM servers that have some aspects of the Unix operating system. People had stopped paying attention to Unix as a potential server operating system these days, but this advertisement might recreate the interest people once had in the Unix operating system. Considering it is Apple that is using these servers, there might even be an increase in UNIX training courses, as people will want to maximize any job opportunities that this operating system can create.
Although Apple has not divulged much details about the hardware it uses in its data centers, we can guess by considering the trend it had followed over the years. Usually, Apple’s hardware is based on their own operating system, the Mac OS X, the Sun based servers powered by Solaris operating systems or IBM servers with AIX. The job description also mentions engineers with Solaris based work experience, which validates the hypothesis we used to predict the types of servers used in data centers.
Apple put an end to its server ambitions by ending the Xserve server venture in the year 2010. It is now depending on its workstation, the Mac Pro, as a server alternative. It has also reinstated its relationship with IBM, whose processors were employed in Apple’s computers till 2005. IBM’s servers run on AIX which is incidentally a UNIX based server.
So, if Apple is using any IBM servers, you will need a UNIX platform to understand the AIX operation. While it remains to be seen how many people will be hired by Apple, the fact is that UNIX is one of those operating systems which are always required if you are into server management, irrespective of the server you are required to handle.