Symptom
An Xserve or Xserve (Slot Load) server requires four to eight minutes, or longer, to start up from a Mac OS X Server CD. The startup time may increase when large amounts of memory (RAM) or PCI cards are installed, or when other devices are connected to the server.
Solution
This is expected behavior; it does not indicate an issue with the server or the CD.
Additional information
The startup process that is used when starting up from a Mac OS X Server Installer CD is different from the the process used when starting up from a Mac OS X Installer CDs. The Server Installer CD performs additional operations that are required to support the advanced features offered by the server configuration; one of these operations is copying the system from the CD to a RAM disk to allow for remote installation.