DroboSpace - Using Drobo

Finally Got 'Ms Drobo' Up and Running

drdiggsyang — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:32:52 GMT

I finally received it from stateside, and since this site is suppose to be for Drobo users I wanted to post something positive about my first experience with Drobo to remind you of why we purchased the Drobo in the first place. I love everything about it so far. The set-up was pretty simple. I wish I could say flawless, but there were a few minor hiccups that were resolved with basic tech common sense. For one, after I transfered 40 GB to my Drobo, I ejected the other EXHD. I went back to look for the Drobo icon to open it and it was gone. I could see that Drobo Dashboard was reading it, but I had no access to it. I just disconnected it and reconnected it and it was back. Then after I have transfered about about a total of 67 GB, (this is my test amount, in a month or so I will get rid of the other EXHD's and transfer a few more hundred GB) I hooked it up to the Droboshare. There was a firmware update and Drobo dashboard read the Drobo was connected, but then the icon issue came up again. I could...

Setting up Email Alerts via Gmail

pickthenimp — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:56:19 GMT

After doing some digging, I found the settings you need to use for receiving Drobo alerts from your Gmail address. To: Wherever you want to receive the email (use your mobile number@teleflip.com to receive as a text ex:7034567564@teleflip.com) From: username@gmail.com Mailserver: smtp.gmail.com Port: 587 Check authentication box Username: username@gmail.com Password: xxxxxxxx Check use SSL box Try sending a test email to verify it works, enjoy your alerts from Drobo!

DroboShare Mounting Guidelines and Troubleshooting

Data Robotics — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:06:51 GMT

March 11, 2008 DroboShare users are reporting that Drobo does not automatically mount or that they can not see Drobo after connecting it to DroboShare. This can be caused by: Unsafe Drobo Shutdown : Some customers are just disconnecting their Drobo from their computer. This can result in the DroboShare not being able to mount a Drobo that has been plugged in. To avoid this problem, first do a safe shutdown: put Drobo into “standby” using the Advanced Controls -> Tools menu: Click the “Standby” button. Drobo will shut itself down. This takes 15-30 seconds. Drobo’s green drive lights and blue utilization lights will go dark when Drobo has entered standby mode. When in Standby it is safe to disconnect Drobo’s USB cable. Not Updating Drobo Dashboard : DroboShare with a CD with an updated version of the Dashboard applications that has support for DroboShare. This version includes the automatic discovery and automatic drive mounting capabilities. Owners should make sure that they install that updated version of Drobo Dashboard.

Life-Long Data Protection Strategy

SuiteB — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:35:44 GMT

After battling some startup and infant mortality problems with my Drobo, I’m trying to think through all of the various issues involved in long-term, i.e., life-long storage, of my photographic images and other personal data. This note is intended to share my thinking and invite comment as to how my long-term data preservation strategy could be improved...

How to: Using Time Machine and Drobo

Data Robotics — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:23:53 GMT

Time Machine backs up your system files, but what makes Time Machine different from other backup applications is that it not only keeps a spare copy of every file, it remembers how your system looked on a given day — so you can revisit your Mac as it appeared in the past. With this handy How To guide from Data Robotics, you can learn exactly how to get Drobo and Time Machine playing nicely. Read " How To: Using Time Machine and Drobo " here at DroboSpace.com

How To: Using Time Machine and Drobo

Data Robotics — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:16:37 GMT

Time Machine backs up your system files, but what makes Time Machine different from other backup applications is that it not only keeps a spare copy of every file, it remembers how your system looked on a given day — so you can revisit your Mac as it appeared in the past. With this handy How To Guide, you can learn exactly how to get Drobo and Time Machine playing nicely.

What Costs Less - RAID or Drobo?

Data Robotics — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:23:30 GMT

At Data Robotics, I am asked many variations of these questions: Why shouldn’t I buy a “fixed capacity RAID box” (one that doesn’t let you expand its capacity) now and then buy another when it gets full? Why shouldn’t I buy an “expandable RAID box” that lets you manually replace each and every drive with a larger one in order to increase its capacity? Isn’t buying an empty Drobo and then some disks more expensive than getting RAID? Would you be surprised to learn that RAID systems will always cost more than Drobo? This results from the combination of RAID’s limitations and the pricing dynamics of disk drive makers. Continue reading to find out why. RAID’s Economics: You Pay Dearly Today For The Future Growth One problem with RAID systems is that they force you to buy more capacity today than you need. Because adding storage capacity is either impossible, or very difficult and labor intensive, RAID buyers purchase more than they need and forecast how much they will require in the future. Historical trends show hard disks decreases in cost 40%/year. This means RAID systems waste your money. You have to spend money today on excess storage capacity –...

Share Drobo on a Network: Apple Airport Extreme

Data Robotics — Thu, 17 May 2007 21:29:29 GMT

This application note describes how we at Data Robotics share files wirelessly that are stored on a Drobo to Macs and PCs throughout the office. Apple’s new 2007 Airport Extreme provides wired and wireless connectivity to WiFi-capable computers using a USB2.0 port. This App Note tells you how we set up our Drobo and Airport Extreme.