During this past summer I was searching for a new storage solution to replace my Dell PowerEdge 1800 server. I had this system loaded up with 6x Western Digital 1TB hard drives in 2x RAID 5 arrays which gave me about 3.6 TB of usable storage between the 2 arrays. I used to backup the various PCs in my home as well as to stream files across my home network. This system had been working rock-solid for about a year and 1/2, but sadly I began to run out of space.
I was faced with a dilemma of how to increase my storage capacity in the easiest and safest way possible, in the hopes of not losing any of my files. I thought about buying 3x 1.5 TB hard drives, backing up the data on the array to multiple external hard drives, re-creating the array with the new hard drives, and finally copying all of the data to the new array from the external hard drives. I saw two issues with doing this:
1) This process would be very time consuming
2) I would have to copy my data back and forth which would increase my chance of missing files and/or corrupting my data.
Aside from that, I was faced with the option of purchasing a new storage solution. The more I considered my options, the more I realized how much better of an idea this was. By getting some sort of storage array I could eliminate a power-hungry server from the electrical bill! So I began investigating…
All the solutions I kept coming across would, technically, do the trick. I had one major gripe about all the ones I was reading into, all were RAID 5. This would pretty much put me back into the same situation I started in. I would have to purchase all of my hard drives up front, they would all have to be the same size, speed, etc. which added to the cost substantially. I was then tipped off to the DroboPro by Data Robotics, Inc.
The DroboPro is an 8-bay storage solution that has redundancy built in and manages itself, and if that wasn’t great enough, it uses Data Robotics “BeyondRAID” technology. Put simply, you can use any size/ speed/ brand SATA drive in the unit and it will automatically handle the redundancy and setup of the disk. Another great feature of the BeyondRAID technology is that you can add a disk at any time, not so with traditional RAID setups. The unit has several options as far as connections: USB 2.0, FireWire 800, and Ethernet for iSCSI. All of this is packed neatly into an esthetically pleasing 1ft x 1ft x 6in case.
After much debate and online price comparison, I purchased a DroboPro in October 2009.
I salvaged a WD 2TB hard drive from an external enclosure, purchased a second one, and also used a 1TB drive that I got back as part of an RMA. Setting up the DroboPro could not have been simpler, all I had to do was pop the front (magnetic) cover off and insert the drives into the hot swap bays. Power the unit up, it ran it’s initial startup and configuration then a healthy approx. 2.5TB drive showed under My Computer.
Since then I have added 2 more 1TB hard drives (thank you black friday) as well as a 250gb I had lying around bringing my storage capacity up to 4.7TB. Sadly, Christmas Eve one of my 2TB hard drives was reported as failed in the DroboPro, no worries however. Once the DroboPro detected the failed drive it automatically removed it from the pool of drives and began making sure that all the data was safe and redundant once again. I replaced the bad drive with a new one and RMA’d the failed drive, the DroboPro automatically recognized the new drive and began to rebuild the array instantly. All the while, there was zero downtime where the DroboPro was inaccessible, I was still able to access my files as I would if everything was running as normal.
In this one event the DroboPro proved to me that I had made a wise investment. I consider that, had that drive just been installed in my desktop, it would have not been properly backed up and if I had an up-to-date backup I would have had an hour or two of downtime when I would have had to power down my PC, crack open the case and reconfigure the hardware and then proceeded with getting all my files back in order. Not to mention having to do it all over again to reinstall the new hardware once the RMA came back.
My DroboPro gives me piece of mind knowing that all my data is safe and backed up and easily accessible. All in all, I feel that I have made a great purchase on a rock-solid unit that will last me for years to come.
Overall Rating: 
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Tim,
I too bought a DroboPro in Oct. of 2009. I started out with two installed 2TB disks and 6 installed 1.5TB disks. At first the device seemed to be amazing. It worked the way I had hoped and was fast enough.
My data storage needs demanded that I upgrade the 1.5TB disks, so this process started one disk at a time.
When the first 1.5TB disk was removed and a replacement 2TB disk was installed the DroboPro started the re-organization of my data this is called “re-layout” AKA the re-building of the storage array , as indicated by Data Robotics (maker of Drobo) the relayout process is proportional to the amount of used disk space and the size of the disks installed, in my case, relayout with 8 installed disks as mentioned upgrading a single 1.5TB disk to 2TB took about 20 hours. This time started to increase when the next 1.5TB disk was upgraded.
As my upgrade and confidence in the DroboPro continued, time passes and just Friday March 26th, I removed the final 1.5TB disk to start the final relayout so I’d have 8 installed 2TB disks.
I should mention my confidence started to lessen that the installed disks NOT the DroboPro would now become the “risk” so I had enabled the excellent feature of dual disk redundancy, meaning even if two installed hard disks failed, my data would be protected.
Back to just a few days ago….
Final 1.5TB disk is removed, DroboPro notices this and warns me of the removal, within 30 seconds I installed the final 2TB disk.
As designed the DroboPro and it’s management software Drobo Dashboard (Drobo Dashboard is required if a Mac OS user wants to take advantage of the DroboPro’s iSCSI connection) sees that I’ve just installed a new 2TB disk and starts the relayout process.
Although relayout had taken about 35 hours at max before, this time Drobo Dashboard indicates that the process will no take 50 hours. This gets me worried due to the possibility of host computer issues, power failure, or any number of problems that might cause my data to be at risk WITHOUT a hard disk actually failing. This is to say for starting just 2 days ago, I was somewhat at risk for data being lost due to the DroboPro taking a very long time to re-organize data, which should be already managed.
I must admit that seeing 50 hours was a rather strange site, but I assumed things should be ok and with attention, perhaps I’d be able to somewhat protect the host computer and the DroboPro. No software work of any kind or updates or even basic internet surfing was being done. The host computer was directly connected to the DroboPro via Firewire 800 (1394b) and both devices computer and DroboPro were left alone to do what they have always done…. protect my data.
Well about 24 hours into the process and when I was napping, something happened!!!
Can it be true that my DroboPro has failed? As it would seem now, my data is lost and my DroboPro is the cause.
The Drobo Dashboard software is now as I type this message, telling me that too many hard disk drives have been removed from the DroboPro and that I must re-installed ALL of the removed drives. I don’t know if this means just the last removed 1.5TB disk or if this means that all 8 disks are dead. (I’ve been in the business for sometime, so the concept of 8 disks even if purchased from an ape all failing at the same time is impossible.
Drobo Dashboard and Data Robotics website give no indication that this “all drives removed” issue has a fix and I’m left to wonder what could or will be done…. as far as the host machine goes, it is functional and no software work was being done during re-layout. I was taking no risks, yet something either via Drobo Dashboard or the DroboPro physical unit has failed, meaning I have no access to my data (mac os x reports the unit as being a random and incorrect volume size) and the Drobo Dashboard software indicates that drives are removed i.e. physically taken from the enclosure, when in fact no disks have been removed – relayout took so long either it failed or killed all the disks.
Because Data Robotics does not have hours on the weekend, I am unable to resolve this issue, so I’ve stated the process of accepting that data is gone.
I have posted this problem in the Drobo user community forum, just the smartest thing to do is nothing at all… waiting for Data Robotics support.
Lastly, if customer support is as bad as Drobo Forum member indicate, it could be days before I hear anything back.
My suggestion to anyone thinking about getting a Drobo or DroboPro OR if you already have one and your data goes near it or is already save on it, that you still maintain a 2nd copy of the data on some other device, be it DVD or a selection of other hard disks, even a 2nd DroboPro unit.
I will update this post when I have more information, just I don’t see the outcome as being very good. Data Robotics and DroboPro and the Drobo management software Drobo Dashboard are all somewhat dumbed down simple RAID systems, now that i’ve had a serious problem, i would refer anyone to wonder why they’d use and buy this device.
I can’t bash Data Robtics all that much for I don’t know what is going to happen when I’m finally ale to contact support, but I can say that NO MATTER HOW BULLETPROFF YOU THINK THE DROBO IS…. THINK AGAIN, these devices are not traditional hardware or even Software RAID devices, It seems with Drobo you might put yourself at MORE RISK, backing up 14+ TB of data means getting access to it and having another HUGE device near by.
Don’t trust Drobo it works great till it fails.
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Just a note about Drobo support. My DroboPro developed a power supply failure on the Saturday before Xmas. I emailed customer support and got a response back within an hour. They have promised to replace the drive free of charge. It sucks that the power supply died, and the device hasn’t been worry free, but at least the did a good job with
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