Last year we spoke with data Robotics as well as asked when we might have a Drobo with much more drive slots. Today they provided with the statement of the 8 bay DroboPro. checked out on for all the juicy details, the pictures as well as the prices.
In our interview with DR earlier this week they explained today’s news as practically a “company re-launch” into the little as well as medium company (SMB) market. They are aiming DroboPro squarely at the business as a storage range for little company Server (SBS), Exchange, SQL as well as OSX Server as well as even a hold for online machines. They are likewise targeting high-end customized installers searching for a protected data storage pool for their clients media servers as well as house cinema / theatre installations. Integrators will be especially thinking about the simplicity with which their clients can add extra storage as needed without having to handle the array.
Data Robotics likewise exposed to us that the pro is not just a traditional Drobo as well as DroboShare bundled into a single enclosure. Unlike the existing Drobo / Drobo Share combo, the pro cannot operate stand-alone. instead it should be linked to a computer utilizing one of the developed in interfaces – USB 2.0, FireWire 800 or for the very first time on a Drobo – iSCSI through the Gigabit Ethernet port.
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iSCSI is an IP based storage networking basic with offers a high speed link to your server or desktop. Windows XP as well as Vista support iSCSI (Vista has a chauffeur developed in as well as the XP chauffeur is offered on the Drobo dashboard CD). Mac OSX doesn’t have a chauffeur out of the box so DR have produced their own as well as it’s likewise included on the dashboard CD. Linux can support iSCSI however with the range of distributions offered DR aren’t going to officially support this in the foreseeable future (as with Drobo traditional there’s full support for EXT3).
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The system is still developed on the Unix-like VXWorks operating system, however has had a ground up re-write bringing numerous performance gains. The speed of the pro is stated to be at least double that of the traditional unit. DR told us that the “Business Class” pro will offer 70-80 meg per second, with top speeds over 100 compared with around 30 meg per second on the traditional unit.
Drobo apps will not work on the Pro, nevertheless this isn’t truly an problem as all the server responsibilities (think FTP, iTunes etc) can be handled by the connected computer.
Data Robotics have christened their proprietary innovation at the heart of the system “BeyondRAID” as well as the table below shows their breakdown of the extra features the system provides over basic RAID.
For the terminally paranoid the pro provides a “Dual Disk Redundancy” function on top of the basic single disk function of the traditional unit. This enables you to recuperate from two simultaneous difficult drive failures instead of just one, although this certainly has an impact on the useable area on the array. just inspecting as well as un-checking a box in Drobo dashboard switches you between single or double disk as well as DR state that unlike moving between rob 5 as well as rob 6, there’s no requirement to reformat or migrate data off of the range to do this.
The pro will max out at 16TB utilizing 8 x 2TB drives – the largest currently available. traditional Drobo has the capability to produce a single 16TB “smart Volume” which can grow or shrink as required. The pro can have as much as 16 x 16TB wise Volumes, enabling gain access to to a theoretical limit of 256TB if disks were offered as well as enabling different departments in an organization to have their own volumes for example. Rights to gain access to the private volumes would be set in the OS of the device connected to the Pro.
DR state the pro is much quieter than other business storage services as well as the new deal with plate (still magnetic) has been developed to even more decrease noise emitted.
Another little enhancement is the capability to select whether or not to have your disk spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity with a easy checkbox in the Drobo Dashboard.
The pro can be set on a desktop or mounted in 19″ rack with the optional rack-mount set (the system is 3U high). The power supply is developed into the Drobo pro as well as the system likewise has a power-switch – a very first for a Drobo. sadly if you are rack installing it, it’s been inconveniently put on the rear panel.
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So what cost this data robot heaven. UK cost of the base design without any type of drives is £1,099 including VAT (the rack-mount set is an extra £169). different choices are offered populated with disks, topping out at £3,299 for the 16TB rack install version. Drobo are introducing with a client loyalty program, which will see them providing $200 off to existing Drobo owners from participating resellers.
At practically £1,300 in your rack, without any type of drives, DroboPro is a high-end product. however as DroboPro moves the business into new markets who would bet against it repeating the success of the very first Drobo, particularly as it has few rivals in its function set as well as its capability to offer individuals with a robust storage service that needed practically no management.
The system is shipping in restricted quantities in the us today as well as ought to be offered in the UK as well as Europe within the week from Amazon as well as Misco (full availability from end of April on).
Drobo Pro : Drobo at Amazon : Our Drobo / DroboShare Review
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