Advice on storage and back-up for a starter please!

[Innertuber]

So far, I'd say the Drobo fan is louder than the drives. I use Caviars.

 

[user34]

So, the drobo is running, the disks are (almost) installed. I say (almost) because one of the disks I bought was DOA. So 3 disks for the moment ( > 900Gb), which is more than enough to allow for c.170Gb of data and the backup copies.

 

I was surpised that the drobo wasn't delivered with a firewire 400 to 800 adaptor. I thought it was a throw in ?

 

The fan noise was loud enough that I had to unplug the power last night. But when I plugged it in again this morning it didn't spin for more than a minute.

 

Mrs user34 was disgusted that the drobo is so big, she is definately of the small is beautiful persuasion. It's shoebow size, and small ladies feet at that :-), but it is huge compared with a mac mini.

 

So far no data on it, I think I'm going to have to find a place for it other than on the desk next to the screen to maintain domestic harmony , before I put any data on it.

 

I also want a firewire 400/800 adaptor cable, but that's not urgent.

 

cheers

 

Peter

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Peter - Thanks for relaying your experience with the Drobo and the response received by the Mrs.. It will surely help others in the same situation :-)

 

[user34]

I transferred the iTunes music file to the drobo, using the official apple method from the lacie external drive (USB2) to the drobo, connected via a Firewire 400 to 800 adaptor cable. (A shame the drobo doesn't have an adaptor as a throw in). It took about 2hrs to complete c. 125Gb of file transfer. I don't know exactly how long it took, I was out.

 

I can't hear the drives, except for a vague click when they start up (WD Green Power 500GB), but I can hear when the fan kicks in, which is acceptable when there's some background noise. The drobo is in the study with the macmini, but it's also a spare bedroom. That means I'll have to do something about all the lights, which are too bright and not defeatable, and the fan which takes some time to stop after a the drobo has been used for a few hours. The way I have the drobo positioned, on a high shelf, I can't see the lights unless I go look for them. I'm not really convinced of their utility, the drobo dasboard is more descreet.

 

Apart from that, I feel happier knowing I have some protection against disk failure. I know I haven't got protection afrom drobo failure, tho!

 

cheers

 

Peter

 

 

 

[Innertuber]

I like the Drobo lights! Silly me.