I need a big drive with backup features - Page 6

Mark · 04-08-2008, 15:13

I'd hang one off my existing fileserver so wouldn't need the Ethernet add-on anyway (though doing it that way would probably be slower).. Actually, I could utilise another to replace the five disks currently hanging off my media PC as well.

I believe the Drobo itself doesn't understand anything about filesystems - consider it a (very) smart disk enclosure. The ethernet box does actually do useful stuff like filesystem management, but whether that's worth £150, I'm not sure.

Daz · 04-08-2008, 15:27

At at guess, to be that clever it must do thin provisioning, and to support that they must only support a selection of filesystems, so to that extent it must know something about them (ie, what's on it and what particular version/revision). Would only be a problem if you aren't looking at using the usual suspects though I'd imagine.

Mark · 04-08-2008, 17:13

Actually, I'd not even thought of filesystem resizing. That's a fair point then.

Thin provisioning? No idea what means, but it's easy to confirm support for it.

Usual suspects confirmed too - NTFS (Windows), HFS+ (Mac OS X), EXT3 (Linux) or FAT32 (Various).

Daz · 04-08-2008, 17:18

Over-committing storage. If say you have a couple of 1TB disks, but you want to easily expand that in the future, the controller presents a much larger volume (or pool depending on your vendor) to the OS - say 16TB. Hot adding space to the backend doesn't require and changes on the OS - it doesn't even know the space isn't there in the first place.

It creates it's own problems and has to be managed well, but it's quite a good way of managing storage. The big sell for the enterprise is better economy on your disk usage - free space is available to anyone that wants it, rather than potentially not being used while statically configured to a host.

Del Lardo · 04-08-2008, 17:30

I've been reading up on the Drobo this afternoon and it seems that the performance isn't anywhere near as good as the Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ I currently run.

Over wired gigeth write speed was a mere 6MB/sec and read ~10MB/sec.

Maybe not the solution for me.

petemc · 04-08-2008, 18:52

Typical, you all want Drobos now

I want my own personal Cali Lewis to pet my Drobo when its poorly. She can also manage my data too if she likes. So anyway I ordered the 1tb Time Capsule and a 1tb usb drive. Annoyingly I just noticed that my MBP has a firewire 800 port and there is a 1tb fw800 drive by WD around but no-one outside of Play had it in stock and I don't really want to wait till the end of this week to sort this issue. Tomorrow, assuming it arrives tomorrow, is going to be a long long dull day transfering files.

Mark · 04-08-2008, 19:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daz

Over-committing storage...

Aye. Now I've done some reading around Drobo presents 2TB storage pools to the OS by default (you can configure this). The upshot of this is the OS never knows how much free space there is (only how much used space). If you go over the pool size it creates another pool.

Pete, how do you expect to attract Cali Lewis's attentions when you're not even buying a Drobo.

petemc · 04-08-2008, 19:12

Well, this thread will be googleable I bet. Thats a start

How completely random. A guy on Flickr called "Boat Drinks" with Cali Lewis in his contact list.

Mark · 04-08-2008, 22:46

So then, a self-confessed female Mac Geek. I can see why now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by About Cali Lewis

I'm Female and Taken.

Apologies for shattering your dreams.

petemc · 04-08-2008, 22:48

There'll be another. I've found 2 recently so there must be a 3rd

04-08-2008, 15:27	#52
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	At at guess, to be that clever it must do thin provisioning, and to support that they must only support a selection of filesystems, so to that extent it must know something about them (ie, what's on it and what particular version/revision). Would only be a problem if you aren't looking at using the usual suspects though I'd imagine. __________________ apt-get moo

04-08-2008, 17:13	#53
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	Actually, I'd not even thought of filesystem resizing. That's a fair point then. Thin provisioning? No idea what means, but it's easy to confirm support for it. Usual suspects confirmed too - NTFS (Windows), HFS+ (Mac OS X), EXT3 (Linux) or FAT32 (Various). Last edited by Mark; 04-08-2008 at 17:16.

04-08-2008, 17:18	#54
Daz The Stig Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Swad! Posts: 10,713	Over-committing storage. If say you have a couple of 1TB disks, but you want to easily expand that in the future, the controller presents a much larger volume (or pool depending on your vendor) to the OS - say 16TB. Hot adding space to the backend doesn't require and changes on the OS - it doesn't even know the space isn't there in the first place. It creates it's own problems and has to be managed well, but it's quite a good way of managing storage. The big sell for the enterprise is better economy on your disk usage - free space is available to anyone that wants it, rather than potentially not being used while statically configured to a host. __________________ apt-get moo

04-08-2008, 18:52	#56
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Typical, you all want Drobos now I want my own personal Cali Lewis to pet my Drobo when its poorly. She can also manage my data too if she likes. So anyway I ordered the 1tb Time Capsule and a 1tb usb drive. Annoyingly I just noticed that my MBP has a firewire 800 port and there is a 1tb fw800 drive by WD around but no-one outside of Play had it in stock and I don't really want to wait till the end of this week to sort this issue. Tomorrow, assuming it arrives tomorrow, is going to be a long long dull day transfering files. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

04-08-2008, 19:12	#58
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	Well, this thread will be googleable I bet. Thats a start How completely random. A guy on Flickr called "Boat Drinks" with Cali Lewis in his contact list. __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!

04-08-2008, 15:13	#51
Mark Screaming Orgasm Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newbury Posts: 15,194	I'd hang one off my existing fileserver so wouldn't need the Ethernet add-on anyway (though doing it that way would probably be slower).. Actually, I could utilise another to replace the five disks currently hanging off my media PC as well. I believe the Drobo itself doesn't understand anything about filesystems - consider it a (very) smart disk enclosure. The ethernet box does actually do useful stuff like filesystem management, but whether that's worth £150, I'm not sure.

04-08-2008, 17:30	#55
Del Lardo Absinthe Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cambridge Posts: 2,539	I've been reading up on the Drobo this afternoon and it seems that the performance isn't anywhere near as good as the Netgear ReadyNAS NV+ I currently run. Over wired gigeth write speed was a mere 6MB/sec and read ~10MB/sec. Maybe not the solution for me.

04-08-2008, 22:48	#60
petemc Moonshine Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nr Liverpewl Posts: 4,371	There'll be another. I've found 2 recently so there must be a 3rd __________________ Thats no hamster, its a space station!