DroboPro - "RAID without Regrets"

Introducing DroboPro, the first business class storage array that manages itself. Engineered to be both simple and scalable, the revolutionary BeyondRAID technology incorporated into DroboPro frees businesses of making the difficult and confining choices commonly associated with storage management. Why trade simplicity for safety, or stability for expandability? DroboPro delivers both enterprise-level data safety and unprecedented expandability, featuring single and dual disk redundancy combined with instant capacity expansion. Once you experience DroboPro, you just might forget the differences between all eleven traditional RAID levels. If you do, donÔÇÖt panic. YouÔÇÖre experiencing the peace of mind that comes with every Drobo product.

BeyondRAID Technology

Every Drobo product comes with the revolutionary BeyondRAID storage technology ÔÇö the next generation of redundant disk protection. BeyondRAID will not only keep your data safe, but also will increase uptime and availability. BeyondRAID technology offers several improvements over traditional RAID-based storage systems, including the flexibility to replace failed disks, increase capacity and with a single click switch between single and dual disk redundancy all without costly downtime.

Key features of BeyondRAID include:

• Data protection against two simultaneous hard disk failures
• Instant capacity expansion without downtime
• Self-management
• Automatic healing

Up to 8 Disks of Instant Expansion to 16TB and Beyond

Grow your storage in line with your data capacity needs with minimal effort. To add capacity, simply insert a new hard disk or replace your smallest disk with a larger one, even when all eight disk bays are full. Unlike traditional RAID systems, the BeyondRAID technology found in DroboPro enables you to mix nÔÇÖ match disk brands, capacities and speeds. This allows continuous expansion as disk capacities grow. With DroboPro expansion is automatic, instantaneous and access to data is always maintained.

No Headache Dual Disk Redundancy

Enable the Dual Disk Redundancy option to protect against the simultaneous failure of up to two hard disks. ItÔÇÖs all done with a single click, without ever losing access to your data. Running out of space? You can even switch back to single disk redundancy with a click. For instance, unlike moving between RAID 5 and RAID 6, thereÔÇÖs no need to reformat or migrate data off of the array, potentially saving you hours or days.

Triple Interface Featuring iSCSI

Attach DroboPro directly to the server or workstation that requires storage or to a shared server or workstation on your network that can provide access to multiple clients. Interface options include:

• iSCSI (utilizes Gigabit Ethernet)
• FireWire 800
• Hi-Speed USB 2.0

Unfamiliar with iSCSI? ItÔÇÖs a high performance protocol that has become extremely popular with businesses, but it can often be complex to manage. DroboPro changes that by introducing zero click iSCSI connection establishment for both Windows and OS X.

The Virtues of Smart Volumes

Create new volumes in seconds and manage up to 16 x 16TB volumes over time with ease. The innovative and timesaving Smart Volume management technology integrated into DroboPro allows volumes to pull storage from the common pool of disks rather than a specific physical disk allocation. The labor of resizing and migrating volumes is replaced with the simplicity of intelligent engineering.

Rack Mount Ready, Desktop Quiet

DroboPro is equally at home in a rack mount environment as it is on your desktop. Dual smart fans automatically manage their speeds to optimize both cooling and operating noise. (DroboPro Rack Mount sold separately.)

Technology Specifications.

http://drobo.com/products/drobopro/

DroboPro Product Specifications

Disk Interface

• Eight-bay capacity
• 3.5" SATA I or SATA II hard disk drives
• No carriers required
• Mix and match capacities, disk brands and speeds

Operating System Support

• Windows 2008 Server
• Windows 2003 Server
• Windows XP (Service Pack 3)
• Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
• Mac OS X 10.4.11 and greater
• Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 or greater
• (Mac OS X 10.5.6 or greater recommended for optimal iSCSI performance and reliability)
• Linux using EXT3??

File System Options

• Windows: NTFS
• Mac OS X: HFS+
• Cross-Platform: FAT32
• Linux: EXT3