Drobo 8D User manual

Drobo 8D User Guide

Drobo 8D User Guide 2
1Drobo 8D User Guide.........................................................................................................6
1.1 Before You Begin........................................................................................................7
1.1.1 Product Features at a Glance...............................................................................8
1.1.2 Checking Box Contents ........................................................................................9
1.1.3 Checking System Requirements ........................................................................10
1.1.3.1 Operating Systems Supported....................................................................11
1.1.3.2 Connectivity Interfaces Supported for Drobo 8D.......................................12
1.1.4 Checking the Hardware You Need.....................................................................13
1.1.4.1 Selecting Drives ..........................................................................................14
1.1.4.2 Determining Drive Space Requirements ....................................................16
1.1.4.3 Using Power Protection..............................................................................17
1.2 Setting Up the Drobo 8D..........................................................................................18
1.2.1 Migrating a Disk Pack from Another Drobo Device...........................................19
1.2.2 Inserting Drives ..................................................................................................21
1.2.3 Connecting Cables on the Drobo 8D..................................................................23
1.2.3.1 Connecting Directly to the Drobo 8D .........................................................24
1.2.3.2 Connecting the Drobo in a Daisy Chain......................................................25
1.2.4 Powering On the Drobo 8D................................................................................27
1.2.5 Downloading and Installing Drobo Dashboard..................................................28
1.2.5.1 Installing Drobo Dashboard on Apple Mac™..............................................29
1.2.6 Registering the Drobo 8D...................................................................................37
1.2.7 Initializing and Updating the Drobo 8D to the Latest Firmware .......................40
1.2.8 Formatting the Drives of Drobo 8D ...................................................................43

Drobo 8D User Guide 3
1.2.8.1 Turning On the Drobo 8D and Formatting the Drives................................44
1.2.8.2 Selecting a File System and Volume Size for the Drobo 8D .......................48
1.3 Where To Go Next ...................................................................................................49
1.3.1 Using Best Practices for Protecting Data ...........................................................50
1.3.2 Using the Online User Guide..............................................................................51
1.3.3 Using Context-Sensitive Help.............................................................................52
1.3.4 Using Knowledge Base.......................................................................................53
1.3.5 Registering the Drobo 8D...................................................................................54
1.3.6 Getting Support..................................................................................................57
1.4 Using and Managing the Drobo 8D..........................................................................58
1.4.1 Using Drobo Dashboard.....................................................................................59
1.4.1.1 Downloading and Installing Drobo Dashboard ..........................................60
Installing Drobo Dashboard on Apple Mac™ .........................................61
1.4.1.2 Keeping Your Software Up to Date.............................................................69
Checking for Software Updates .............................................................70
Manually Updating Firmware from Drobo Website ..............................71
1.4.1.3 Touring Drobo Dashboard ..........................................................................72
1.4.2 Renaming the Drobo 8D ....................................................................................76
1.4.3 Formatting the Drobo 8D...................................................................................77
1.4.4 Safely Shutting Down the Drobo 8D ..................................................................80
1.4.4.1 Safely Shutting Down the Drobo 8D Using Drobo Dashboard ...................81
1.4.5 Resetting the Drobo 8D .....................................................................................83
1.4.6 Blinking Lights to Test Connectivity...................................................................84

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1.4.7 Enabling or Disabling Menu Bar.........................................................................85
1.5 Modifying Device Settings for Drobo 8D .................................................................86
1.5.1 Enabling or Disabling Dual Disk Redundancy.....................................................87
1.5.2 Enabling the Disk Drive Spin Down Time...........................................................89
1.5.3 Dimming the Lights on Drobo 8D.......................................................................90
1.6 Managing Capacity (Drive Space) ............................................................................91
1.6.1 Calculating Capacity to Use................................................................................92
1.6.2 Adding Drives .....................................................................................................93
1.6.3 Removing Drives ................................................................................................95
1.6.4 Inserting a back slot SSD ....................................................................................97
1.6.5 Removing a back slot SSD ................................................................................100
1.7 Checking Storage Usage and Device Status Information.......................................101
1.7.1 Checking Storage Usage...................................................................................102
1.7.1.1 Viewing Capacity Chart.............................................................................103
1.7.1.2 Viewing Storage Usage .............................................................................105
1.7.2 Checking the Status of Drobo 8D.....................................................................107
1.7.3 Checking the Drobo 8D's Serial Number .........................................................109
1.7.4 Checking the Drobo 8D's Firmware Version....................................................110
1.7.5 Checking the Current Version of Drobo Dashboard ........................................111
1.7.6 Checking System Information..........................................................................112
1.7.7 Checking Drive Information .............................................................................114
1.7.8 Checking Performance Information.................................................................116
1.7.9 Getting Diagnostics on Drobo 8D ....................................................................117

Drobo 8D User Guide 5
1.7.10 Understanding the Indicator Lights .................................................................120
1.8 Using On-Screen and E-mail Alerts ........................................................................122
1.8.1 Setting Up or Modifying E-mail Alerts .............................................................123
1.8.2 Modifying When to Send E-mail Alerts............................................................128
1.8.3 Disabling E-mail Alerts .....................................................................................130
1.8.4 Modifying When to Send On-Screen Alerts.....................................................131
1.8.5 Disabling On-Screen Alerts ..............................................................................133
1.9 Using Backup Volume with the Drobo 8D .............................................................134
1.10 Intelligent Volume Management...........................................................................137

Drobo 8D User Guide 6
1Drobo 8D User Guide
Congratulations on your new Drobo!
This Getting Started section will help you get the Drobo 8D set up and running in just a few steps.
Related topics:
Before You Begin
Setting Up the Drobo 8D
Where to Go Next
Note:
To access the full selection of help topics, click on the folders on the Contents page in the
left window pane of this online user guide.

Drobo 8D User Guide 7
1.1 Before You Begin
Before you begin setting up the Drobo 8D, it’s a good idea to check system and hardware
requirements.
Related topics:
Product Features at a Glance
Checking Box Contents
Checking System Requirements
Checking the Hardware You Need

Drobo 8D User Guide 8
1.1.1 Product Features at a Glance
For a quick overview of features of the Drobo 8D, refer to the following images.
Figure 1: Front of the Drobo 8D with the bezel (faceplate) removed.
Figure 2: Back of the Drobo 8D
Related topic:
Before You Begin

Drobo 8D User Guide 9
1.1.2 Checking Box Contents
Check your product's box to ensure it contains all the components in the list below.
●Drobo 8D
●1 m Thunderbolt 3 cable (20GB/s)
●1.8 m power cord with power supply
●Quick Start Card
●Safety and Warranty Guide
Notes:
To connect Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 devices to Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, you
must have a Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
You can purchase it from here: Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter
Drobo 8D supports only Apple Adapter.

Drobo 8D User Guide 10
1.1.3 Checking System Requirements
Check to ensure your operating system and cable interface are supported.
Related topics:
Operating Systems Supported
Connectivity Interfaces Supported for Drobo 8D

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1.1.3.1 Operating Systems Supported
For the most current list of supported operating systems, check the specifications for your products
online at www.drobo.com/products/index.php.
Related topics:
Connectivity Interfaces Supported for the Drobo 8D
Before You Begin

Drobo 8D User Guide 12
1.1.3.2 Connectivity Interfaces Supported for Drobo 8D
Drobo 8D connects directly to your Apple Mac™ using Thunderbolt 3 interface. 8D has two
Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Figure 1: Back of the Drobo 8D
Notes:
Drobo provides Thunderbolt 3 cable with 8D. Depending on the model of your Apple Mac™,
you may have to buy a Thunderbolt 3 to 2 adapter.
User with a 4 port MacBook Pro is recommended to use the left hand Thunderbolt port to
obtain best performance.
Thunderbolt 3
The Drobo 8D has two Thunderbolt ports, enabling you to take advantage of Thunderbolt's daisy-
chaining capabilities. With Thunderbolt, you can daisy-chain up to six peripheral devices from a
single Apple Mac™. Note that because Thunderbolt has dual-protocol support (with DisplayPort and
PCI Express), you can connect the Drobo to Thunderbolt devices or DisplayPort products. You can
also connect non-Thunderbolt devices at the end of a daisy-chain by using Thunderbolt technology
adapters.
Here is the illustrative examples of the Drobo 8D in a daisy-chain:
There are two options for connecting 8D using its Thunderbolt interface.

Drobo 8D User Guide 13
Note:
It is recommended to check the limitations of Daisy Chain before connecting the device in
a daisy-chain.
1. 8D directly connected to Apple Mac™ (with no daisy-chain).
2. Multiple Drobo devices connected in a chain with a DisplayPort monitor at the end.
1.1.4 Checking the Hardware You Need
To use the Drobo 8D, you will need at least two drives. If you plan to use Dual Disk Redundancy,
which protects your data against two simultaneous drive failures, you will need at least three drives.
Related topics:
Selecting Drives
Determining Drive Space Requirements
Using Power Protection

Drobo 8D User Guide 14
1.1.4.1 Selecting Drives
The Drobo 8D supports both standard 3.5” SATA hard disk drives (HDDs) as well as SATA solid state
drives (SSDs) for added performance. For HDDs, these drives can be from any manufacturer and with
any capacity. For a complete list of recommended drives, please visit our web page for compatible
drive options.
In addition, the Drobo 8D has a Drobo Accelerator Bay, which accepts an industry-standard SSD.
When the back slot SSD is installed, Drobo’s Data-Aware Caching feature is enabled, accelerating
performance when reading data from the Drobo device. Having a back slot SSD installed leaves all
drive bays available for high-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs) so that you can get both high-capacity
and accelerated performance out of the Drobo device.
Alternatively,using 7200 RPM HDDs in the main drive bays of the Drobo 8D along with an SSD in the
back slot provides fast performance when reading data to and from the Drobo.
Note that you need at least two drives in the drive bays to ensure your data is protected in the event
of drive failure.
Important Notes:
If an incompatible SSD is inserted into the Drobo device, the drive light will blink red,
indicating the need to replace that drive. In the back slot HDDs are NOT supported.
Please refer to our web page on compatible drive options for more information.
The back slot SSD is not part of the disk pack of the Drobo 8D, allowing you to leave it
installed even if you transfer drives from the drive bays to another Drobo device.
SSDs that require 12v are only compatible with the front slots with a converter dock
To achieve better performance, we recommend to use 7200 RPM Seagate Barracuda Pros
or WD Blacks drives in your device.
The Drobo 8D is not compatible with IDE, SCSI, PATA or SAS drives.
The Drobo 8D supports migrating entire disk packs from a Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo
5C, Drobo Gen3, Drobo 5D or Drobo S, preserving its data. For more information, and to
ensure a safe and successful migration of the drives, carefully follow the instructions in
Migrating a Disk Pack from Another Drobo Device.
Warning:
Any pre-existing data on the drives will be erased while formatting or resetting the Drobo
8D.

Drobo 8D User Guide 15
Related topics:
Determining Drive Space Requirements
Checking the Hardware You Need

Drobo 8D User Guide 16
1.1.4.2 Determining Drive Space Requirements
In order to protect your data from drive failure, the Drobo 8D requires more space than what you
will use for your data- double or more amount of space.
The best way to determine how much usable, protected storage space you will have available for
your data, based on the number and capacity of your drives, is to use our Capacity Calculator at
www.drobo.com/calculator.
A shortcut to estimating the capacity available for your data is to omit the largest drive and then add
the capacity of the remaining drives. If you plan to use Dual Disk Redundancy, omit the largest two
drives. For example:
Single Disk (Default) Redundancy
Dual Disk Redundancy
Notes:
Actual capacity may vary from the value shown in the above example due to different
systems used for rating capacity. This has nothing to do with Drobo devices.
All the Drobo devices enable you to easily increase storage capacity at any time by simply
inserting additional drives or replacing smaller drives with larger ones.
Related topics:
Selecting Drives
Managing Capacity (Drive space)
Checking the Hardware You Need
Using Power Protection

Drobo 8D User Guide 17
1.1.4.3 Using Power Protection
Drobo device has an internal battery to protect critical data during sudden or unexpected power
failures. The device will shutdown without any loss of data, so UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is
not required.
We recommend using the following power protection with the Drobo device:
●A power surge protector to protect against power surges
Related topic:
Checking the Hardware You Need

Drobo 8D User Guide 18
1.2 Setting Up the Drobo 8D
Once you have unpacked the Drobo 8D from its box and ensured you meet all system and hardware
requirements, it is time to set up the Drobo 8D for use. This can be done in just a few easy steps!
1. Migrating a Disk Pack from Another Drobo Device
2. Inserting Drives
3. Connecting Cables on Your Drobo 8D
4. Power on the Drobo 8D
5. Downloading and Installing the Drobo Dashboard
6. Registering the Drobo 8D
7. Initializing and Updating the Drobo 8D to the Latest Firmware
8. Formatting the Drives for the Drobo 8D
9. Using Backup Volumes with the Drobo 8D
10. Inserting a back slot SSD (optional)
Note:
The Drobo 8D supports migrating entire disk packs from other devices, preserving its data.
To ensure a safe and successful migration of the drives, carefully follow the instructions in
Migrating a Disk Pack from Another Drobo Device

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1.2.1 Migrating a Disk Pack from Another Drobo
Device
The Drobo 8D supports migrating entire disk packs from another Drobo device to the Drobo 8D,
preserving all the data and volumes you had created. You can also migrate disk packs from one
Drobo 8D to another.
Migration Paths Supported are as shown below:
●From Drobo 5D3 to Drobo 8D is supported
●From Drobo 5D/5Dt to Drobo 8D is supported
●From Drobo 5C to Drobo 8D is supported
●From Drobo Gen3 to Drobo 8D is supported
●From Drobo S to Drobo 8D is supported
Migration Paths Not Supported are as shown below:
●USB and Thunderbolt products cannot be migrated to NAS products or vice versa.
●Migration to Drobo 8D is not supported from Drobo Pro, Drobo Gen1 or Drobo Gen2 devices.
When to use Copy Data?
You can copy the data from Drobo 8D device to another Drobo, if data migration is not supported
between your devices (see above for list of supported devices).
Note:
For information on migration of disk pack see Migrating Your Disk between Drobo Products
Warning:
A disk pack functions as a unit. When you migrate a disk pack, you move ALL the drives
from one Drobo device to another. Only after migration of the disk pack is complete can you
add additional drives to the new Drobo device, one at a time, if desired.
Migration of data to Drobo 8D is a one-way operation. Once you have moved the data to
Drobo 8D, you will not be able to use it on the source Drobo device you are migrating from.
Do not migrate drives when either of the Drobo device is powered on. This can result in
data loss.

Drobo 8D User Guide 20
To ensure a safe and successful migration, carefully follow the steps below.
1. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host Apple Mac™.
See Installing Drobo Dashboard.
2. Ensure that both the devices are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for
updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
To do this:
●Ensure you have set up the Drobo 8D (but without inserting drives) and connected it to your
host Apple Mac™.
●Ensure that the Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo 5C, Drobo Gen3, Drobo 5D or Drobo S (with its
drives) is still connected to the host Apple Mac™.
●In Drobo Dashboard, on the All Drobos page, select the Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo 5C,
Drobo Gen3, Drobo 5D or Drobo S, and then click the Tools option on the Navigation menu.
●In the Software Updates area of the Tools page, click the Check for Updates option.
●If needed, follow the same steps to ensure the Drobo 8D has the latest firmware.
To migrate a disk pack from another Drobo device to Drobo 8D:
1. Safely shut down the Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo 5C, Drobo Gen3, Drobo 5D or Drobo S and
the Drobo 8D. For steps, see Safely Shutting Down the Drobo 8D
2. Remove ALL drives from the Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo 5C, Drobo Gen3, Drobo 5D or Drobo
S and insert ALL drives into the Drobo 8D.
3. Turn the Drobo 8D back on by pressing its power toggle button.
4. The Drobo 8D may take a few minutes to boot up. When finished, all the data and volumes will
be available on the Drobo 8D as it was on the Drobo 5D3, Drobo 5Dt, Drobo 5C, Drobo Gen3, Drobo
5D or Drobo S.
Note:
You can also follow the above steps to migrate a disk pack from one Drobo 8D to another
Drobo 8D.