Drobo B800i User manual

Getting Started Guide
Drobo Model B800i

drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo B800i | 1
Data Robotics, Inc. supports lawful use of technology and does not endorse or encourage
the use of its products for purposes other than those permitted by copyright law.
Copyright 2011 Data Robotics, Inc. Data Robotics, Drobo, DroboShare, DroboPro,
DroboElite and BeyondRAID are trademarks of Data Robotics, Inc., which may be
registered in some jurisdictions. All other trademarks used are the property of their
respective owners.
Information supplied by Data Robotics, Inc. is believed to be accurate and reliable at
the time of printing, but Data Robotics, Inc. assumes no responsibility for any errors that
may appear in this document. Data Robotics, Inc. reserves the right, without notice,
to make changes in product design or specifications. Information is subject to change
without notice.
Data Robotics, Inc., 1705 Wyatt Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054, U.S.A.
For more info, visit: http://www.drobo.com
Part # 070-00036-002
Rev 02

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Table of Contents
BEFORE YOU BEGIN 3
Checking Box Contents 3
Drobo Model B800i 3
Checking System Requirements 3
Operating Systems Supported for Drobo Model B800i 3
Cable Interfaces Supported 4
Checking the Hardware You Need 5
Selecting Hard Drives 5
Determining How Much Hard Drive Space You Need 6
Using a Router or Switch 6
Using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) or Power Surge Protector 6
SETTING UP IN JUST A FEW STEPS! 7
Installing Drobo Dashboard 8
Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Resource CD 8
Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Website 11
Inserting the Hard Drives 11
Connecting the Cables with USB and Turning On Your Drobo Device 13
Connecting to Your Computer 13
Connecting to a Power Source 13
Turning On Your Drobo Device 14
Setting the Administrator Username and Password 15
Setting Up Your Drobo B800i for iSCSI 16
Configuring iSCSI Settings 19
Connecting Cables with iSCSI 20
Formatting the Drives into Volumes 22
Selecting a File System and Volume Size 22
Creating Volumes 24
Adding the Drobo to Your Virtual Environment 28
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE 29
Using Best Practices 29
Keeping Your Software Up to Date 29
Safely Shutting Down Your Drobo 31
Safely Shutting Down your Drobo Device Using Drobo Dashboard 31
Safely Shutting Down your Drobo Device Manually 32
Using the Online User Guide 33
Using Context-Sensitive Help 33
Using the Knowledge Base 33
Getting Support 33
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SETUP 34
INDEX 38

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Before You Begin
Congratulations on your new Drobo! This Getting Started Guide will help you get your Drobo
set up in just a few steps. Before you begin, it’s a good idea to check your system and
hardware requirements. In this chapter, you will:
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Checking Box Contents
Check your product’s box to ensure it contains all the components listed below.
Drobo Model B800i
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Checking System Requirements
Check to ensure your operating system and cable interface are supported.
Operating Systems Supported for Drobo Model B800i
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Notes:
- For best performance, ensure you are running the latest service packs for the
appropriate Windows operating systems.
- For the most current list of supported operating systems, you can check the
specifications for your product online www.drobo.com/products/index.php.

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Cable Interfaces Supported
Your Drobo uses the following two types of ports.
Note: Only the USB cable interface or the iSCSI (Ethernet) cable interface can be used
at any one time. If both are plugged in, only the USB interface will be active.
USB 2.0
USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a popular interface that allows you to attach additional
hardware devices to your computer in a plug-and-play style. On the Drobo B800i, this
connection is used only for initial setup and administrative purposes, after which the
iSCSI (Ethernet) connection is used.
iSCSI (Ethernet)
iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) is an Internet Protocol (IP)-based
networking standard for connecting storage devices to computers. By using a high
performance Ethernet connection, iSCSI can be used over long distances on your
existing network infrastructure. It’s also ideal for high volume data storage traffic and
is designed to be a direct block-level protocol that reads and writes directly to the
storage device.
With two iSCSI ports on the Drobo B800i, you can maximize performance. You can
configure each port to a different network so that both networks have access to the
Drobo B800i. You can also connect one port directly to the host computer and the other
to a network via a router.
With iSCSI, you have the flexibility to set up your Drobo B800i in one of three
configurations: directly connecting it to the host computer (for best performance),
connecting it to a switch in which another Ethernet port on the switch is connected
to the host computer, or connecting it to a switch (or router) in which another
Ethernet port on the switch (or router) is connected to your network. For the latter two
configurations, you will need to manually set IP addresses for the ports. You will do this
during the setup process. See “Setting Up in Just a Few Steps!” on page 7 for more
information.

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Notes:
- Drobo B800i’s iSCSI connection supports gigabit Ethernet connections (1000 Mbit/s)
for optimal performance. Although your Drobo B800i will auto-negotiate the highest
connection speed available to your computer, router or switch, iSCSI is designed for
higher speeds and does not perform as well at slower speeds.
- You can purchase an add-on gigabit Ethernet adapter card for your computer if
needed. Note, however, that a regular network adapter card is required, as Data
Robotics, Inc., does not support iSCSI-specific cards, or HBA (host bus adapter)
cards.
Checking the Hardware You Need
To use your Drobo B800i, you’ll need at least two hard drives. If you plan to use Dual Disk
Redundancy, which protects your data against two hard drive failures, you will need at least
three hard drives.
Note: For the Drobo B800i, we recommend that you use at least five 1TB, high-
performance drives. This provides more data drives, better striping performance
(especially with DDR enabled), and also helps distribute loads more effectively.
Tip: For even better performance, we recommend five 2TB SATA drives.
This section helps you:
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ensure your data is protected
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Selecting Hard Drives
You can use hard drives from any manufacturer and with any capacity (the space available
on the hard drive) with your Drobo device.
All Drobo devices support standard 3.5” internal SATA drives. If you are unsure, ask your
administrator or hard drive retailer or manufacturer to verify that your hard drives meet this
standard.
Drobo devices are not compatible with SSD, IDE, SCSI or PATA hard drives.
Warning: Any pre-existing data on the drives will be erased during installation.

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Determining How Much Hard Drive Space You Need
In order to protect your data from hard drive failure, your Drobo device requires more space than
what you will use for your data, sometimes as much as double or more the 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 http://www.drobo.com/resources/calculator.php.
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 is often less than what is shown in the examples above due to the
different systems used for rating capacity. This has nothing to do with Drobo devices.
- Know that all Drobo devices enable you to easily increase storage capacity at any
time by simply inserting additional drives or replacing smaller drives with larger ones.
Using a Router or Switch
If you are connecting a Drobo B800i to a router or switch, your router or switch needs to
support gigabit Ethernet connections (1000 Mbit/s) for optimal performance. Although your
Drobo B800i will auto-negotiate the highest connection speed available to your router or
switch, iSCSI does not perform well at slower speeds.
Using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) or Power Surge Protector
We highly recommend you plug your Drobo device into an uninterruptible power supply
(UPS), which protects against sudden losses in power as well as power surges. We also
recommend a power surge protector, although this only protects against power surges.
# Drives
4
5
5
3TB + 3TB + 3TB +3TB
250GB + 250GB + 500GB + 500GB + 750GB
250GB + 500GB + 750GB + 1TB + 2TB
= 6TB
= 1TB
= 1.5TB
Drive Capacities Usable Protected Capacity*
# Drives
3
4
4
3TB + 3TB + 3TB
250GB + 250GB + 500GB + 750GB
250GB + 500GB + 1TB +2TB
= 6TB
= 1TB
= 1TB, 750GB
Drive Capacities Usable Protected Capacity*

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Setting Up in Just a Few Steps!
Once you have unpacked your Drobo device from its box and ensured you meet all system
and hardware requirements, it’s time to set up your Drobo B800i for use. This can be done in
just a few steps.
1. Install Drobo Dashboard.
2. Insert the hard drives.
3. Connect the cables with USB and power on your Drobo device.
Note: The USB connection is used for the initial setup and for administrative
purposes only.
4. Set the administrator username and password.
5. Configure iSCSI settings.
Note: This is required if you will be connecting your Drobo B800i to a router or
switch via its iSCSI connection(s), or if you plan to use your Drobo B800i in a multi-
host, virtual environment.
6. Safely power down and then connect the cables with iSCSI (Ethernet).
7. Format the drives into volumes, or Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs).
8. If you plan to use your Drobo B800i in a multi-host, virtual environment, you then
also need to add the Drobo B800i as storage to the virtual machine (VM) using your
virtualization software.
Note: For more information on connecting with USB and iSCSI, see “Cable
Interfaces Supported” on page 4.

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Installing Drobo Dashboard
Drobo Dashboard is the software companion to your Drobo device, enabling you to easily
set up and manage your Drobo B800i. You install Drobo Dashboard from the Resource CD
that came with your product. During the installation process, you can set Drobo Dashboard
to automatically install version updates, which we highly recommend.
Drobo software and firmware updates can also be installed from www.drobo.com/support/updates.php.
Important Note: In some cases, the latest version may be released with new
products (on a Resource CD) for a short period of time before being made available
on the website. Therefore it is best to install from the Resource CD.
Note: You need to have administrator rights on the computer on which you install
Drobo Dashboard.
Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Resource CD
1. Place the Resource CD in your computer’s CD/DVD drive.
Depending on your operating system, one of the following occurs:
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Select this option. The Drobo window appears.
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CDWindow.exe. The Drobo window appears.
2. Double-click the Drobo Dashboard icon.

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3. A dialog box may appear, asking you to select your language from the drop-down list.
After doing so, click the OK button.
The Drobo Dashboard Installation Wizard appears, preparing to install.
4. Click the Next button (Windows) or the Continue button (Macintosh), as appropriate.
Note: If the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator window appears, click the Yes button. Follow
the instructions to install the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, clicking the Next button as
needed. When finished, you are returned to the InstallShield Wizard to continue
installation.
5. Follow the directions of the Installation Wizard, clicking the Next or Continue button
after each page, as appropriate.

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6. When you reach the ready to install page, click the Install button.
Depending on your operating system, one of the following may result:
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appears, asking if you want to allow changes to your computer. Click the Allow or
Yes button, as appropriate.
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and click the appropriate button.
Drobo Dashboard installs on your computer.
7. If you are on a Macintosh, you will be prompted to restart your computer in order to
complete installation. Do this.
8. After installation is complete, leave the Launch Drobo Dashboard check box selected
and click the Finish button.
The Drobo Dashboard application appears. When it launches for the first time, the
Confirm dialog box appears, asking if you would like Drobo to automatically check
for software updates of your Drobo Dashboard and firmware for your Drobo device.
9. We strongly recommend that you click the Yes button.
Afterwards, the All Devices page displays in Drobo Dashboard. Leave Drobo
Dashboard open as you continue with the set up procedures.

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Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Website
You can install Drobo Dashboard from www.drobo.com/support/updates.php. Note,
however, that the latest version may be released with new products (on a Resource CD) for
a short period of time before being made available on this website.
1. Using your browser on an active Internet connection, navigate to
www.drobo.com/support/updates.php.
2. Locate the link for the latest Drobo Dashboard software and click on it.
3. If you’re given a choice to install (or run) Drobo Dashboard or save the installation
file to your computer, choose to save the file to your computer. Locate the file
and double-click on it to begin installation. (You can delete the installation file
afterwards.)
4. If warning messages appear, asking if you’re sure you want to open and/or install
the file or program, click the OK or Run button, as appropriate, to continue with the
installation.
5. A dialog box may appear, asking you to select your language from the drop-down list.
After doing so, click the OK button.
The Drobo Dashboard Installation Wizard appears, preparing to install.
6. Continue with the installation process, following from step 4 in the “Installing Drobo
Dashboard from the Resource CD” section.
Inserting the Hard Drives
After installing Drobo Dashboard, you are ready to insert hard drives into your Drobo B800i.
For more information on hard drive requirements, see “Checking the Hardware You Need”
on page 5.
Warning: Any pre-existing data on the hard drives will be erased, as the drives will
be formatted. If you wish to keep the data, copy it to another drive or medium before
using with your Drobo device.
Note: Once you insert the drives into your Drobo device, they function as a unit or
“pack.” To access the data on them, you will need the entire pack.

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1. Remove the face plate from the front of your Drobo B800i by pulling it off.
2. With one hand, hold the hard drive so that its connectors are positioned at the device
and toward the left.
Warning: For optimal performance, keep the Drobo B800i in its normal horizontal
position. If placed on its side, hard drives may disconnect.
3. With your other hand, use your thumb to depress and hold open one of the drive
locks to a selected data bay. Refer to the image below.
4. Slide the hard drive into the data bay, release the drive lock and push the drive into
place until you feel it connect.
The drive lock will snap behind the drive, securing it into place.
5. Insert additional drives in the same manner, following steps 2 through 4.
6. When finished, replace the faceplate right side up, so that when your Drobo device is
turned on, you will be able to see the indicator lights.
You are now ready to connect cables and power on your Drobo device.
Drive Lock Data Bay IndicatorData Bay
Connectors

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Connecting the Cables with USB and Turning On Your Drobo
Device
After installing Drobo Dashboard and inserting the hard drives into your Drobo B800i, you
are ready to connect the cables. You will first connect your Drobo B800i to a host computer
using your USB connection for the initial, administrative setup only—regardless of how
you plan to use your Drobo B800i. After the initial setup, you can use your Drobo B800i with
iSCSI, and also implement its use in a multi-host, virtual environment if desired.
Note: Only the USB cable interface or the iSCSI (Ethernet) cable interface can be
used at any one time. If both are plugged in, only the USB interface will be active.
As you follow the steps, refer to the image below, which shows the back of a Drobo B800i.
Connecting to Your Computer
1. Plug one end of the USB cable into the back of your Drobo B800i.
2. Plug the other end into a host computer.
Connecting to a Power Source
1. Connect the power supply to the power connection at the back of your Drobo device.
2. Connect the other end of the power supply to a power source.
Note: We recommend plugging into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or surge
protector. For more information, see “Using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
or Power Surge Protector” on page 6.
You are now ready to turn on your Drobo device.
Power Toggle Button
PowerUSB 2.0
(Administration Only)
iSCSI

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Turning On Your Drobo Device
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back of your Drobo device once.
Your Drobo device powers on and displays in Drobo Dashboard, as follows.
The next step is to set the administrator username and password for your Drobo
B800i.
Tip: If you would like to see how your drive space is being used, double-click
your Drobo FS/B800fs on the All Devices page, and then on the Capacity and
Tools page, click the View Usage button in the upper right corner.

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Setting the Administrator Username and Password
Follow these steps while still connected to the Drobo B800i via the USB cable.
1. In Drobo Dashboard, double-click your Drobo B800i on the All Devices page.
The Capacity and Tools page appears.
2. Click the link that reads: Click here to password protect this Drobo device.
The Admin Settings page appears.
3. Ensure that the Enable administrative password protection check box is selected.
4. In the Username text box, enter a username for the administrator.
5. In the Password text box, enter a password for the administrator.
6. In the Confirm Password text box, re-enter the password you just typed.
7. Click the OK button.
You are returned to the previous page and a Login link displays at the top.
8. Click the Login link to log in to this Drobo device with the username and password
you just created.
9. In the Username text box, enter the administrator’s username.

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10. In the Password text box, enter the administrator’s password.
11. Click the OK button.
Your username and password is set up and you are logged in to this Drobo B800i.
Setting Up Your Drobo B800i for iSCSI
Before you can use your Drobo B800i with iSCSI (Ethernet), you need to configure your
Drobo B800i’s iSCSI settings while still connected via the USB cable.
iSCSI settings include IP addresses for the two iSCSI ports available on your Drobo B800i, as
well as the related subnet mask and default gateway information. iSCSI settings also include
the ability to modify the Maximum Transfer Unit (MTU) for each port, which is the maximum
number of bytes that can be transferred at a time, in one frame.
You can modify the MTU settings in order to support the use of jumbo frames. Jumbo frames
are those that maintain data transfer rates of more than 1,500 bytes per frame, and can
carry up to 9,000 bytes per frame. Use of jumbo frames minimizes transaction loads, and can
dramatically improve network performance by raising effective bandwidth.
Note: If you use jumbo frames, ensure that the frame size (in bytes) that you enter
for the MTU is supported by your computer and router or switch. There needs to be
end-to-end matching of MTU settings, from the Drobo B800i to your switch or router
to your host computer.
With two iSCSI ports on the Drobo B800i, you can configure each port to a different network
so that both networks have access to the Drobo B800i. You can also connect one port
directly to the host computer and the other to a network via a router.

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Configuration Options
What iSCSI settings you configure depend on how you plan to set up your Drobo B800i. With
iSCSI, you have the option to set up your Drobo B800i in one of three general configurations.
1. Directly connect your Drobo B800i via one of its iSCSI (Ethernet) ports to your
computer’s Ethernet port for optimal performance.
In this configuration, you do not need to set a static IP address for that port. Unless
you would like to do so, or you would like to modify the MTU settings, you can skip
this section and continue with “Connecting Cables with iSCSI” on page 20.
2. Connect your Drobo B800i via one of its iSCSI (Ethernet) ports to a switch in
which another Ethernet port on the switch is connected to your computer. In this
configuration, you will need to manually set IP addresses for your Drobo B800i.
Notes:
- You can connect multiple Drobo B800is to the same switch provided the Drobo
B800is and the host computer are on the same subnet and each Drobo B800i has a
unique static IP address assigned to it.
- Connecting in this way may impact performance.

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For this configuration, after reading this section, see the following steps in
“Configuring iSCSI Settings” on page 19.
3. Connect your Drobo B800i via one of its iSCSI (Ethernet) ports to a switch (or router)
in which another Ethernet port on the switch (or router) is connected to your
network. In this configuration, you will need to manually set IP addresses for your
Drobo B800i.
Note: In this arrangement, your Drobo B800i can impact network performance, and
performance of your Drobo B800i may be affected by network traffic.
For this configuration, after reading this section, see the following steps in
“Configuring iSCSI Settings” on page 19.
Notes:
- Drobo B800i supports gigabit Ethernet connections (1000 Mbit/s) for optimal
performance of iSCSI. Although your Drobo B800i will auto-negotiate the highest
connection speed available to your computer, router or switch, iSCSI does not
perform well at slower speeds.
- You can purchase an add-on gigabit Ethernet adapter card for your computer if
needed. Note, however, that a regular adapter network card is required, as Data
Robotics, Inc., does not support iSCSI-specific cards, or HBA (host bus adapter)
cards.
- If you experience trouble with the following setup steps (such as everything
appearing fine, but Drobo Dashboard is not discovering the Drobo B800i, for
example), check to ensure your operating system’s firewall is set to allow inbound
and outbound network connections for the Drobo Dashboard application. In other
words, check to ensure your firewall allows executable and related files from
Drobo Dashboard to pass through.

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Configuring iSCSI Settings
1. Once the connection between your Drobo B800i and host computer has been
established via your USB connection, your Drobo B800i appears in Drobo Dashboard
on the All Devices page as follows.
2. To manually assign IP addresses and modify other iSCSI settings, first click the
Settings option on the Navigation menu, and click Network.
The Network (iSCSI) Settings page appears.
3. In the iSCSI 1 area, change the settings for the first iSCSI port as needed.