Drobo Pro User manual

Getting Started Guide
Drobo / DroboPro / Drobo S

drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo / Pro / S | 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 # 070-00043-002
Rev 01

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Table of Contents
BEFORE YOU BEGIN 3
Checking Box Contents 3
Drobo 3
Drobo S 3
DroboPro 3
Checking System Requirements 4
Operating Systems Supported for Drobo/Pro/S 4
Cable Interfaces Supported 4
Checking the Hardware You Need 7
Selecting Hard Drives 7
Determining How Much Hard Drive Space You Need 8
Using a Router or Switch 8
UsinganUninterruptiblePowerSupply(UPS)orPowerSurgeProtector 8
SETTING UP IN JUST A FEW EASY STEPS! 9
Installing Drobo Dashboard 9
Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Resource CD 9
Installing Drobo Dashboard from the Website 12
Inserting the Hard Drives 12
Connecting the Cables 14
Connecting to Your Computer 15
Connecting to a Power Source 16
Turning on the Power and Formatting the Drives 16
Selecting a File System and Volume Size 16
Turning on Your Drobo Device and Formatting the Drives 18
Setting Up Your DroboPro with iSCSI 22
Connecting DroboPro Directly to Your Computer via iSCSI 24
Connecting DroboPro to Your Computer via a Switch with iSCSI 25
Connecting DroboPro to Your Network via a Router or Switch with iSCSI 28
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE 31
Using Best Practices 31
Keeping Your Software Up to Date 31
Safely Shutting Down Your Drobo/Pro/S 32
Safely Shutting Down your Drobo Device Using Drobo Dashboard 33
Safely Shutting Down your Drobo Device Manually 34
Using the Online User Guide 35
Using Context-Sensitive Help 35
Using the Knowledge Base 35
Getting Support 35
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR SETUP 36
INDEX 38

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Before You Begin
Congratulations on your new Drobo/Pro/S! This Getting Started Guide will help you get your
Drobo/Pro/S set up in just a few easy 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 Drobo S
DroboPro
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the Drobo Dashboard application
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the Drobo Dashboard application
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the Drobo Dashboard application

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Checking System Requirements
Check to ensure your operating system and cable interface are supported.
Operating Systems Supported for Drobo/Pro/S
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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. Navigate to www.drobo.com/products/index.php,
click on your product and then click on the Tech Specs tab.
Cable Interfaces Supported
Your Drobo/Pro/S connects directly to your computer using one of the following connection
ports. (Your DroboPro can also connect to a router or switch.) We recommend that you use
the fastest connection you have available on your computer.
Notes:
- You can only use one connection at a time.
- If the interface you would like to use is not available on your computer, you can
purchase and install an add-on adapter card. (This is a circuit board that fits into an
expansion slot in your computer and provides the interface you want.)
eSATA
Available on Drobo S only.
External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment or eSATA is an external interface for
SATA technologies and provides fast data transfer speeds for external storage devices.
With data transfer speeds of 6 Gbit/s, eSATA is nearly twice as fast as FireWire 800 and
three times faster than USB 2.0.

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If you are installing an add-on adapter card to use eSATA, check with your computer
manufacturer to verify that both your computer and operating system support the
eSATA card you plan to use. Also, make sure your eSATA card supports port multiplier
(PM) functionality. For more information, visit our knowledge base at support.
datarobotics.com/app/answers/list and enter the keyword, eSATA.
Note: Because some eSATA cards do not handle hot plugging of eSATA drives well, we
recommend that during the installation process you connect and power on your Drobo
S before you start your computer. Our setup steps will prompt you for this.
USB 2.0
Available on Drobo and DroboPro.
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. With a data transfer rate
of 12 Mbit/s, USB 2.0 is not as fast as FireWire 800 or eSATA, but it is found on most
every computer made in the past few years.
USB 3.0
Available on Drobo S only.
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. USB 3.0, also known as
SuperSpeed USB, provides data transfer speeds of up to 4.8 Gbit/s, much faster than
USB 2.0.
In order to take advantage of this technology, your Drobo S must be connected to
a USB 3.0 port on your computer. If your computer does not have USB 3.0, you can
consult with your computer manufacturer to find a compatible USB 3.0 card.
Note: If your computer only has a USB 2.0 connection, then Drobo S will auto-negotiate
to USB 2.0 speeds.

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FireWire 800
Available on all three models: Drobo, DroboPro and Drobo S.
FireWire is Apple Inc.’s branded name for data ports designed for high-speed data
transfer. With data transfer speeds of 800 Mbit/s, FireWire 800 offers excellent
performance with your Drobo device.
If you are installing an add-on adapter card to use FireWire 800, for optimal performance,
check with your computer manufacturer to verify that both your computer and operating
system support the card you plan to use. If your computer has a FireWire 400 port then
you will need to purchase a FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 cable.
Note: Windows-based computers will not get optimal performance with the standard
Microsoft FireWire drivers.
Visit our knowledge base at support.datarobotics.com/app/answers/list and enter the
keywords FireWire performance for details on how to optimize performance with
FireWire on Windows.
iSCSI (Ethernet)
Available on DroboPro only.
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 and will give you the best possible performance with
your DroboPro.
With iSCSI, you have the flexibility to set up your DroboPro in one of three
configurations: directly connecting it to your computer (for best performance),
connecting it to a switch in which another Ethernet port on the switch is connected to
your computer, or connecting it to a switch (or router) in which another Ethernet port
on the switch (or router) is connected to your network.
Installation steps and additional requirements can be found in “Setting Up Your
DroboPro with iSCSI” on page 22.

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Notes:
- DroboPro’s iSCSI connection supports gigabit Ethernet connections (1000 Mbit/s)
for optimal performance. Although your DroboPro 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 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/Pro/S, 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. 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 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 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 DroboPro via its iSCSI connection to a router or switch, your
router or switch needs to support gigabit Ethernet connections (1000 Mbit/s) for optimal
performance. Although your DroboPro 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
250GB + 250GB + 250GB + 500GB
750GB + 500GB + 500GB + 500GB + 250GB
750GB + 1000GB + 500GB + 500GB + 500GB
= 6TB
= 1250GB
= 1500GB
Drive Capacities Usable Protected Capacity*
# Drives
3
4
4
250GB + 250GB + 250GB
250GB + 250GB + 250GB + 500GB
750GB + 250GB + 250GB + 500GB
= 500GB
= 750GB
= 1000GB
Drive Capacities Usable Protected Capacity*

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Setting Up in Just a Few Easy 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/Pro/S for use. This can be done in
just a few easy steps!
1. Install Drobo Dashboard.
2. Insert the hard drives.
3. Connect the cables.
4. Turn on the power and format the drives.
Note: If you are connecting a DroboPro via your iSCSI (Ethernet) connection, you will
have a couple of extra steps.
Installing Drobo Dashboard
Drobo Dashboard is the software companion to your Drobo device, enabling you to easily
set up and manage your Drobo/Pro/S. 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.
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.
Note: If the User Account Control dialog box appears in Windows, click the Yes
button to continue.
The Drobo Dashboard Installation Wizard appears (in Windows or in Macintosh),
preparing to install.
4. Click the Next button (Windows) or the Continue button (Macintosh), as appropriate.
Note: If the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator window appears and you have a DroboPro and
plan to use its iSCSI connection, 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.
6. When you reach the ready to install page, click the Install button.

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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. 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.
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 (in Windows or in Macintosh),
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/Pro/S.
For more information on hard drive requirements, see “Checking the Hardware You Need”
on page 7.
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/Pro/S by pulling it off.
2. With one hand, hold the hard drive so that its connectors are positioned at the
device and toward the bottom for the Drobo and Drobo S (see Figure 1), or positioned
toward the left, for the DroboPro (see Figure 2).
Figure 1: Installing hard drives on a Drobo or Drobo S
Figure 2: Installing hard drives on a DroboPro
Warning: For optimal performance, keep the DroboPro 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.
Power Data Bay Data Bay Indicator
Connectors
Connectors

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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.
Connecting the Cables
After installing Drobo Dashboard and inserting the hard drives into your Drobo/Pro/S, you
are ready to connect the cables on your Drobo device. This section applies to:
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(USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire 800, eSATA).
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If you would like to connect your DroboPro via its iSCSI (Ethernet) connection, see
“Setting Up Your DroboPro with iSCSI” on page 22 for additional information and
steps.
As you follow the steps, refer to Figures 3, 4 and 5.
Figure 3: The back of your Drobo.
PowerUSB 2.0
FireWire 800

drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo / Pro / S | 15
Figure 4: The back of your Drobo S.
Figure 5: The back of your DroboPro
Notes:
- If your computer has a FireWire 400 port and you would like to use that interface,
then you will need to purchase a FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 cable.
- For information on the different cable interfaces available and their requirements,
see “Cable Interfaces Supported” on page 4.
Connecting to Your Computer
1. Plug one end of the USB, FireWire 800 or eSATA cable into the back of your Drobo/
Pro/S.
2. Plug the other end into your host computer.
Note: If you are using an eSATA cable with a Drobo S, we recommend that you
power down your computer before plugging the eSATA cable into it. (This is
because some eSATA cards do not handle hot plugging of eSATA drives well.) These
installation instructions will prompt you on when to turn your computer back on.
Power eSATA FireWire 800 USB 3.0
Power Toggle
Button
FireWire 800
USB 2.0 iSCSI Power Power Toggle Button

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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.
Important Note: The Drobo will start up immediately. (This is not so for the DroboPro
or Drobo S, which can be turned on via their power toggle buttons.) When the Drobo
starts up with Drobo Dashboard displayed, you will be prompted to format the drives.
Before doing this, be sure to read the following section, “Turning on the Power and
Formatting the Drives.” Steps for formatting the drives are on pg. 18.
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 8.
You are now ready to turn on your Drobo device and format the drives.
Turning on the Power and Formatting the Drives
After installing Drobo Dashboard, inserting the drives into your Drobo device and connecting
cables, you are ready to turn on your Drobo device and format the drives.
Before doing the steps for this, however, it is important to know what file system formatand
volume size you will choose when you format the drives.
Selecting a File System and Volume Size
When you turn on your Drobo/Pro/S, you will be prompted to format the drives in your Drobo/
Pro/S with a particular file system. What file system formats are available to you depend on
your operating system. (See Figure 6.)
You will also be formatting your Drobo/Pro/S into at least one volume, and you will need to
choose a size for that volume. A volume is a storage area that has been formatted with a file
system format your operating system can recognize. In Windows, volumes are sometimes
called “logical drives” or “partitions.”
The largest volume size you are allowed depends on the file system format you choose and
the total capacity of the drives in your Drobo device. The following table (Figure 6) shows the
maximum volume size allowed for each file system format.

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Figure 6: Table of file system formats and maximum volume sizes
* FAT32 is an older file system format that is generally less protective of your data than modern file
systems. It also has slower performance and file size limitations.
Important Notes:
- Volume size does not represent how much actual storage space is available on
your Drobo/Pro/S. It represents virtual storage space. For example, your Drobo/
Pro/S may be loaded with 2TB of hard drive space, but you can create a volume
of 8TB. What this enables you to do is add more capacity to your Drobo/Pro/S (by
inserting an additional drive or replacing a smaller capacity drive with a larger
capacity one) without having to format an additional volume. The additional
capacity becomes part of the same volume you formatted originally.
- Your operating system may show the virtual space you have available on your
Drobo device, as defined by the volume size.
- If the amount of available, protected storage space in your Drobo/Pro/S ever
exceeds the size of the volume that you chose (this may occur when you add one
or more additional hard disks to your Drobo/Pro/S), then Drobo Dashboard will
automatically create a new volume (or volumes) of the same size as the original
volume. Drobo Dashboard will notify you when this occurs and ask you to format
and name the new volume(s).
- For the DroboPro, after creating the initial volume, you can create and manage
multiple volumes, each with its own size and supported file format. After setting up
your volumes, each will display uniquely, rather than as a single volume. You can do
this after setup using DroboPro’s Volume Management feature. Refer to the Online
User Guide for information and steps.
Tip: For most customers, we recommend choosing the largest volume size available
for the selected file system. Note, however, that smaller volume sizes can be more
efficient and manageable in certain situations, such as when indexing, scanning or
searching volumes.
File System Format
HFS+
NTFS
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FAT32*
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Windows Vista, 7, Server 3000 (and later)
All Windows
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16TB
16TB
2TB
2TB
Op. Sys. Compatible With Max Volume Size

drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo / Pro / S | 18 drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo / Pro / S |
Turning on Your Drobo Device and Formatting the Drives
With Drobo Dashboard installed on your host computer and cables connected, you are
ready to turn on your Drobo device and format the drives.
1. With Drobo Dashboard open on your computer, press the power toggle button on the
back of your Drobo device once.
Note: The Drobo does not have a power toggle button. If you are using a Drobo and
you have connected the power cable, it will already be powered on.
Your Drobo device powers on, and a message appears, asking if you would like to
format your drives.
Notes:
-If you are using an eSATA cable with a Drobo S, be sure your host computer is
initially turned off for this step. (This is necessary because some eSATA cards do
not handle hot plugging of eSATA drives well.) With your computer off, press the
power toggle button on the back of your Drobo S once and wait until your Drobo S
has finished powering on (when the data bay indicator lights appear a solid green
for each drive in your Drobo device). After that, power on your host computer and
launch Drobo Dashboard. A message will then appear, asking if you would like to
format your drives.
-Some Windows operating systems and the Macintosh operating system will
also prompt you to format the drives. Click Cancel or Ignore, as appropriate, and
continue with formatting from Drobo Dashboard.
2. Click the Yes button.
The Format Type page appears. Depending on your operating system the window
displays with different options.

drobo.com | Getting Started Guide for Your Drobo / Pro / S | 19
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