Data Robotics Enter NAS World With Networked Drobo FS
Data Robotics has been making other mass storage devices look sort of silly for years now, as the company's Drobo line of smart storage solutions tends to keep a better eye on your files than the more traditional RAID setups. Just a few short months after launching the Drobo S and DroboElite, the company has announced their first-ever NAS drive: Drobo FS.
It stands for Drobo File Server, and while the company is hesitant to actually call it a NAS drive, that's precisely what it is. It uses the same 5-bay enclosure as the Drobo S, offering users the ability to mix and match hard drives as they go. The BeyondRAID technology that keeps your files from getting lost if a drive fails is still here, with the main addition being the ability to access files from it via a network or the Internet.
In fact, a Gigabit Ethernet port on the rear is the only connection available, so it's NAS or bust here. The drive is pretty simple: it's all the things you love about Drobo, but now on a network. The Drobo FS is shipping today starting at $699 for an empty unit, with 10TB models available for those with extreme storage needs.
It stands for Drobo File Server, and while the company is hesitant to actually call it a NAS drive, that's precisely what it is. It uses the same 5-bay enclosure as the Drobo S, offering users the ability to mix and match hard drives as they go. The BeyondRAID technology that keeps your files from getting lost if a drive fails is still here, with the main addition being the ability to access files from it via a network or the Internet.
In fact, a Gigabit Ethernet port on the rear is the only connection available, so it's NAS or bust here. The drive is pretty simple: it's all the things you love about Drobo, but now on a network. The Drobo FS is shipping today starting at $699 for an empty unit, with 10TB models available for those with extreme storage needs.
Drobo FS Features and Benefits
- Plug-In and Share – The Drobo FS connects directly to any Gigabit Ethernet network for a true plug in and share set-up experience. Supports standard data transfer protocols including Apple File Protocol (AFP) and Microsoft Common Internet File System (CIFS).
- 5-Drive Capacity and Instant Expansion to 10TB and Beyond – Customers with growing storage requirements can easily add data capacity by simply inserting a new hard drive or replacing the smallest drive with a larger one, even when all five drive bays are full. With Drobo FS, expansion is automatic, instantaneous, and access to data is always maintained.
- Single- and Dual-Drive Redundancy – The Drobo FS dual drive redundancy option protects against the simultaneous failure of up to two hard drives. Customers can engage this option with a single click without ever losing access to their data.
- Self-Healing Technology – With BeyondRAID, the Drobo FS continually examines data blocks and sectors on each drive to flag potential issues. The preemptive “scrubbing” helps ensure data is being written only to healthy drive areas and automatically keeps data in the safest state possible – even when a drive fails.
- Customizable Storage – Utilizing the growing library of DroboApps, including media and web applications, users can customize the Drobo FS to further enhance their sharing experience.
