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[OM] Re: External drive question

Subject: [OM] Re: External drive question
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 18:17:06 -0700
Robert Burnette wrote:
> Anyone familiar with this? It looks very impressive.
>
> http://www.drobo.com/products_demo.html
>   
An interesting looking thingie. Assuming it works as advertised, it 
could be a good back-up solution for some situations.

- It needs back-up software, and should include it for the price.

- The hot swap means one could possibly swap drives for off-site 
storage. But how do you figure which one(s)? Could be tricky.

- Simplicity means it may be more likely to get used.

Obvious design drawbacks:

- USB 2.0 is pretty slow. If you use it for back-up only, fine, but it 
would be frustrating as on-line external storage for largish image files.

- The path to off-site secondary back-up isn't clear. Probably a bit 
messy and slow.

- Like RAID arrays, you need to always have significant unused capacity 
for the internal processes of maintaining file protection.

- I assume the usual problem of replication of file corruption into all 
copies of data applies here, too. I didn't see anything about it one way 
or the other.

Possible practical problems are shown by user reviews. They aren't 
representative of all user experience, as most who have no problems or 
complaints don't bother to write reviews. However, they can provide some 
insight into the types of problems people have experienced and what kind 
of support they have experienced.

The CNET user reviews highlight the speed problems. Apparently it's not 
just USB transfer speed, but internal processing speed. Hard to say why. 
Also some troubling problems with data loss.

All in all, I can't see where it is worth the almost $500 cost to me.

- You can buy a LOT of storage capacity for that kind of money. For less 
than $400, you can get two 750GB drives in eSATA/USB 2.0 enclosures.

- eSATA is much faster than USB 2.0. The same speed as an internal drive.

- A drive that is turned off and/or disconnected is safe from any and 
all system events.

- With two eSATA headers, coordinating on-site and off-site BU copies is 
reasonably easy and fast. With a decent BU program, only changes have to 
be copied after the initial full copy.

- BU drives that are off except when being updated should last long 
beyond the time they become technologically obsolete.

- A simple back-up drive, as opposed to RAID or the Drobo, may be simply 
inserted in the computer to replace the drive it backs up. Worst case, 
you lose data since last back-up. Best case, you update the off site 
copy, then put the sick drive in the eSATA case and see if you can 
recover some of the newer stuff.

Moose

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