ASCII.jp How is the high -performance storage "DROBO" found in shops and Amazon?

Many people have considered the introduction of external storage in order to store the increasing number of business data and the accumulated materials files that are accumulated in home work.However, a wide variety of products are sold at mass retailers and EC sites, and they tend to worry about which one to choose.Not only performance, but there are many points to be worried about, such as the reliability of the manufacturer and aftercare.Considering that it is used for a long time, I would like to choose a product from a manufacturer that is high quality and durable, has a solid support and is safe.

I would like to recommend the DROBO's long -selling "DROBO" series, which has users around the world.In Japan, the familiar Princeton of PC peripheral devices is sold as a regular agency, and in the unlikely event, you can receive generous support.Here, along with the features of the product, we will introduce the outline of the manufacturer, DROBO, its support system, and how to use it.

DROBO's external storage "DROBO 5C".In Japan, the familiar princesses in computer peripherals are distributors and sells and supports them.

Drobo series that can flexibly increase capacity

External storage can be broadly divided into two types: "finished product" with built -in HDD and "kit" sold separately by HDD.The DROBO series is the latter type.It is necessary to prepare an HDD by yourself after purchase, but it has the advantage that it is highly expandable and it is easy to customize the capacity according to the application.

The lineup includes a DAS (Direct Attached Storage) product that can be connected directly to a PC on a USB cable, etc., and a NAS (NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE) product that can be accessed from multiple PCs that can be connected to a router or switching hub LAN port.It is easier to choose according to the application and environment.The basic concept of each product is the same, with the following features.

・ Multiple HDDs can be mounted on the main unit to achieve large capacity -The HDD with different manufacturers and different capacity can be flexibly combined.Data can be restored even if it is damaged by the base ・ Dedicated utility is provided, it is easy to introduce and manage.

The technology at the core of these features is DROBO's unique "Beyond Raid".General external storage uses a RAID technology to use multiple HDDs as a large capacity volume, but Beyond Raid has developed its functions and enhances usability.With the conventional RAID, it is necessary to prepare the same type of HDD of the same type and capacity in advance, and it is difficult to combine HDDs of different types and capacity, or to increase the capacity after installation.There are disadvantages.BEYOND RAID has eliminated such RAID restrictions and inconvenience to achieve the above features.

From here, let's introduce each characteristic in detail.

The DROBO series standard model is equipped with five disk slots, and can be equipped with at least two and up to 5 HDDs.Since the total capacity is up to 64 tb, it is ideal for storing and managing the increasing business data together.For users who seek a larger capacity and faster storage, there are also high -end models that can equip up to eight HDDs.

For DAS type products, USB 3 on the interface.In addition to models that use 0, there are also models equipped with Thunderbolt 3, which can be high -speed transfer of up to 40 Gbps (theoretical value), making it easier to handle large -capacity files such as video editing.。

The photo is "DROBO 5C".Equipped with 5 drive bays, can equip up to 5 HDDs

In the case of DROBO, it is necessary to prepare the HDD to be installed by yourself, but it is characterized by a high degree of freedom, such as combining different types of HDDs.For example, it can be used without any problems even if the manufacturer, capacity, and lots of HDDs with different manufacturers, capacity, and lots are mixed, such as the old 3TB HDD of Company A and the new 3TB HDD, the new 3TB HDD, the company B of the company B, and the C Company C.Moreover, it has a mechanism to minimize unused areas (areas that cannot be used by users) that are likely to occur when different capacity is combined, and to maximize the actual capacity (effective capacity), so HDD without wasteful.The advantage is that you can use it.

By the way, DROBO's recommended HDD is the support page (http: // www.DROBO-JP.Com/Support/HDDACCESSORIES.You can check it in HTML) so I want to check it in advance.In the case of corporate users, there is also a "HDD package" with a recommended HDD, so it is a good idea to consider it.

US DROBO's web page "Capacity Calculator (https: // www.DROBO.COM/Storage-PRODUCTS/CAPACITY-CALCULATOR/) "can easily calculate the effective capacity when combining HDDs of different capacity.

The DROBO series can be used by wearing at least two HDDs.If you use it and run out of capacity, you can easily increase the capacity simply by inserting a new HDD into an empty slot.If you want to replace the current HDD with a larger capacity, take out the HDD you are using and insert a new HDD.Therefore, it is possible to start using an affordable HDD at first, and increase the capacity by replacing and expanding as necessary.

By the way, when replacing and expanding, there is no need to drop the power of Drobo, and it can be performed during the operation.There is no need to remove the screws with a tool when replacing the HDD.You can wear it simply by inserting the HDD as if you set a cassette or card on a home game console.

The replacement / additional HDD is automatically recognized and optimized, so no special operation is required for the user side.During the optimization, the access speed is slightly reduced, but it is nice that the work is not delayed because it can be written and read out without any problems.

While the main unit is operating, you can replace the HDD or add an HDD into an empty slot to add it.At first, it is possible to operate with the minimum necessary two units, and if the vacant area is reduced, it is possible to increase the capacity by replacing and expanding.