After several years with my trusty Drobo generation 3 RAID, it was starting to give me a few issues. And after trying all the troubleshooting steps and contacting support, I realized it was time for a new machine. Since my last Drobo purchase, much has changed. Drobo has introduced devices that use USB-C and Thunderbolt 3, offering optimum speeds and performance. I chose to go with the top-of-the-line Drobo 5D3, which offers a connection through the included Thunderbolt 3/USB-C cable. Because my 2015 iMac didn't have Thunderbolt 3 or … [Read more...] about Migrating Data to a New Drobo Device
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5 Excuses for Not Buying a RAID Backup
Imagine losing every image you have ever taken of your child, your wife, a family member that has passed away, that beautiful sunset in Hawaii, all of your client’s images...you get the point. Are you feeling sick to your stomach, especially knowing it could have been prevented? The good news, it’s not too late. If you have more than 6TB of data, you need to invest in a RAID backup. Here are 5 common excuse people make for not buying a RAID Backup and 5 solutions to help you make the right choice. 1. I Don't Understand Why I Need a RAID … [Read more...] about 5 Excuses for Not Buying a RAID Backup
Protected Storage: How to Move from JBOD to RAID
Arguably, making the move from just a bunch of disks (JBOD) to a RAID like those I use from Drobo, is where to start? That's simple. Answer this question: How much storage will be needed to house the data on all of those drives? Label each drive with a number Determining the space required means finding out how much space has been used on each drive. Begin with some masking tape. Put a strip on each drive. Now, number them starting with 1. Next, grab a sheet of paper or if you prefer make a spread sheet. List the number of each drive on the … [Read more...] about Protected Storage: How to Move from JBOD to RAID
How Much Speed Does a Photographer Need
It's the age old question since we've started to shoot digital. How can I make my workflow faster? More efficient? Or more importantly, how can I get more free time and peace of mind? Well, here's where I hopefully can help out a little. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the DROBO 5D with a couple of Seagate 2TB SATA HDD's to do some long term testing for my photo and video production workflow...and the short answer to the question? As much as we can get our hands on! The Nitty Gritty / Tech Details The Drobo 5D is a USB3 and Dual … [Read more...] about How Much Speed Does a Photographer Need
Drobo Mini – Long Term Review
Back in 2014 I first reviewed the Drobo Mini and now I’d like to write an update that discusses the unit from a more long-term view. As a refresher - the Mini holds up to four 2.5" SATA I/II/II drives and one mSATA SSD. This is in effect a fusion drive (similar to the technology used in iMacs from Apple.) The connectivity on the Mini is provided using both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. The BeyondRAID technology allows for redundancy, meaning if you have one drive go bad, you can replace it and the unit will self-heal with no data loss. … [Read more...] about Drobo Mini – Long Term Review
Repurposing Old Equipment: Hard Drives
In my first year of photography, I shot more than 100,000 pictures, which yielded two results: my photography got better quickly, and my computer's hard drive filled up with picture files. Over the last, I've bought several external hard drives to store and even backup my pictures. Eventually, I bought RAID systems to protect my photos. But these also filled up! Nowadays, I use Drobos to store and protect my pictures, and when drives fill up I can just swap them with a new bigger drive. But what should I do with all those old drives? They're … [Read more...] about Repurposing Old Equipment: Hard Drives
Introducing the Drobo 5C
Drobo's newest entry into affordable, safe storage--the Drobo 5C is available today. What's new? Watch my interview with Drobo CEO Mihir Shah and Chief Technology Officer Rod Harrison as they present the new 5C. https://vimeo.com/185221618 Features The big news is the Drobo 5C adds another drive bay and it sports the ultra high speed USB C connector. USB C boasts Read performance of up to 241 megabytes per second (220MB/Sec average) and write speed up to 261 MB/sec (average 255 MB/Sec.) The 5C officially retires Drobo's venerable 4 bay … [Read more...] about Introducing the Drobo 5C
Cost: Drobo v/s Individual Drives
Photographers buy hard drives in external enclosures to keep up with the data they create with digital cameras and post-production software. When one fills up, another drive along with an enclosure is purchased. Before too long, there are several individual drives on the desk, each in its own enclosure. There has to be a more efficient way. Thanks to Drobo there is. Before I explain, there's some background info. Drobo or JBOD? JBOD is an acronym for Just A Bunch of Discs. This is where all photographers, myself included, start. It makes … [Read more...] about Cost: Drobo v/s Individual Drives
The Three C’s of File Management – Copy, Clone, and Cloud!
As a professional photographer in the digital age, protecting your data is one of the most important things you can do for your business (or hobby). Having come from a very heavy Computer and programming background, when I started shooting professionally, my backup routine was top priority! The first thing we'll cover is how to store and organize your files which covers the first of the Three C's. Copy First and foremost you have to copy your files from your camera to your computer. There are dozens of ways to do this i'm sure you're all … [Read more...] about The Three C’s of File Management – Copy, Clone, and Cloud!
Safe and Simple External Storage
Data loss is something that I wish upon no one. Those who have experienced this catastrophe already know that one occurrence can easily mess up one's day, jack up one's week, and quite possibly destroy one's year. Many of us have priceless photos of those we love, places we've experienced, and people we've seen. We want to keep those photos with us for our lifetime! That's why some of us have resorted to external hard drives to archive the lovely photos we take, right? But the right workflow matters. Using External Storage There are several … [Read more...] about Safe and Simple External Storage
Consolidate: Create A Rough Repository
Check out the rest of Organize Your Photos: DAM Foundations Consolidate Conform Cull Copy Clear The first step in organizing a new repository is getting the files all in one place. The goal is to clean off all of the various drives on which they are found. In this step, duplicate files and directories will be created. Do not worry. Eventually, duplicates will be removed. Until then, err on the side of caution so, in your zeal to clean and purge, nothing important is lost. Assemble the Ingredients Before starting, … [Read more...] about Consolidate: Create A Rough Repository
All Hard Drives Will Die
Face it. Death is a part of life. This is true of people. It's true for hard drives,too. Those containers of mass data on high speed spinning disks have a life span just like we do. So how long will a hard drive last? Great question! MTBF The MTBF is touted as a feature in the specifications of most hard drive. What is it? MTBF stands for Mean Time Between Failures. Mean means average. So the MTBF of a drive is the average number of hours it will work before it fails. The operating word here is average. Since it is an average, some drive will … [Read more...] about All Hard Drives Will Die
The Thecus N2560
The Thecus N2560, is a two-bay NAS targeted for the prosumer. What does that mean in layman's terms for someone like me? Simple, I have more storage space. My Need for More Space I'm not a tech person. Just ask Richard Harrington who shakes his head at my MacBook when I can't figure why my scratch disks are full. I use the excuse I'm too busy with single parenthood and working to deal with hard drives, computers and techy stuff. When I had the chance to have more hard drive space, I was excited and jumped for the opportunity. Connection and … [Read more...] about The Thecus N2560
