Drobo: A Miracle Backup Solution?

If you're like me, you are always on the lookout for a better way to backup and archive all your photographs, videos, and other digital materials. Right now, I have 11 different external drives plugged into my desktop and laptop computers. 11! And I keep having to add more, with larger hard drives, as my backup and archival needs expand. That's a lot of extra drives to juggle and keep track of. Isn't there a simpler, more efficient way to handle this?

Looks like there might be. A company called "Data Robotics, Inc." has created an intelligent backup system called "Drobo". The idea is glorious: The system provides space for four different hard drives and makes all four hard drives function as one drive (like a RAID setup). If, however, one of these drives fail, Drobo lets you know and the other drives compensate allowing you time to replace the bad drive. No data is lost. You can change any hard drive any time you want without affecting any of your stored data. If, for example, you want to replace a 200 Gig drive for a 500 Gig drive, you simply remove the 200 Gig drive and insert the 500 Gig. The system formats the new drive and includes it in the backup system. The main advantages of this system are: 1. Any time a single hard drive fails, or prepares to fail, Drobo can protect your data; 2. The system can be constantly expanded as your storage needs expand. The main disadvantages are that the Drobo system is currently built around a USB 2.0 connection, so backup speeds (how fast data is transfered from your main computer to Drobo) may be an issue for some people. Also, if the unit fails, the only way to retrieve your data is to get a replacement.

To find out more about Drobo, visit their website. Among other things, they have some great introductory videos and also support a growing community of Drobo fans. You can find a list of resellers on Drobo's website. You can also purchase one through Amazon, which currently lists 12 helpful customer reviews.

I ordered one yesterday and will let you know how Drobo works for me.

DroboPro: The Perfect Backup System

I bought my first Drobo in January of 2008. This was a first generation Drobo. I'm glad to report that I have never had a problem. The backup system has worked flawlessly. Two (or three) generations later, the Drobo makers have come out with a new eight-drive backup monster called DroboPro. If I had the money, I would buy a couple of these babies and kiss backup issues goodbye forever. Until that day comes, I'll keep using the backup system I have written about in earlier blogs and imagine a couple of these beauties sitting on my desktop someday: Empty (with no hard drives installed) $1,299.00; Fully loaded (with eight Western Digital 500 GB hard drives installed) Price: $1,949.00. Click here for more information.

Backup Using Mozy

If you read my blog on "Drobo: A Miracle Backup Solution", you know I'm a backup nut. You should be, too, if you aren't already. I've been solving my on site backup needs with a string of external hard drives and hope to use the Drobo backup system to begin to condense, simplify, and protect my on site backups. But what about off site backups (backups that will help you rebuild if, god forbid, your on site backups and/or primary systems are stolen or damaged)? One obvious solution is to make copies and store them with family and friends. Brother Mel suggests storing backup copies of your critical data in a bank security box. Apple computer has an online service for Mac users that allows them to store limited amounts of data on their servers. For more serious online backup that supports both Mac and PC platforms, you might want to check out Mozy. I just set up an account with them and for $4.95 a month you can get unlimited backup space -- and a free software program that automatically keeps your critical data backed up. Here's how they describe their service:

...

How It Works

1. Sign up for an account. Create a MozyHome user account which will allow you to download MozyHome software. Its quick, easy and our step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process.

2. Download and install software. MozyHome downloads in just seconds, and the installation is simple and fast.

3. Select files to be backed up. Simply check the boxes next to the backup sets, or types of files you want to back up, and MozyHome does the rest. In addition to selecting files by backup sets, you also have the option of selecting specific files and directories.

- Open/locked file support: Mozy will back up your documents whether they're open or closed.

- 128-bit SSL encryption: The same technology used by banks secures your data during the backup process.

- 448-bit Blowfish encryption: Secures your files while in storage, providing peace of mind that your private data is safe from hackers.

- Automatic: Schedule the times to back up and MozyHome does the rest.

- New and changed file detection: MozyHome finds and saves the smallest changes.

- Backs up Outlook files: Disaster-proof email protection.

- Block-level incremental backup: After the initial backup, MozyHome only backs up files that have been added or changed, making subsequent backups lightning fast.

...

Being able to backup all your critical data on a remote server that encrypts your data and offers unlimited storage space for $4.95 a month seems like a good idea to me. I'm running my first backup as I write. So far, I've run into two problems: The Mac version of Mozy software is buggy (it is still in beta and crashed a couple times on me as I was configuring it); I'm discovering that while "unlimited storage space" sounds appealing, actually uploading large amounts of data via today's internet connections (even a high-speed, broadband connection) is going to take a very long time. Those two problems are, however, not enough to force me to throw in the towel. I plan to try Mozy for a month or two and see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.

Fantastic Backup Systems: WiebeTech RTX200

I recently added WiebeTech's RTX200 to my backup system, which now includes a first generation Drobo (with four internal 500 GB SATA drives), two 300 GB Seagate external drives, and one iOmega 500 GB drive. I've included the WiebeTech RTX200 to my backup system because I recently had THREE! -- yes, you read that right, THREE! -- LaCie external hard drives all fail in the course of one week! Or, to be more accurate, the LaCie housing failed. So I pulled the drives from the LaCie housing (two Seagate drives and one Samsung drive), and bought the WiebeTech system to house the old drives. The beauty of WiebeTech's system is that it allows you to hot swap drives. So instead of continuously buying new external drives, which consist of an internal drive encased in some kind of housing, you simply buy the internal drive and plug it into your WiebeTech bay whenever you need it. The particular WiebeTech box I bought is the RTX200H-QJ. It provides two docking bays and comes complete with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB2, eSATA connections.

Final note: When it comes to internal drives, I plan to stick with Digital Western, or Seagate, and avoid everything made by LaCie and Maxtor (which have both repeatedly failed me over the years).

SMARTReporter

Another software program I use to protect my Macs is SMARTReporter. SMARTReporter monitors your hard drives and can warn you of some hard drive failures before they happen, giving you time to backup critical data before it's lost!

In case you need a good backup system, here are a few suggestions from previous blogs:

• Fantastic Backup Systems: WiebeTech's RTX200
• Second Generation Drobo With Firewire 800
• Scott Kelby's Photo & Computer Backup Strategy
• What To Do If Hard Drive Disaster Strikes!

Second Generation Drobo With Firewire 800

Those of you are regular readers of my blog know that I bought a Drobo in December of 2007. Now, seven months later, I'm glad to report that it has performed flawlessly. I reported two significant concerns in previous blogs: 1. That Drobo only uses SATA, not ATA drives; that Drobo uses 1/2 to 1/3 of your total storage capacity for making a backup of your backup. You can read my previous Drobo posts here.

I solved the first problem by migrating to SATA drives, and accepted the second shortcoming as a necessary evil of having a backup system that is designed to stay viable even if one or more of your drives fail. It costs more, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing specific hard drives can fail and you won't loose any data was worth it.

There was, however, another issue that has bugged me from day one: the first generation Drobo shipped with a USB 2.0 connection which made for slow transfers of data. The Drobo folks have now fixed that shortcoming with their second generation Drobo. Here's some background information from Rob Galbraith's website:

"Data Robotics has announced the immediate availability of a new version of its Drobo storage device featuring twin FireWire 800 ports, promised faster USB 2.0, an upgraded internal processor, quieter, cooler operation and revised firmware.

"A version of Drobo with four empty SATA I/II hard drive bays, two FireWire 800 ports and one USB 2.0 port is US$499 when purchased direct from the company (the previous generation USB 2.0-only Drobo is still available, for US$349 in the same driveless configuration). The FireWire 800/USB 2.0 version with two 1TB drives is US$899; with four 1TB drives, US$1299."

Click here for more information, including Drobo's press release.

Ken Rockwell: "The D7000 Is Nikon's Best DSLR Ever"

EXCERPTS:

The D7000 is Nikon's most advanced camera at any price. The fact that it sells for $1,200 make it a no-brainer, which is why it's sold out. The D7000 is Nikon's best DSLR ever.

Unlike 2009's crappy D3000, Nikon really did their homework these past couple of years on the D7000, and everything about it just works better than older cameras, technically, artistically and ergonomically.

The D7000 has the highest linear resolution of any Nikon DSLR, and more overall resolution than any other Nikon under $7,500. The Nikon D7000 has technical performance better than every other Nikon DSLR priced under $7,500, and handles better than any Nikon DSLR, regardless of price.

The D7000 certainly replaces the old D300s, at a lower price for even higher technical and ergonomic performance...

...

For most people, the D7000 is the camera to get, regardless of price, while FX is still the go-to camera for full-time pros. 

...

There is a focus motor in the D7000, so it works with every AF lens made since 1986.

Even better, there's an aperture-ring feeler, so it meters with all AI and newer (1977-on) manual-focus lenses. 

...

...I get free, live backup of everything I shoot because I record it to two cards simultaneously.

I can download and reformat one card and not worry if I backup my computer that day, because if I drop my MacBook Pro into McGee Creek, it's all still on the second card in my camera. I never worry about backing-up until I return from the field.

...

One of the biggest stand-out features of the Nikon D7000 is its fantastic autofocus system.

Whatever Nikon has done under the hood has made it the best, fastest, most precise and most accurate focus system of any Nikon.

This becomes more apparent as you've shot more cameras for longer; it's a subtle thing, but something I very much notice.

It feels about the same or better than my professional Nikon D3, and worlds faster in actual use than my Nikon D300.

Read Ken Rockwell's complete review here.

Does Mac OS X Need A Disk Defragmenter/Optimizer?

Does Mac OS X need a disk defragmenter/optimizer?
MacFixIt
March 1, 2007

EXCERPT:

Defragmentation and disk optimization in Mac OS X collectively represent an issue nearly as contentious as the debate over repairing disk permissions -- one camp argues that utilties purportedly performing these functions amount to little more than nostrums, while others claim real-world performance gains as a result of the tools' usage.

Apple's input on the subject is, as usual, less than definite. The company states explicitly in Knowledge Base article #25668 (published in 2003) that that "you probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X," then provides instructions for what you should do "if you think you might need to defragment."

According Apple's advice, there are two scenarios under which you might need to defragment your drive:

• You have many large files (such as digital videos)
• Your disk is low on space (i.e. more than 90% full)

If these are in fact your only concerns, there are some basic remedies.

In the case of myriad large files, you can easily (as described by Apple) create a backup of all your important data -- essentially everything but operating system files -- then re-install Mac OS X and restore the files from backup. It's somewhat tedious, but should result in faster access to said large files. Or, you can use a utility like SuperDuper! to make a clone (or near-clone) of your startup drive, then simply format your drive using Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) and copy the files back...

The bottom line is that users with large files will benefit most greatly from defragmentation routines in Mac OS X. However, use of the disk optimization routines offered by tools like iDefrag can also serve as a boon to casual users of Mac OS X looking for a speed boost. If you choose to use such a utility, you'll likely see the most betterment after applying a significant system update.

Anti-Static Case For Bare Drives

After purchasing WiebeTech's RTX200 to add to my backup system, I realized I needed a way to store the loose internal drives I planned to switch in and out of the RTX200. Turns out Wiebetech also sells a couple different protective cases. The one pictured above (which is the model I bought) sells for $5.95 each. Their "Anti-Static Drive Cases For Bare Drives" are located here. My earlier post on WiebeTech's RTX200 can be found here.

Drobo Followup

Well, my Drobo unit arrived today and I ran into two problems.

First, Drobo uses SATA drives, not ATA drives. This is clearly mentioned on the Drobo website, but somehow I overlooked this important information. What's the difference? Basically, ATA is the old standard computer hard drive, while SATA is the new one. You can find a quick "ATA versus SATA" tutorial posted here. Since I had planned to pull the drives out of four external drives, now I needed to know which external drives contained ATA drives and which ones contained SATA drives. So I used the net to track down the specs on the external drives I owned, but soon discovered that none of the manufacturers listed the ATA/SATA information. So I took my chances and cracked the cases. The two newest drives, both made by Seagate, contained SATA drives, while the two older drives, one made by Seagate and one made by Maxtor, contained ATA drives. Bummer. That meant I only had two drives that would work in Drobo. So installed those two and ordered two new 500 GB internal SATA drives via Amazon ($119.99 each). Drobo, by the way, requires two drives to work.

With the drive compatibility issue dealt with, I now realized that Drobo works a significant portion of its backup magic through redundancy. Translation: depending on the size of the hard drives you have loaded into Drobo, Drobo uses 1/2 to 1/3 of your total storage capacity for making a backup of your backup. Here's a quick chart that is included in the Drobo manual that shows you how much hard drive space is used for redundancy. The hard drives with the mark through them are the ones that are unavailable to you for backups.

Drobo, unfortunately, doesn't broadcast this fact on their website. You have to download a pdf called the "Drobo Data Sheet" to find out, or dig into the Support section of their website. If I had read the fine print more carefully, I may have decided to stick with my previous method of backups. On the other hand, now that I actually have a Drobo on my desktop, I like it! Green lights tell me my drives are working. Blue lights tell me how full the drives are. The "Drobo Dashboard" (which is a software program that comes with Drobo) gives me more details about how much space has been used and is available, and also painlessly updates its software and firmware. And -- the big thing -- I really like the idea of having an automated system that warns me of potential drive failures, lets me know when drives are getting full, lets me add larger drives as they are needed, and makes backups of backups to be sure I don't loose any data.

Now I'll put Drobo to the test of real world use and report back in a month or two as to how well it does.

Here's a quick look at what Drobo's Dashboard software looks like. Click on the image to view a larger picture.

My Camera Gear

Cameras:
1 - Nikon D7000
2 - Nikon D90
1 - Nikon D300

Lenses:
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED DX
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D
Nikon AF Nikkor 10.5mm 1:2.8G ED (Fisheye Lens)
Tokina SD 12-24 f4 DX (Wide Angle Lens)
Lensbaby 2.0

Accessories:
2 Nikon SB-800 Flashes
1 Quantum Turbo 2x2 Battery Pack
8 4 GB Compact Flash Cards
A bunch of 32, 16, and 8 GB SDHC cards

Software:
Photoshop CS5 (for finished image processing and website graphics)
onOne Plugin: PhotoTools (for adding special effects to images)
onOne Plugin: Focal Point (for adding focus effects to images)
Lightroom 3 (for raw image file processing and lightning fast photo website creation)
iPhoto (for family photos)

Printers:
1 Canon MP560 (for printing labels and packaging)
1 Canon MX850 (for general printing)

Photo Labs:
Pictage

Computers:
24" iMac 2.33 GHz Intel Core-Dual 3 GB Ram
17" MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 2 GB Ram
16 External Backup Drives (for system/document backup and photo archives)
iPad 2

Wish List:
Two more Nikon D7000 cameras

Mac OS X v10.6: About Gamma 2.2

Gamma is a numerical value that describes the relationship between the varying levels of brightness or luminance that a monitor can display or a digital camera or camcorder can capture. To better serve the needs of consumers and digital content producers, Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard uses a gamma value of 2.2 by default. In versions of Mac OS X prior to 10.6, the default system gamma value was 1.8. Using the capabilities of ColorSync, the gamma value of 2.2 is automatically applied and seamlessly transitions your display, images and videos to the new gamma value. If you are a graphic or video professional, click here for more information.

............

EXCERPT:

Some images that do not contain color profiles might appear darker in Mac OS X v10.6 than they did in earlier versions of Mac OS X. Adding the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile or Adobe RGB (1998) profile to these images lets them display correctly.

You can use Preview to add or replace a color profile to your images. Follow these steps to add or replace a color profile to your image. For batch processing of images, see "Using Automator..." in the below additional information section.

Note: When replacing the color profile, once saved there is no way to undo this process other than by restoring an earlier copy of the image. Make sure you have the proper color profile selected. If you are not sure, duplicate the images or make a backup copy of the images. Tip: Time Machine is a great way to keep an automatic backup of your images and other files.

1. Open your image in Preview.

2. From the Tools menu choose Assign Profile...

3. From the "ColorSync Profile:" pop-up menu select the appropriate color profile.

4. From the File menu choose Save (or Save As to save a different copy).