need a massive storage/backup solution for growing branding firm

[NorCalLights]

I use Backblaze for my offsite backup. Their support was fantastic the one time I needed to contact them (on a Sunday of a holiday weekend, they emailed me back posthaste). Other than that, it's unlimited, cheap, and it just works.

http://www.backblaze.com

They seem like they're huge storage nerds... they've even open-sourced their massive storage hardware and their design is being used by universities and even other large storage companies.

 

[trevorlc]

I think it will be much harder to recover a failed Drobo RAID than a basic RAID enclosure. But the Drobo is a backup, given the Pegasus is the primary RAID, I'm confident that the data there between the two in a hardware failure. In the case of major failure or catastrophic event, I have CrashPlan.

Failed Drobo's can be pretty messy based on some posts I've seen, however my original usb2.0 only drobo failed about 2 months ago, I was able to purchase a new one and put the disk pack in and it was like nothing ever happened. So it can be rather painless too. As long as your willing to accept that you have to buy another drobo.

I did heavily consider buying a drobo get my data off and return it after I was able to transfer the data to a standard raid. After researching raid options I ended up liking the drobo the best, the pure fact that as it gets filled up I can pop a new drive into it is awesome.

 

[TimTheEnchanter]

Failed Drobo's can be pretty messy based on some posts I've seen, however my original usb2.0 only drobo failed about 2 months ago, I was able to purchase a new one and put the disk pack in and it was like nothing ever happened. So it can be rather painless too. As long as your willing to accept that you have to buy another drobo.

I did heavily consider buying a drobo get my data off and return it after I was able to transfer the data to a standard raid. After researching raid options I ended up liking the drobo the best, the pure fact that as it gets filled up I can pop a new drive into it is awesome.

Your Drobo recovery story is reassuring. So far, my experience has been great and I've had no failure...knock on wood. It's those stories I've heard that has me concerned, but your's gives me a little relief. Thanks for sharing that.

 

[ricosuave]

Non RAID

I've searched the web but have not read all the posts in this thread, sorry.

For those that have the XRAID, does it allow to pop in drives already formatted to Mac OS Extended and use them like a large external drive enclosure? Or do you have to format them in some sort of RAID configuration?