When I read about the new DroboPro FS from Data Robotics, aimed at the small business market, I saw a new feature, Drobo Sync.  It is coming as part of a new release of Drobo Dashboard in late October/Mid-November 2010 .  I thought, wow, how timely, they read my post about why I don’t recommend a Drobo, and had this just waiting in the wings to tell me a big “told you so”.

Sorry, but I think this feature, while nice, falls a little short.  And, so far, Drobo Sync will only be available with the DroboPro FS.  For other Drobos, there is still DroboCopy, which isn’t identical in functionality, but can setup scheduled backups to even non-Drobo based disk storage.

Data Robotics are touting the Drobo Sync feature as:

Integrated offsite backup – The main new feature with the DroboPro FS is Drobo Sync which allows you to replicate your data from one DroboPro FS to another DroboPro FS on the network.

To make use of this “integrated feature”, you need two DroboPro FS at $1,999 each without disks, and an internet connection, or some sort of connection between them that is fast enough to keep up with all that data.  They also state, on the FAQ, that:

Drobo Sync is a data replication process and not a generational backup utility. The end result of using Drobo Sync will be to have the exact same set of files on the destination system as you have on the source system. If a file gets added or deleted from the source system that same file will be added or deleted on the destination DroboPro FS.

While they do say that it is a “not generational backup”, they don’t come out and say that they recommend the use of another means of backup for really having a backup of your DroboPro FS.  Even on Data Robotics’ “Best Practices” guide, they manage to not make mention of this for any of the Drobos.
I fear that this marketing pitch, while I won’t call it lack of disclosure, can be very dangerous for an uninformed small business and may result in some severe data loss, should something go wrong with one of the devices. Continue reading…

Whenever I am hear about storage solutions for photographers, I frequently hear the praises of Drobos, and while I do think they can serve a purpose, I can’t bring myself to recommend them. There is a common phrase among storage/backup architects that usually goes something like, “If it’s not in three places, it doesn’t exist”.  Getting that third place, and even the second place will eventually prove to be expensive, time consuming and a little too cumbersome using Drobos.

Continue reading…

While there are a number of podcasts I listen to regularly, I never knew I’d be on one.  Sure, for some, being “on the air” is common, but it was something I’ve not done until now.

Gear Viewpoint, which I’ve written comments on past shows, and I’ve exchanged a few tweets with the hosts, Keith Tharp and Ron Risman, recently announced a format change to the show.  I’d always enjoyed the banter between them, especially their discussion on crop factors.  It was one of those podcasts where people where looking at me oddly and wondering why I could barely hold back my laughter while commuting.

Anyway, the new direction of the show is:

Having brief chats with photographers from all skill sets, styles and disciplines to spark discussion and thought on photography in general. My Hope is that these little chats will keep everyone’s photography juices flowing and possibly offer a little fun, learning, and growth in a neat little consumable package.

I had recently written to Keith asking when the next show was going to be because I hadn’t seen one in a bit, and about a little issue I was seeing on his blog. Keith responded and asked if I’d like to be on as a guest in the new format.   I really like the idea of hearing some fresh voices, and didn’t think it would be mine, regardless, I happily agreed, and the result is now “on the air”.  If you’d like to listen to our conversation about some luck I had selling images from flickr, the new TSA “Photographerd in hoodies are probably terrorists” poster, and more, head over to the Gear Viewpoint site, or subscribe in iTunes.