I noticed the following in the FS firmware 1.0.4 release notes:
General Issues
• Symptom: Drobo FS Disk Drive Spin Down not functional (#10-097).
• Condition: Drobo FS did not spin down disk when timeout was configured in Drobo Dashboard.
Does anyone know details about this, I couldn’t find any details in the forums? Does this statement mean it’s a known issue with the new firmware or issue with existing firmware versions?
I have had my new Drobo FS running for a few days and have noticed that the disks don’t seem to spin down when not active. I went as far as shutting down dashboard so that nothing is connecting to the drobo fs with the same result.
Mine did not spin down disks to begin with under 1.0.3. I opened a support ticket over this and got the reply back that this was a known issue they were targeting to fix in an early June firmware update.
Most of the updates appear to be on the Mac OS end. Time machine backup support was added. There was also an ongoing issue with mounting shares through the dashboard that has been fixed on the Mac.
I submitted a support case through the website and received this reply today which is not very reassuring…for now, I’ll wait to see if a fix comes out before my 30 day return window expires.
[quote] [Incident: 100522-000016]
I apologize for the inconvenience. Our engineers are very aware of this problem where your drives do not spin down in the DroboFS. We are currently working to fix this issue and will be resolved with a future release of firmware. However, we do not have a time frame on when this firmware will be released.
[/quote]
Hopefully someone can get a more definite ETA on this fix as it’s a core issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly? I would urge anyone else with this issue to also open a support case so that this issue will be addressed quickly.
I just bought the Drobo FS… Just received it on the 10th. of June. One of the points that I liked about the Drobo FS was that it would go into Standby mode. My other NAS would not. I don’t like keeping them on when I’m not using them, trying to save power. And low and behold it does not go into Standby mode or the disk don’t spin down. I have the Drobo FS on a Kilowatt and so far the power is consistent. Disappointed.
My support case is still open on this; however, there is not yet any ETA on the fix. My Drobo FS stays mainly off for the same reason while I wait for this fix.
For comparison, my DLink NAS does go into a standby mode after 5 minutes of inactivity which is why I’m still using it as my primary file server and primary media server. If and when I finally trust my new drobo with my data I’ll start using it, but the device and it’s support has not yet gained my full confidence.
My opinion is that anyone with this issue should open a case. This way, they know the magnitude and impact of this issue and maybe it will get fixed sooner than later. The original ETA given to zerofivenataku by support was early June which is now past and the fact that they won’t give me any ETA makes me think that they are no closer to resolving the issue yet.
Being that Drobo FS is on the network, I suspect there are more external variables (other machines querying/hitting the unit, broadcast network messages, etc) compared to the direct-connect Drobo.
Spoke to support, the agent claims that it will not sleep if connected to a router. Umm, my previous set-up, Drobo v2+Droboshare did spin down, connected to the same router.
I’m not / nor turned on, the apps feature. It’s just used as a NAS.
I was not given a ticket number… as this NON SPIN DOWN is a feature. So why is there an option in Dashboard, and WHY did Droboshare function as described, while the Drobo FS does not perform as described in the literature.
@Jennifer, when you say “connected to a router” I assume you mean cases like a USB connection to an Airport Extreme or the like?
An FS, which only has an Ethernet connection, wil probably never go into standby on it’s own, I assume? Or does it go to standby if it doesn’t detect any Ethernet connection? Can you put it in standby manually from Dashboard? And if you can, how do you wake it up again?
Either a Drobo connected via USB, or a DroboShare/DroboFS/DroboPro/DroboElite connected to a router/switch via ethernet. Will NOT go into standby mode. The Drobo and DroboShare has a standby command you can issue from dashboard only. The others (FS/Pro/Elite) is Shut Down from dashboard.
If you unplug the power to the router/switch or unplug the ethernet cable to the FS/Pro/Elite, it will go into standby mode because it senses no connection to anything.
To get any product out of standby mode, you need to unplug then plug in the power cable or toggle the power off then back on.
I wanted to clarify the difference between standby (sleep) mode and Disk Spin Down. They are NOT the same thing.
There seemed to be some confusion between the two.
Are you telling me that a Drobo v2 on a Droboshare will never enter a spin down?
I think, like many others with the std Drobo need to keep the cover off to see what is going on, and as such, MY Drobo v2 connected to a Droboshare use to spin down, cebter light going orange after a certain amout of time. As a matter of fact, it was sometimes touch & go when I restarted the computer.
Sometimes it would spin up, other times I needed to access data on the Drobo (if I worked locally and never I/O’d the Drobo), other times, even when trying to access the Drobo via Explorer or other disk utility, it would not wake up. Inerestingly, you could hear the drives spin up sequentially.
If it did not "spin-up’, however, Dashboard did wake it up.
I recall a couple of times, I needed to reboot the computer for the Drobo to spin up… THIS IS FOR A DROBO v2 ON A DROBOSHARE.
So… question . . , what was happening to my Drobo/Droboshare set up? Was it spinning down? Going to Sleep?
If your drives lights were going off and the power light was turning amber, your drobo was going into standby mode because it no longer saw a connection to either your droboshare or your network.
With disk spin the drive lights and power light will NOT change in any way.
Drobo’s on droboshares did spin down the disks after 15 mins of inactivity, again the lights would NOT have changed.
What you were experiencing was lost connection and the drobo going into standby mode. Did you ever contact support about that issue?