Got notice of a Dashboard update 2.8.2, and a 5D firmware update 3.5.0.
Is the Dashboard update guaranteed to work with older 5Ds?
The firmware update recommends backing up data before doing it? Do I buy another Drobo? Or is the recommendation to buy a few 4TB drives and copy to them?
Thanks.
The dashboard works with ALL Drobo models…even my old Gen2 4-bay unit which I still use. I’ve never seen a firmware update go bad, but it’s always a good idea to backup your Drobo regularly if you have files you cannot replace.
hi just to add to what dragon mentioned, my dashboard 2.5.3 also sees my gen2 as well, which is great, and how it should always be 
the backup process is up to you… there are pros and cons for each, but good benefits to both.
for example,
when i first started out with a drobo, i had a gen1 model, and then i got a gen2 model and essentially backed up the gen1 onto the gen2 (and also tried to keep both similar in terms of drives and sizes), and each drobo had 2 volumes of max2TB each.
for me, it was very practical as i could use another syncback tool, to essentially mirror selected data and folders, from each volume, onto its dentination volume on the other drobo, and it was a process that worked perfectly for several years (only problem now is that im still trying to sort out a problem with the gen1, and the computer that it was attached to, after their was a surge or something in the computer)
what i also started doing (and fortunately, did most before the gen1 and its computer had problems), was to use stand-alone drives (via a usb caddy) and to copy paste and verify data onto it… this gives the benefit of having the data readily accessible again via a usb (without needing any drobo software or hardware) but also, however, it doesn’t have any of the drobo benefits of drive redundancy etc.
you will probably need to update the firmware at some point,
and while a dashboard update might be safer than a firmware (overall),
having backups is always a good, and recommended process.
so it will probably come down to a budget choice…
if you got another drobo, you would need to get drives for it too,
if you only have enough for some backup drives, then you could just get drives now, and do a backup,
and then later when you can, you could get another similar model, and then just get 1 or 2 new drives for it, (ideally 2), and then to copy paste and verify your data from the backups, 1 drive at a time, and then once successfully copied over, you could then add that drive into the 2nd drobo, (which would then shortly after, assimiliate it into its overal storage config)
then you would end up with 2 drobos, one having a backup of the other, plus 1 or 2 spare drives with which you can then make standalone backups of the most important data, possibly storing some offsite just in case.
[quote=“Paul, post:3, topic:143006”]
hi just to add to what dragon mentioned, my dashboard 2.5.3 also sees my gen2 as well, which is great, and how it should always be
the backup process is up to you… there are pros and cons for each, but good benefits to both.
for example,
when i first started out with a drobo, i had a gen1 model, and then i got a gen2 model and essentially backed up the gen1 onto the gen2 (and also tried to keep both similar in terms of drives and sizes), and each drobo had 2 volumes of max2TB each.
for me, it was very practical as i could use another syncback tool, to essentially mirror selected data and folders, from each volume, onto its dentination volume on the other drobo, and it was a process that worked perfectly for several years (only problem now is that im still trying to sort out a problem with the gen1, and the computer that it was attached to, after their was a surge or something in the computer)
what i also started doing (and fortunately, did most before the gen1 and its computer had problems), was to use stand-alone drives (via a usb caddy) and to copy paste and verify data onto it… this gives the benefit of having the data readily accessible again via a usb (without needing any drobo software or hardware) but also, however, it doesn’t have any of the drobo benefits of drive redundancy etc.
you will probably need to update the firmware at some point,
and while a dashboard update might be safer than a firmware (overall),
having backups is always a good, and recommended process.
so it will probably come down to a budget choice…
if you got another drobo, you would need to get drives for it too,
if you only have enough for some backup drives, then you could just get drives now, and do a backup,
and then later when you can, you could get another similar model, and then just get 1 or 2 new drives for it, (ideally 2), and then to copy paste and verify your data from the backups, 1 drive at a time, and then once successfully copied over, you could then add that drive into the 2nd drobo, (which would then shortly after, assimiliate it into its overal storage config)
then you would end up with 2 drobos, one having a backup of the other, plus 1 or 2 spare drives with which you can then make standalone backups of the most important data, possibly storing some offsite just in case.
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I have an older drobo. Just have to stock it with enough to hold what’s on the new. Thanks for the info.