Drobo Migration
Migrating Your Data Between Drobo Products

Migrating your data from Drobo to Drobo FS:

To move your data from another model to Drobo FS, connect both computers simultaneously and copy the files you'd like to share.

Moving your data from any model Drobo to a Drobo FS:

1. Connect Drobo FS to your network and ensure it has sufficient free capacity to accommodate the additional data from your Drobo.
2. Copy ALL files from Drobo to Drobo FS.
3. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessibly on Drobo FS
4. If you would then like to add the drives from the Drobo to the Drobo FS, remove the drives from Drobo and place them one at a time in the free data bays in Drobo FS.
   
   Note that this will ERASE ALL DATA on these drives. This step cannot be undone. If you aren't sure that you've successfullycopied all data onto Drobo FS, do not complete this step.

Migrating your data from Drobo to DroboPro:

IMPORTANT! Disk packs created or updated on Drobo Gen 2 running firmware version 1.4.0 to DroboPro firmware version 1.2.1 and earlier is not currently supported.

Ensure you have the latest Drobo Dashboard and firmware on both Drobo and DroboPro before moving disk packs. Migrating drives to a DroboPro is a one-way operation. Note that once you move drives from a Drobo to a DroboPro that you will not be able to use them in the Drobo.

The following migration options are NOT supported:

• Drobo S to any Drobo other than Drobo S, that is, only Drobo S to Drobo S is supported
• DroboPro to any Drobo other than DroboPro, that is, only DroboPro to DroboPro is supported

2nd Generation Drobo (FireWire 800)

Moving your data from a 2nd Generation (FireWire 800) Drobo to a DroboPro is simple¹:

1. Put both your Drobo and DroboPro into standby using Drobo Dashboard or your operating system and then power each array off.
2. Remove ALL disks from Drobo and insert ALL disks into DroboPro.
3. Power DroboPro back on

1st Generation Drobo (USB-only)

Moving your data from a 1st Generation (USB-only) Drobo to a DroboPro:

1. Install the version of Drobo Dashboard software that came with your new DroboPro (or later).
2. Connect DroboPro to your computer and ensure it has sufficient free capacity to accommodate the additional data from Drobo.
3. Copy ALL files from Drobo to DroboPro.
4. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessibly on DroboPro
5. If you would then like to add these diska to DroboPro, remove themfrom Drobo and place them one at a time in the free data bays in DroboPro.
6. Note that this will ERASE ALL DATA on these drives.
   This step cannot be undone. If you are unsure if you have successfully copied all data onto DroboPro, do not complete this step.

NOTE: If your Drobo was formatted using Drobo firmware v1.03 or earlier, you will be unable to directly swap your drives from Drobo into DroboPro. This applies to most but not all 1st Generation (USB-only) Drobos. When you insert the disks into DroboPro a warning dialog will inform you of this, pointing you to this webpage. This process is necessary to upgrade you to the latest software that ensures maximum expandability in the future.

¹ 1st Generation (USB-only) Drobos formatted using Drobo firmware v1.10 or later may also follow these instructions. You can determine which upgrade path is necessary by inserting your whole Drobo disk pack in DroboPro. If you receive an error message, please follow the steps for a 1st Generation (USB-only) Drobo.

Migrating your data from Drobo to DroboElite:

In general, you cannot migrate data by moving hard drives from the Drobo to the DroboElite. Instead, you will need to copy the data from the Drobo to the DroboElite.

1. Install the version of Drobo Dashboard software that came with your new DroboElite (or later).
2. Connect your Drobo to your computer via the USB/FireWire connection¹.
3. Connect your computer and your DroboElite to a network switch.
4. Configure the iSCSI setup on your DroboElite so your computer is on the same subnet as the DroboElite.
5. Ensure your computer and DroboElite are connected via iSCSI
6. Verify your DroboElite has sufficient free capacity to accommodate the additional data from Drobo.
7. Once connected, simply copy your files from Drobo to DroboElite.
8. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessibly on DroboElite.
9. If you would then like to add the drives from the Drobo to the DroboElite, remove the drives from Drobo and place them one at a time in the free data bays in DroboElite.
   
   Note that this will ERASE ALL DATA on these drives. This step cannot be undone. If you are unsure if you
   have successfully copied all data onto DroboElite, do not complete this step.

¹ FireWire connection is available on 2nd generation Drobo only.

Migrating your data from DroboPro to DroboElite:

In general, you cannot migrate data by moving hard drives from the DroboPro to the DroboElite. You will need to copy the data from the DroboPro to the DroboElite.

1. Install the version of Drobo Dashboard software that came with your new DroboElite (or later).
2. Connect your DroboPro to your computer via the USB or FireWire connection.
3. Connect your computer and your DroboElite to a network switch.
4. Configure the iSCSI setup on your DroboElite so your computer is on the same subnet as the DroboElite.
5. Ensure your computer and DroboElite are connected via iSCSI
6. Verify your DroboElite has sufficient free capacity to accommodate the additional data from Drobo.
7. Once connected, simply copy your files from DroboPro to DroboElite.
8. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessibly on DroboElite.
9. If you would then like to add the drives from the DroboPro to the DroboElite, remove the drives from DroboPro and place them one at a time in the free data bays in DroboElite.
   
   Note that this will ERASE ALL DATA on these drives. This step cannot be undone. If you are unsure if you have successfully copied all data onto DroboElite, do not complete this step.

Migrating your data from a Drobo, Drobo S or DroboPro to DroboPro FS:

In general, you cannot migrate data by moving hard drives from the Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro to the DroboPro FS. The reason is that the file system layouts are slightly different on the DroboPro FS as compared to other Drobo storage systems. You will need to copy the data from the Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro to the DroboPro FS.

1. Install the version of Drobo Dashboard software that came with your new DroboPro FS (or later).
2. Connect your Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro to your computer via the USB or FireWire connection.
3. Connect your computer and your DroboPro FS to a network switch.
4. Configure the network setup on your DroboPro FS so your computer is on the same subnet as the DroboPro FS.
5. Ensure your computer and DroboPro FS are connected and you have the Public share on the DroboPro FS mounted on your computer.
6. Verify your DroboPro FS has sufficient free capacity to accommodate the additional data from Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro.
7. Once connected, simply copy your files from Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro to the DroboPro FS.
8. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessibly on DroboPro FS.
9. If you would then like to add the drives from the Drobo, Drobo S, or DroboPro to the DroboPro FS, remove the drives from old Drobo system and place them one at a time in the free drive bays in DroboPro FS.
   
   Note that this will ERASE ALL DATA on these drives. This step cannot be undone. If you are unsure if you
   have successfully copied all data onto DroboPro FS, do not complete this step.

Migrating your data from a Drobo FS to Drobo B800fs:

Moving your data from Drobo FS to a Drobo B800fs is simple.

The disk packs are directly transferrable between the Drobo FS and the Drobo B800fs.

1. Ensure that the Drobo B800fs is updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
2. Power off both the Drobo FS and the Drobo B800fs.
3. Remove ALL disks from Drobo FS and insert ALL disks into Drobo B800fs.
4. Power the Drobo B800fs back on.

Migrating your data from a Drobo FS to Drobo 5N:

Disk Pack Migration Best Practices

Option 1: Populate Drobo 5N with new drives and copy data from a Drobo FS over the network

Advantages:

• Read/Write performance fastest – Read and write performance increased due to new drive and format optimisations.
• Zero down time – Drobo FS shares are still available for use while copying data to the new Drobo 5N.
• Redundancy – Existing data remains on the Drobo FS.

Disadvantage:

• Cost – Additional drives to purchase for the Drobo 5N.
• File Transfer Time – Depending on network connection and amount of data transferred, this can take hours.
• Setup – Requires creating newusers, shares and mounting them on each host on the network.

Directions

1. Insert new drives into the Drobo 5Nwith capacity greater than or equal to existing Drobo FS.
2. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host computer. (See here for latest version: http://www.drobo.com/support/updates.php )
3. Ensure that both the Drobo FS and Drobo 5N are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
4. Connect the Drobo 5N to network and power it on.
5. Copy ALL files from the Drobo FS to the Drobo 5N over the network.
6. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessible on the Drobo 5N.

Option 2: Migrate Drobo FS disk pack to Drobo 5N

Note: A disk packrefers to all drivesinstalled in a Drobo. Any drive inserted into an existing disk packwill be erased before being added to the disk pack.

Note: Disk pack migration involves moving ALL drivesin the disk packfrom one Drobo to another.

WARNING! Do not migrate drives when either Drobo device is powered on. Do not mix drives from different disk packs. This can result in data loss.

Advantages:

• Cost – No need to purchase additional drives
• Ease of setup – Maintains all shares, permissions, and passwords from the Drobo FS
• Fastest transfer of data to the Drobo 5N – As fast as powering down the Drobo FS, migrating the disk pack to the Drobo 5N and powering it on.

Disadvantages:

• Read/Write performance – Read and Write performance about 75% compared to a Drobo 5N with a new disk pack.
• Down time – Requires powering off the Drobo FS in order to migrate the disk pack.

Directions

1. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host computer. (See here for latest version: http://www.drobo.com/support/updates.php )
2. Ensure that both the Drobo FS and Drobo 5N are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
3. Safely power down both the Drobo FS and Drobo 5N.
4. Remove ALL drivesfrom Drobo FS and insert ALL drivesinto the Drobo 5N.
5. Power Drobo 5N back on. Within a few minutes,shares, data and userswill be visible on Drobo Dashboard. Do not reset or unplug your Drobo during this process.

Migrating your data from a Drobo or Drobo S to Drobo 5D:

The Drobo 5D supports migrating entire disk packs from a Drobo or Drobo S, preserving all the data and volumes you created. You can also migrate disk packs from one Drobo 5D to another. To ensure a safe and successful migration, carefully follow the steps below.

Notes:

• A disk pack functions as a unit. When you migrate a disk pack, you move ALL the drives from one Drobo device to another. Only after migration of the disk pack is complete can you add additional drives to the new Drobo device, one at a time, if desired.
• If you are migrating the disk pack from a Drobo or Drobo S to a Drobo 5D, note that this is a one-way migration. After the migration, you will not be able to use the disk pack in the Drobo or Drobo S.
• For information on migrating data (as opposed to the disk pack) from one Drobo device to another, see Drobo Migration at the top of this page.

Warning! Do not migrate drives when either Drobo device is powered on. This can result in data loss.

Directions:

1. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host computer. (See here for latest version: http://www.drobo.com/support/updates.php )
2. Ensure that both the Drobo or Drobo S and the Drobo 5D are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard. To do this:
   • Ensure you have set up your Drobo 5D (but without inserting drives) and connected it to your host computer.
   • Ensure that your Drobo or Drobo S (with its drives) is still connected to the host computer.
   • In Drobo Dashboard, on the All Drobos page, select the Drobo or Drobo S, and then click the Tools option on the Navigation menu.
   • In the Software Updates area of the Tools page, click the Check for Updates option
   • If needed, follow the same steps to ensure the Drobo 5D has the latest firmware.
3. Safely shut down the Drobo or Drobo S and the Drobo 5D.
4. Remove ALL drives from the Drobo or Drobo S and insert ALL drives into the Drobo 5D.
5. Turn the Drobo 5D back on by pressing its power toggle button.
   The Drobo 5D may take a few minutes to boot up. When finished, all the data and volumes will be available on the Drobo 5D as it was on the Drobo or Drobo S.

Note: You can also follow these steps to migrate a disk pack from one Drobo 5D to another Drobo 5D.

Migrating Your Data from Drobo FS or 5N to Drobo 5N2:

Disk Pack Migration Best Practices

Option 1: Populate Drobo 5N2 with new drives and copy data from a Drobo FS or Drobo 5N over the network

Advantages

• Read/Write performance improvement – Read and write performance increased due to new drive and format optimizations.
• Zero down time – Drobo FS / Drobo 5N shares are still available for use while copying data to the new Drobo 5N2.
• Redundancy – Existing data remains on the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N.
• Increased capacity - The maximum volume size on the Drobo FS is 16TB (ext3 filesystem), the same goes for the Drobo 5N disk packs (created before 3.5.0 firmware). The 5N2 has 64TB volume size (ext4 filesystem).

Disadvantages

• Cost – Additional drives to purchase for the Drobo 5N2.
• File Transfer Time – Depending on network connection and amount of data transferred, this can take hours.
• Setup – Requires creating new users, shares and mounting them on each host on the network.

Directions:

1. Insert new drives into the Drobo 5N2 with capacity greater than or equal to existing Drobo 5N or Drobo FS.
2. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host computer. (See here for latest version: http://www.drobo.com/docs)
3. Ensure that both the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N and Drobo 5N2 are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
4. Connect the Drobo 5N2 to network and power it on.
5. Copy ALL files from the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N to the Drobo 5N2 over the network.
6. Verify ALL files are in place and fully accessible on the Drobo 5N2.

Option 2: Migrate Drobo FS or Drobo 5N disk pack to Drobo 5N2

Notes:

• A disk pack refers to all drives installed in a Drobo.
• Disk pack migration involves moving ALL drives in the disk pack from one Drobo to another.
• We advise that the disk pack is in an all green state and data is accessible on their Drobo FS / Drobo 5N before migrating the pack to 5N2.

Warning! Do not migrate drives when either Drobo device is powered on. Do not mix drives from different disk packs. This can result in data loss.

Advantages

• Cost – No need to purchase additional drives
• Ease of setup – Maintains all shares, permissions, and passwords from the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N
• Fastest transfer of data to the Drobo 5N2 – As fast as powering down the Drobo FS / Drobos 5N, migrating the disk pack to the Drobo 5N2 and powering it on

Disadvantages

• Read/Write performance – Read and Write performance about 75% compared to a Drobo 5N2 with a new disk pack, if the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N have a 16TB volume
• Total Volume - If the maximum volume size on the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N is 16TB. The maximum available usable capacity will stay at 16TB, if the pack is migrated to the 5N2.
• Down time – Requires powering off the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N in order to migrate the disk pack.

Directions:

1. Ensure that the latest version of Drobo Dashboard is installed on a host computer. (See here for latest version: http://www.drobo.com/docs )
2. Ensure that both the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N and Drobo 5N2 are updated to the latest version of firmware by "checking for updates" in Drobo Dashboard.
3. Safely power down both the Drobo FS / Drobo 5N and Drobo 5N2.
4. Remove ALL drives from Drobo FS / Drobo 5N and insert ALL drives into the Drobo 5N2.
5. Power Drobo 5N2 back on. Within a few minutes, shares, data and users will be visible on Drobo Dashboard. Do not reset or unplug your Drobo during this process

Migrating Your Data to Drobo 5D3:

The Drobo 5D3 supports migrating entire disk packs from another Drobo device to your Drobo 5D3, preserving all the data and volumes in the source Drobo Device. You can also migrate disk packs from one Drobo 5D3 to another.

Migration Paths Supported are as shown below:

• From Drobo 5D/5Dt to Drobo 5D3 is supported
• From Drobo 5C to Drobo 5D3 is supported
• From Drobo Gen3 to Drobo 5D3 is supported
• From Drobo S to Drobo 5D3 is supported

Migration Paths Not supported are as shown below:

• USB and Thunderbolt products cannot be migrated to NAS products or vice versa.
• Migration to Drobo 5D3 is not supported from Drobo Gen1 or Drobo Gen2 devices.

When to use Copy Data?

You can copy the data from one Drobo device to another, if data migration is not supported between your Drobo devices (see above for list of supported devices).

NOTE:

• Ensure that you have the latest Drobo Dashboard 3.1.2+ as well as the latest firmware on both source and destination (5D3 4.0.2+) Drobo devices before moving the disk packs.
  
  How to check if you’re on the latest Firmware?
  1. Launch Drobo Dashboard and select the appropriate Drobo device from the All Drobos page. (Also, if applicable, log in to this Drobo device.)
  2. Click the Tools option on the Navigation menu for the selected Drobo device to open the Tools page.
  3. In the Software Updates area, click the Check for Updates option. (update if needed)
  
  For additional resources go to our support page - http://dashboardhelp.drobo.com/guide/230/zh/ALL_Manually_Updating_Firmware_from_the_Website.htm
  
• Migration of data to Drobo 5D3 is a one-way operation. Once you have moved the data to Drobo 5D3, you will not be able to use it on the source Drobo device you are migrating from

To migrate a disk pack from one Drobo device to Drobo 5D3, follow the steps given below:

1. Power off both source and destination Drobo devices.
2. Remove the disks from the source Drobo device and insert them into Drobo 5D3.
3. Turn on the Drobo 5D3 by pressing its power toggle button.
4. The Drobo 5D3 may take a few minutes to boot up. When finished, all the data and volumes will be accessible as it was on the source Drobo device.