Drobo B1200i User Manual

Drobo How-To Guide
Add SSDs to a Drobo B1200i to Enable Automated Data-Aware Tiering
drobo.com | Add SSDs to a Drobo B1200i to Enable Automated Data-Aware Tiering
1
With the introduction of SSD support in the Drobo B1200i, SSDs
provide a faster tier of storage for data that is transactional in
nature, the type of data that benefits from the faster write and
access speeds SSDs provide. Follow the steps in this guide through
the process of adding solid state drives (SSDs) to a Drobo B1200i to
automatically accelerate transactional applications on the Drobo.
Topics
 What you will need
 Preparing to add SSDs
 Adding SSDs to enable Automated Data-Aware Tiering
What You Will Need
• Drobo B1200i SAN storage system
• 3 compatible enterprise SSDs*
• Drobo B1200i firmware 1.1.0 or higher
• Drobo Dashboard management software version 2.2.0 or higher
* Enterprise SSDs tested by Drobo as compatible for use in B1200i. More information @
http://support.drobo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/655.
Preparing to Add SSDs
If you initially deployed a Drobo B1200i without SSDs, some preparations are required in order to install SSDs and
enable Automated Data-Aware Tiering and performance acceleration.
STEP 1
Verify that you are using
Drobo Dashboard
version 2.2.0 or higher.
Skip to Step 3 if your
version of Drobo
Dashboard is up to date.

Drobo B1200i Specifications

General

Processor family	-
RAID support	Yes
Storage drive size	3.5 \
Storage drive capacity	2000 GB
Supported file systems	ext3, FAT32, HFS+, LVM, NTFS, VMFS
Storage drive interface	Serial ATA, Serial ATA II, Serial ATA III
Total installed storage capacity	18 TB
Maximum supported storage capacity	36 TB
Number of storage drives installed	9
Number of storage drives supported	12
Internal memory	- GB
Ethernet LAN data rates	100, 1000 Mbit/s
USB 2.0 ports quantity	0
Ethernet LAN (RJ-45) ports	4
Chassis type	Rack (3U)
Product color	Black
Sustainability certificates	RoHS
AC input voltage	100-240 V
AC input frequency	50 - 60 Hz
Mac operating systems supported	Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Server operating systems supported	Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 x64, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 x64
Storage temperature (T-T)	10 - 60 °C
Operating temperature (T-T)	10 - 35 °C
Operating relative humidity (H-H)	20 - 80 %
Certification	- WEEE, REACH, FCC A, ICES-003 B, CE, CISPR22:19973rd B, MIC, VCCI V.3, BSMI CNS13438, ACA AS/NZS 3548 - UL, cUL, TUV, CB
Cables included	AC

Weight and Dimensions

Depth	555 mm
Width	436.1 mm
Height	132.1 mm
Weight	21318 g

Summary

What You Will Need

Preparing to Add SSDs

Verify Drobo Dashboard Version

Confirm Drobo Dashboard meets version 2.2.0 or higher for setup.

Download and Install Drobo Dashboard

Obtain and install the latest Drobo Dashboard software version.

Check Drobo B1200i Firmware Version

Ensure Drobo B1200i firmware is version 1.1.0 or higher.

Update Drobo B1200i Firmware

Upgrade the B1200i firmware using Drobo Dashboard or a manual file.

Configure Dual-Disk Redundancy

Enable Dual-Disk Redundancy in General Settings before drive removal.

Remove SAS Drives

Remove three SAS drives to make space for SSDs in designated bays.

Adding SSDs to Enable Automated Data-Aware Tiering

Insert First SSD

Insert the first SSD into an available empty drive bay.

Insert Second SSD

Insert the second SSD into another available empty drive bay.

Insert Third SSD

Insert the third SSD into the remaining empty drive bay.