The Drobo S 5-Bay Array Enclosure from Data Robotics is an innovative external storage solution. The Drobo S features all of the convenience and data protection capabilities of a traditional RAID system, without the hassles and inflexibility that are associated with RAID storage. There is no need to install a full set of matched-capacity drives for functionality. You can start with a single drive and add storage as your needs increase. You'll even be able to remove a drive and replace it with one of equal or greater capacity, without having to first migrate data to another storage device.
When multiple drives are installed, the Drobo S supports data protection. If a drive fails, none of your data will be lost -- simply replace the failed drive and the Drobo will rebuild itself. When you have three or more drives installed, you can configure the Drobo S to protect against the failure of two drives, practically eliminating the possibility of data loss due to hard disk failure. The Drobo allows you to switch between single-drive and dual-drive redundancy without having to reformat your array.
The enclosure supports up to five standard 3.5" SATA hard drives. Your computer sees the Drobo as a single hard drive volume for the ultimate in ease of use. Indicator lights alert you to system status as well as available capacity. The Drobo S is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. It can connect via eSATA, FireWire-800, or USB 2.0.