Ventura/Sonoma and Drobo?

[pwitzkoske]

Good news again! One last thing I would like to know: is your primary Mac a M1 machine? I am using a Mac Studio and don’t have a second Mac - that is why I am very cautious and appreciate your experiences very much.

My primary Mac is a 2019 iMac (Intel core i9).

 

[CliffordJDM]

I finally took the time to update to Ventura on my iMac (Retina 5K, 27" 2019, 3.7 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i5) this weekend. As others have mentioned here, I already had my System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Full Disk Access > DDService64d active for my Drobo 5D3. As well as default set in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > App Store and identified developers. I went into the Drobo Dashboard > Tools > Shutdown and powered down my Drobo and disconnected it from my iMac. Then ran Software Update to bring it up Ventura, once it was all updated, I reconnected the Drobo to my iMac, powered on the Drobo and it mounted up just fine. Contents of the Drobo 5D3 all there and accessible as before as well as able to successfully launch the Drobo Dashboard and see/utilize its features. No problems ....thankfully.😅

 

[sdingeldein]

Good news again! One last thing I would like to know: is your primary Mac a M1 machine? I am using a Mac Studio and don’t have a second Mac - that is why I am very cautious and appreciate your experiences very much.

I am using a Mac Studio and just upgraded and have a Drobo 5D3 attached. So far I can access the files, Lightroom connects to them and Drobo Dashboard seems to be running fine. But I've only been upgraded for an hour.

 

[mkummer]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Seems, it is possible to update here to Ventura is safe for using my Drobo 5D too. (Fingers crossed )

 

[mkummer]

Well, now I updated to Ventura - and all went fine until now. Drobo Dashboard runs and the Drobo 5D is mounting over Thunderbolt with my Mac Studio. Hopefully, it stays so.

 

[Mydel]

I did an upgrade on MBP M1max and cant install drobo dashboard. It says that it is incompatible. What version of Dashboard have you install on Ventura?

 

[mkummer]

4.3.2 is the last version. Probably your difficulties result in a new install of the dashboard. If Monterey accepted the KEXT necessary for Dashboard, it will obviously handed over to Ventura. A new install seems to block the kext install. Look into the thread here to see, how the kext may be possible to be installed.

 

[mkummer]

Still, all is working fine with Ventura and Drobo 5D.

 

[Absrnd]

After reading comments here and on Reddit, I also updated to Ventura,
and I can also confirm the Drobo dahboard still works fine

 

[mkummer]

Good to know - here all is working OK too. Lets hope, further updates of Ventura don't break it.

 

[mjbushnell]

Well, I've updated my 27" iMac to Mac OS Ventura and now it will not connect to my Drobo 5D3, so I guess that it's time to replace my Drobo enclosure. I watch Terry White's "Protecting your most valuable asset: storage and backup" video course over at Kelby Training's "Photography Gear Conference" back in May and he recommended Qnap and Synology brands. Anyone have experience with these brands?
Will all that I have to do is swap the drives from my Drobo to the new enclosure? I realize that more than likely, the data will be wiped off the drives that are swapped to the new enclosure, but then I will have a fresh backup set on the drives in the new enclosure, correct?

 

[mkummer]

Problem with Intel Macs perhaps? Do you try to connect with USB or Thunderbolt? Did you install the Drobo Dashboard from scratch? Is the Kext on its place? (Read the thread for finding answers to those questions...)

The idea to take your content simply be swapping won't work - Drobo has its own drivers. Even to swap Drobo formatted drives from D to N did not work w/o building the whole database for new when I was trying that some time ago.

 

[mjbushnell]

Problem with Intel Macs perhaps? Do you try to connect with USB or Thunderbolt? Did you install the Drobo Dashboard from scratch? Is the Kext on its place? (Read the thread for finding answers to those questions...)

The idea to take your content simply be swapping won't work - Drobo has its own drivers. Even to swap Drobo formatted drives from D to N did not work w/o building the whole database for new when I was trying that some time ago.

O.K., just upgraded the firmware (even though Drobo Dashboard says that it was up to date), and my Drobo now shows up on my desktop and Time Machine now says that the Drobo is connected, so I guess that solved the issue.

 

[mkummer]

Good news.

 

[mjbushnell]

Yes it is.
Time Machine has started the scheduled backup - currently 13 minutes left.

 

[sdingeldein]

Yep, still no problems. Mac Studio M1Max chip.

 

[mrpartyhut]

I have a Drobo 5C with the latest firmware (formatted in NTFS), but if I connect it with a usb-c to usb-c cable and macOS Ventura, the Drobo goes in loop. It starts and then reboot and nothing appear in Finder :-( I'm desperate. someone could help me please?

I don't want to install Dashboard, I want just mount the Drobo in NTFS and the use an NTFS driver to write on that Drobo.

Thanks in advance
Marco

PS: MacBook Pro 16 M1 Pro

 

[mkummer]

I don't think, the Drobo is prepared to do this? As far as I understand, the internal filesystem should be installed via the Dashboard and is somewhat special. It is not intended to be used as a normal tower with an assembly of hard disks used as a single volume.

Could you do the intended use with a former macOS?

 

[pwygant]

Hopefully this link is useful for users inquiring about the kext issue with later MAC OS like Monteray using Apple Silicon: https://myproducts.drobo.com/retrieve/s3/knowledge/AA/New Mac M1.html

 

[mkummer]

Even Ventura 13.1 works still fine with former installed Drobo extension. From Drobo support and the former still active Twitter site no activity at all.

Merry Christmas to you all.

 

[MrWheelz]

mkummer, thanks for the time you've put into the decision. Just to confirm you're referring to Ventura 13.1 not 13.0.1? I'm on the later, thanks again.

 

[satcomer]

Drobo Dashboard is still INTEL ONLY application this day and age! Bad developers in my mind that they don't care about modern Macs! Yet another failed developer again!

 

[MrWheelz]

I believe Drobo is out of business, bankruptcy. We're preparing for the end. I have 2 Drobos, twins. I use Carbon Copy Cloner. My Plex/Drobo/Backup has been working great for 12 years. Sad, I have always had good luck with Drobo.

 

[mkummer]

I believe Drobo is out of business, bankruptcy. We're preparing for the end. I have 2 Drobos, twins. I use Carbon Copy Cloner. My Plex/Drobo/Backup has been working great for 12 years. Sad, I have always had good luck with Drobo.

Nobody knows exactly. The twitter support seems to be online. Drobo and Dashboard is just working under Ventura 13.1 inspire of lack of updates. I use my Drobo w/o problems for now.

 

[mkummer]

mkummer, thanks for the time you've put into the decision. Just to confirm you're referring to Ventura 13.1 not 13.0.1? I'm on the later, thanks again.

I have 13.1 on my Mac Studio and all runs fine still.