This topic applies to the 1st and 2nd generation Drobo and Drobo S only. If your Drobo storage device is a DroboPro or DroboElite, please see Volume Management. If your device is a Drobo FS, there is no interaction required for formatting the drives.
Using virtualization technology, Drobo storage devices do not require you to format each and every drive you add to your Drobo. When you add or upsize drives in your Drobo device, you will get immediate access to any additional capacity. After the initial format, you will not need to format added drives until an additional pool of storage is create and Drobo Dashboard will walk you through that process when the time comes.
Note: The following is an example of one configuration. Depending on the combination of your operating system and product, the screens will vary.
If Drobo Dashboard is running, it will automatically show you the Drobo Format dialog box.
If your Mac had also detected your unformatted drives and is displaying the Disk Insertion dialog box, then click Ignore.
Note: If Drobo Dashboard or your Mac did not detect your unformatted drives, then see Starting Drobo Dashboard.
Note: For instructions about using the Mac OS Disk Utility, see Formatting Drives Using Mac OS Disk Utility.
From the Drobo Format dialog box, click Yes to view the Drobo Format Options dialog box.
From the Format Options dialog box you will be presented with different format options depending on whether your Drobo is directly attached to your Mac or attached to your local network via DroboShare.
Do one of the following and then click Continue:
If you plan to connect your Drobo only to Macs and/or DroboShare, select HFS+. This is the default selection.
If you plan to connect your Drobo to a PC running any Windows operating system, including older supported operating systems such as Windows XP or earlier, and DroboShare, select NTFS (Legacy).
Note: In order to remain compatible with older versions of Windows, the volume size will be limited. This option is only displayed if you are formatting via DroboShare.
Note: This option is only displayed if you are formatting via DroboShare.
Note: This option is only displayed if you are formatting via DroboShare.
Note: FAT32 is an older file system technology that is generally less protective of your data than modern (journaled) files systems such as HFS+. It also has some performance and file size limitations.
By default, Drobo will format itself as a 2TB volume regardless of the capacities of the drives inserted into Drobo. The Volume Size Selection tool allows you to modify the volume size based on what is available depending on your operating system. There are some trade-offs to consider when selecting a volume size. As you drag the slider across the different volume size options, the text below will detail these tradeoffs. Make your selection and click Continue.
Note: You may notice that some volume size selections are grayed out. Some operating systems cannot support volumes larger than 2TB. Depending on what operating system you are using, it will provide you with the available volume sizes to select from.
Depending on your volume selection and the total raw capacity of the drives in Drobo, you will be presented with the opportunity to select a name for your volume(s). When done, click Continue.
You will be asked to confirm your selections. Click Format to begin formatting.
Warning: The Format command erases ALL data on all hard drives and is not reversible.
A progress bar will be shown during the formatting process.
You will receive a confirmation dialog when formatting is complete, click OK and Drobo is ready for use.
Tip: When you add or upsize drives to Drobo after initial formatting, you will get immediate access to any additional capacity. Once formatted, Drobo will handle formatting any new hard drives that you may add to it until the actual capacity is greater than the volume size. When this occurs, an additional pool of storage is created with a size equal to the previous volume. When this new pool of storage is created, Drobo will guide you through the process of formatting this new volume. Be sure to only format the newly created volume to ensure your existing data is retained.
Tip: Use the Drobo Dashboard Format button when you wish to erase all the data on the drives in Drobo. This should only be used when you are confident you want to erase all data on the drives in Drobo.
Tip: Once formatted, Drobo will handle formatting any new hard drives you may add. Any new capacity from adding a new hard drive will be available within seconds.