I am looking for something similar to, but for moving 3.5' drives around without fearing dropping them (and damaging them) - part of backup rotation. I like to use full drives and the WD Nomad case only fits specific smaller (size/dimensions) drives.Note: I forgot to mention I only use GNU/Linux and need these to act to the OS as any other regular USB/SATA-connected drive would do.consists of rugged 2.5' drives that require a matching RDX (USB3, internal or external) drive to be used. RDX cartridges up to 2TB are available. Your comment led to a few fruitful hours of reading/research, many thanks!RDX looks interesting indeed, if a bit more expensive. I now understand it's not just regular hard disks inside rugged cases, the hard disks also are different.and comments suggest the drives used in such enclosures use proprietary firmware and won't work as a standard drive, so that's a blocker there.However and show how to use it as a standard removable drive in GNU/Linux, so I am not sure where compatibility stands WRT GNU/Linux.
Confirms full compatibility with GNU/Linux, though!.
We are installing Small Business Server 2011 Essentials on a Dell T110-II PowerEdge server. For back-up, the server has an internal SATA cartridge disk drive system (Dell PowerVault RD1000 - similar to the HP SimpleSave drive). Here is the problem.From 'Computer' and 'Disk Management,' SBSE recognizes this drive, as well as the properties of the disk cartridge inserted. When a cartridge is installed. I can get to it via the command prompt, etc. So, by most traditional measures,the OS is 'seeing' the disk cartridge.
RDX with Elite Package shown in Obsidian Blue Pearl. ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WITH INTELLIGENT CONTROL SYSTEM™ For more than twenty years, our engineers have been making the trip to Baudette, Minnesota, where we subject our cars to some of the most brutal winter tests imaginable. The RDX endured endless hours of slush-pool laps. For back-up, the server has an internal SATA cartridge disk drive system (Dell PowerVault RD1000 - similar to the HP SimpleSave drive). Microsoft, isn't there a registry hack that can overide this?
However, when we run the SBSE server back-up wizard, it tells us that 'the wizard cannot find any disks that are suitable for a backup destination.' There is an empty 160 GB disk cartridge ready to go, accordingto the OS. Yet the OS's own back-up program doesn't seem to recognize the drive/disk.Thanks very much for any suggestions or help you can offer.John Nork. Thanks very much for this information, Merv. It really helps clarify things.
For standard incremental back-ups, it may make more sense to use a third party tool (such as the limited edition of Symantec Backup Exec that came with the drive).That way if someone wants to retsore a single document, for example, that can be accomplished.I plan to also make an image back-up of the server (when it has been fully configured) and save that to an external USB drive (which would then be stored in a fireproof/waterproof safe). As I posted in another question, does the built-in SBSE back-upprogram offer a bare-metal complete image back-up function like this? I assume that it does, but it's not an apparent as the image back-up option is in Windows 7 (unless I'm missing something obvious).JohnJohn Nork.
Thanks a lot for your continuting help. The Dell RD1000/PowerEdge T110 II server was just purchased last week.
In theory, all of the drivers and firmware should be current (in theory, that is). I did download both of the programs shownon your link above.
The firmware release ended up being the same one that was already installed for the RD1000 (but I installed the new one again anyway, just in case). The utilities download was a zipped copy of the RD1000 utility programs thatwere on the CD included with the drive.
Again, they were the same dates/versions as what I had already installed, but I reinstalled them again anyway.Unfortunately none of these changes made any difference. The native Windows Server back-up program (whether run from the SBS 2011 dashboard or directly from the Server admin tools) produces the same end result. Although Windows recognizesthe RD1000 drive, in the back-up software it is regarded as a DVD or other removable drive. As a result, the only back-up that can be made with Windows Server back-up is a full image copy of the server.
Worse yet, there is no way to restore anythingother than the complete image. In other words, it is not possible to restore a file, a folder, etc. It's all or nothing, which makes this pretty useless as a back-up solution. Very frustrating.John Nork. Solution:The Windows Backup utility in Windows SBS 2011 Essentials is able to do a immediate (backup once) or a scheduled backup. The scheduled backup is not able to use removable disk (e.g. USB memory stick, DVD or Dell RD1000).
Only internaland USB hard disks are recognized as a valid backup target. This is because of the mandatory bound of the unique disk identifier with a backup job.But there is a very simple workaround to avoid this problem: share your removable drive as e.g.: ServernameRD1000, and schedule a backup to that share in stead of a fixed disk. Make sure that the person who defines the backup job hasfull control rights to this share. Problem solved.LexTol. It stinks that WSB has this limitation. Or does it stink that the device shows up as CD/DVD media? Or do they both stink?
Regarding the reason with the unique disk identifier, it is no different than a USB drive. Microsoft, isn'tthere a registry hack that can overide this?After my tantrum with this issue, I decided to install an $89 internal SATA 1TB backup drive inside the system, and robocopy from the internal drive to the RD-1000. Now I can have incrementals and a full system backup to take offsite.Like everything Microsoft, throw some money at it and make the problem go away.