Posts: 1,163
Threads: 1,164
Joined: Feb 2020
Reputation:
2
I need to replace my aging Drobo 5D3, as it's showing signs of dying. It is attached to a MacMini via Thunderbolt 3. It hosts file shares and TimeMachine backups for other Macs in the house. It would be nice to find a product that has something like the Beyond RAID feature. Being able to hot swap HDs is a must. Thunderbolt 4 or newer be nice to future proof the enclosure. Must have on device hardware RAID 5, so looking at a four or five bay enclosure with one of the HDs being a hot spare.
I see you have old videos discussing migrations options for people with Drobo hardware, but since then, possibly some better options have been released.
Thanks for your help.
Posts: 4,599
Threads: 2
Joined: Jun 2022
Reputation:
30
To replace your Drobo 5D3, here are some excellent alternatives that meet your requirements:
Key Recommendations
OWC ThunderBay 4 RAID
Features: Thunderbolt 4, hardware RAID (via software utility), and support for RAID 5.
Pros: Reliable, hot-swappable bays, and good macOS compatibility.
Cons: Lacks BeyondRAID-like flexibility but compensates with traditional RAID functionality.
TerraMaster D5 Thunderbolt 3
Features: 5-bay DAS with hardware RAID support (RAID 5 included).
Pros: Hot-swappable bays, high-performance Thunderbolt 3, and competitive pricing.
Cons: Thunderbolt 3 instead of Thunderbolt 4, but still offers excellent speeds.
Promise Pegasus32 R4 or R6
Features: Thunderbolt 4/USB 3.2 combo, built-in hardware RAID (RAID 5 supported).
Pros: Enterprise-grade build, excellent macOS compatibility, and hot-swappable drives.
Cons: Higher price point.
QNAP TL-D800C
Features: USB 3.2 Gen 2, RAID support via external QNAP hardware/software.
Pros: Large capacity and flexible RAID configurations.
Cons: Not Thunderbolt-based; requires a USB-C connection.
Best Match for BeyondRAID
While no current DAS fully replicates BeyondRAID, Synology and QNAP NAS solutions with SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID) or similar features could be an option if you're open to switching from DAS to NAS. They provide RAID-like flexibility and hot-swappable bays but would connect via the network instead of Thunderbolt.
