Volumes disconnecting after 10.6.5 Server update

I have two Drobo Pros hooked up to a MacPro running 10.6.4. I can't get them to stay connected when using iscsi. I have tried many combinations etc. nothing works. Connecting through Firewire keeps them running but is not fast enough for a long term solution.

pcolvin15, what version of Mac OS are you running? And what version of Drobo software?

Thanks for any help, this is really vexing.

Actually, I'm not using 10.6.5 Server but the regular version of 10.6.5 and I'm too experiencing disconnections of the Drobo from my MacBook Pro.

Since my MacBook Pro only have USB ports I do not have the options to try anything else to keep the Drobo connected.

As with everyone else here and in other forums, I cannot keep the Drobo connected unless it is not being written to. Sustain reads from the Drobo appear to be okay.

BTW: the only change since the Drobo was working properly was the upgrade of Mac OS X from 10.6.4 to 10.6.5.

Equipment: Drobo 1
Software: firmware 1.3.7 [1.254.30359], Dashboard 1.7.3 [1.7.30095], Mac OS 10.6.5

Please let me know if there's anything else you need to help identify a solution for this issue.

DroboPro, firmware v1.1.11[2.50.30751]
dashboard v1.7.3[1.7.30095]

Version is 10.6.5 of SLS.

If you are running iscsi you must use a GB switch. Do not use a cheap ($60.00) switch as there is not enough ring buffer to provide you the speed required (many share 128k between all the ports). I use an HP 8 port that sells for around $130 and has 16MB of ring buffer. Too little memory and you will get transmission errors and timeouts because the switch will drop packets like crazy.

having the same problem. drobo 2nd gen keeps dropping at random. an error comes up and says 'The disk was not ejected properly' but when i look at the system profiler > usb it says drobo is still connected. however i do not have access to drobo volume until i unplug the usb cable and plug it back in.

macbook 5,1 osx 10.6.5 drobo firmware 1.3.7

Is 1.3.7 for the Drobo the latest? The Pro I have is at 1.7.3.

i was beginning to think i was going crazy, but it looks like i'm not alone with my drobo issue. i used to have my drobo connected via firewire 800 but then ran into some issues before (like having my itunes, which streams from the drobo, skipping and then dropping connection completely.) so was advised by drobo support to switch to USB. now since my 10.6.5 os update (i'm not on the server. just a mac pro) it was dropping the connection left and right. this is just not cool apple. not cool at all.

and it did it again on firewire 800. that's it. how do i downgrade?

I have thousands of photos(gig upon gig) on my Drobo and work from the files stored on the Drobo. THis constant dropping is a mjor pain. Not to mention I fear the corruption of my photo workflow. After the latest drop-Aperature had to shut down and rebuild the library/restore the versions before I could continue. Come on Apple- I have tried firewire and USB- both drop. I NEVER had a problem until the 10.6.5 update. Nery a drop. First a flawed Aperature 3 that you are finally getting the kinks ironed out of-now this. Maybe Apple shouldn't be the choice of professionals. Cleary it is your problem. FIX THIS **** THING.

SRJ

As suggested by Data Robotics I connect my Drobo with Firewire 400 instead of USB 2.0 to prevent this problem.

At the moment I don't have disconnects, but I now have sudden hickups in the connection very frustrating when you are listening to music.

I hope this will get fixed soon

@pcolvin15

2nd gen drobo FIRMWARE is 1.3.7 dashboard is 1.7.3

Sorry, can't type. The dashboard is 1.7.3. The firmware is 1.1.11 for the DroboPro.

We identified a problem some time ago with the build in Intel 82574L chips apple uses in the mac pro. We've seen them "drop off" due to a stall.
With AFP, we see a message something like:
ASP_TCP disconnect
show up in the logs. Then AFP tries to reconnect. It fails for a while and will eventually recover.
For our own customers, we've been having them put in our single port cards (Small Tree).

@pcolvin15

have you had any drops after apple's last update ??

For me at least the problem with the Drobo connected via USB disconnecting randomly after extended writes still exists.

Hi Morten,

Is your USB Kernel downgrade still working for you?

Aitan