"Even the physical theft protection aspect can be easily handled with the Kensington lock feature."
Considering that 12mm (half an inch) steel-cables / U-locks are unable to prevent bicycle theft, I really doubt that anything a Kensington lock could be attached to would prevent anyone from stealing the thing.
Point noted, but it does act as a first-level deterrent. The unit is really heavy too, and combining these two factors, I think a casual break-in will probably result in the N2 being left alone.
It's actually more a insurance thing from what I gather. As they wouldn't cover something left unattended. It has nothing to do with actual physical security, especially not for server side equipment. Companies tend to lock the computers in computer security cabinets itself in a locked room at the end of the day if they care or has any policy regarding security/theft.
Penti- You're right. Most companies that care about physical theft security have their equipment in a closet or locked room. That being said, we're releasing a floor mount locking kit for the N2 which allows the N2 to be bolted to the floor or wall. It'll also allow the block all access to all ports and screws (front and back) with a steel panel that can be padlocked into place.
In regards to physical security, it's an issue as with anything - you get what you pay for. Class 3 Bank Vaults cost more than an Ace Hardware padlocks. With ioSafe, we are constantly thinking about what makes the most sense from a cost, weight and user's perspective.
We consider the N2 a building block to help with businesses dealing with vulnerable data. Multiple N2's hidden and synchronizing on the LAN might be a good solution for some businesses. Using a combination of N2's, traditional cloud and offsite vaulting also might work for some businesses. No one solution works for everyone.
The odds of a bike thief having a bolt cutter are pretty good. The odds of a home burglar having a bolt cutter are significantly less I would think. Without a bolt cutter these Kensington locks would be a pretty strong deterrent.
I've had to remove Kensington-style locks at my office from laptops when combinations are forgotten or keys are lost. All that's required is a folding multitool (Gerber, Leatherman, etc.) and couple of minutes to gnaw at the cable after using the knife or saw blade to slice away a bit of the plastic jacket (which isn't necessary depending on cable thickness. Of course, taking out the hard drive and protecting the laptop from metal fragments when cutting down the actual lock to take it apart is a little bit more of a pain, but that can happen at someone's leisure after a theft has happened.
Wow! So $400 of sheet metal wrapped around a $200 NAS. I believe, I would use the extra $400 to buy a second NAS and drives and then use a second physical location with HSI and sync the two (e.g. office to house with RSync)
I want to see its USPs addressed! Fireproofness, waterproofness, resistance to electrical problems and theft. And honestly, if any problems are worth addressing it's those last two.
Hi ssj3gohan - The N2 can be used with just about any commercially available UPS. Many of the more popular brands can be used with the USB port on the N2 to intelligently shut it down if power failure is imminent.
Human error ranks as the highest reason for data loss so don't forget that on your list :)
But all issues are worth addressing as they're all reasons for protecting data. Check out the post from me above to Penti regarding the floor mount kit or redundant N2's on the LAN.
But photos are not really constantly updated. Regular backups with an external harddrive, which you keep at your workplace or some other remote place are a much cheaper solution to your scenario.
The ioSafe is still just a part of your backup and disaster recovery plans. It's a key element for some but not to be used as the sole storage device on the network. Designed for small business and paranoid home users. Not designed for everyday use nor as the primary location of files. Store them on another server and backup regularly to the ioSafe.
I'd be interested in learning more about the WD drives in the Compatibility List that didn't meet temp requirements, the very same model 2,3 and 4TB drives Ganesh is using to test the device.
"*Note: Drive will not operate in normal working environments above 30°C (86°F)."
30 degrees Celsius? Holy Doodle Batman! These are supposed to be enterprise drives? What am I missing?
Well, all I could find about the drives is that they are rated for operation between 5°C and 55°C. Not sure what ioSafe means. But I have to say, I find it hard to believe that any enterprise would subject their HDDs to non-climate-controlled rooms. So staying below 30°C environmental temperatures should not be a problem in any enterprise situation.
That particular series of WD enterprise drives (FYYZ) runs hotter than most. Both Synology and ioSafe recommend a 30C operating environment in order to maintain 55C or lower on the drive PCB. Hope that helps! -Robb Moore
I get your point although I'll be a great number of enterprise class drives are not installed in purpose built rooms serviced by hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of HVAC equipment.
*For the ioSafe N2, an updated version of the DataCast component is being used. This design allows for more water to be part of the mixture, and we can even see water droplets forming on the inside after operating the unit for a short time. The more water we have in the surrounding material, the better is the fire resistance.*
Since this just seems to be so counter-intuitive to most of us working with electronics, can you shed a little more light on how ioSafe came up with this idea for cooling etc. I realize the actual drive housing must be hermetically sealed, but this is still pretty cool stuff.
I had some coverage of the DataCast and other related components in the SoloPRO review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5731/iosafe-solopro-... : DataCast is based on the final patent in that page (a super-saturated enclosure made of gypsum or similar material). Hope that answers your questions.
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26 Comments
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zepi - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
"Even the physical theft protection aspect can be easily handled with the Kensington lock feature."Considering that 12mm (half an inch) steel-cables / U-locks are unable to prevent bicycle theft, I really doubt that anything a Kensington lock could be attached to would prevent anyone from stealing the thing.
Cstefan - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
I've enjoyed demonstrating the worthlessness of these to company bigwigs that about 1 minute with medium duty snips is all it takes.ganeshts - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
Point noted, but it does act as a first-level deterrent. The unit is really heavy too, and combining these two factors, I think a casual break-in will probably result in the N2 being left alone.Penti - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
It's actually more a insurance thing from what I gather. As they wouldn't cover something left unattended. It has nothing to do with actual physical security, especially not for server side equipment. Companies tend to lock the computers in computer security cabinets itself in a locked room at the end of the day if they care or has any policy regarding security/theft.robb.moore - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
Penti-You're right. Most companies that care about physical theft security have their equipment in a closet or locked room. That being said, we're releasing a floor mount locking kit for the N2 which allows the N2 to be bolted to the floor or wall. It'll also allow the block all access to all ports and screws (front and back) with a steel panel that can be padlocked into place.
In regards to physical security, it's an issue as with anything - you get what you pay for. Class 3 Bank Vaults cost more than an Ace Hardware padlocks. With ioSafe, we are constantly thinking about what makes the most sense from a cost, weight and user's perspective.
We consider the N2 a building block to help with businesses dealing with vulnerable data. Multiple N2's hidden and synchronizing on the LAN might be a good solution for some businesses. Using a combination of N2's, traditional cloud and offsite vaulting also might work for some businesses. No one solution works for everyone.
Great discussion.
Thanks!
Robb Moore
CEO
ioSafe
sphigel - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
The odds of a bike thief having a bolt cutter are pretty good. The odds of a home burglar having a bolt cutter are significantly less I would think. Without a bolt cutter these Kensington locks would be a pretty strong deterrent.BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
I've had to remove Kensington-style locks at my office from laptops when combinations are forgotten or keys are lost. All that's required is a folding multitool (Gerber, Leatherman, etc.) and couple of minutes to gnaw at the cable after using the knife or saw blade to slice away a bit of the plastic jacket (which isn't necessary depending on cable thickness. Of course, taking out the hard drive and protecting the laptop from metal fragments when cutting down the actual lock to take it apart is a little bit more of a pain, but that can happen at someone's leisure after a theft has happened.secretmanofagent - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
That, and I'm pretty sure they're just going to yank it really hard if they don't want to wait.bbomb - Monday, March 4, 2013 - link
No physical testing of the waterproofness or fireproofness?Samus - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
There are some pretty ridiculous videos on YouTube, one involving it being driven over by a bulldozer.Bobs_Your_Uncle - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
I done my durndest, but from nowhere within the article was I able to ferret out a reference price for this Beautiful Beast.ganeshts - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
Diskless is $599 ; Sorry for the oversightwchpitt - Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - link
Wow! So $400 of sheet metal wrapped around a $200 NAS. I believe, I would use the extra $400 to buy a second NAS and drives and then use a second physical location with HSI and sync the two (e.g. office to house with RSync)ssj3gohan - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
I want to see its USPs addressed! Fireproofness, waterproofness, resistance to electrical problems and theft. And honestly, if any problems are worth addressing it's those last two.robb.moore - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
Hi ssj3gohan -The N2 can be used with just about any commercially available UPS. Many of the more popular brands can be used with the USB port on the N2 to intelligently shut it down if power failure is imminent.
Human error ranks as the highest reason for data loss so don't forget that on your list :)
But all issues are worth addressing as they're all reasons for protecting data. Check out the post from me above to Penti regarding the floor mount kit or redundant N2's on the LAN.
Robb Moore
CEO
ioSafe
ShieTar - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
But photos are not really constantly updated. Regular backups with an external harddrive, which you keep at your workplace or some other remote place are a much cheaper solution to your scenario.otherwise - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
I'm very disappointing that a review of a component that claims to be fireproof didn't involve fire. I'd love to see someone test that claim.BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
That could be a good excuse for Anandtech's staff to play with fire. BrokenCrayons encourage this manner of testing.tygrus - Tuesday, March 5, 2013 - link
The ioSafe is still just a part of your backup and disaster recovery plans. It's a key element for some but not to be used as the sole storage device on the network. Designed for small business and paranoid home users. Not designed for everyday use nor as the primary location of files. Store them on another server and backup regularly to the ioSafe.random2 - Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - link
I'd be interested in learning more about the WD drives in the Compatibility List that didn't meet temp requirements, the very same model 2,3 and 4TB drives Ganesh is using to test the device."*Note: Drive will not operate in normal working environments above 30°C (86°F)."
30 degrees Celsius? Holy Doodle Batman! These are supposed to be enterprise drives? What am I missing?
Death666Angel - Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - link
Well, all I could find about the drives is that they are rated for operation between 5°C and 55°C. Not sure what ioSafe means.But I have to say, I find it hard to believe that any enterprise would subject their HDDs to non-climate-controlled rooms. So staying below 30°C environmental temperatures should not be a problem in any enterprise situation.
robb.moore - Monday, March 11, 2013 - link
That particular series of WD enterprise drives (FYYZ) runs hotter than most. Both Synology and ioSafe recommend a 30C operating environment in order to maintain 55C or lower on the drive PCB. Hope that helps!-Robb Moore
Robb Moore
CEO
ioSafe
random2 - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - link
I get your point although I'll be a great number of enterprise class drives are not installed in purpose built rooms serviced by hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of HVAC equipment.random2 - Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - link
*For the ioSafe N2, an updated version of the DataCast component is being used. This design allows for more water to be part of the mixture, and we can even see water droplets forming on the inside after operating the unit for a short time. The more water we have in the surrounding material, the better is the fire resistance.*Since this just seems to be so counter-intuitive to most of us working with electronics, can you shed a little more light on how ioSafe came up with this idea for cooling etc. I realize the actual drive housing must be hermetically sealed, but this is still pretty cool stuff.
ganeshts - Wednesday, March 6, 2013 - link
I had some coverage of the DataCast and other related components in the SoloPRO review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5731/iosafe-solopro-... : DataCast is based on the final patent in that page (a super-saturated enclosure made of gypsum or similar material). Hope that answers your questions.random2 - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - link
Thank you Ganesh...Appreciate the link a great deal.Cheers.