But is it not true that only Drobo Dashboard software can access the setup and diagnostics of the system?
Yes and no. Like most storage appliances, the Drobos are somewhat specialized hardware running stripped-down and slightly customized versions of Linux. If you know what you are doing, it's possible to gain access to some management functions with standard Linux utilities. I don't recommend that, though, and I personally use the Drobo
Dashboard application to manage the box. To my way of thinking, what you're paying for when you buy one of these appliances primarily is the system administrative software provided by the manufacturer. Otherwise, it's easy enough to buy or build a generic computer, install Linux (or UNIX or even—gulp—Microsoft Windows) on it, and make your own storage device. In fact, that's precisely what I do for my general-purpose servers, one of which functions as my primary datastore. (The Drobo is a back-up to my back-up device, and I use a remote "cloud" service as a back-up to the back-up of my back-up. Belt and suspenders and a parachute, I guess you could call it.)