Repairing a Faulty RAID Array on NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 with Several Drives

Contents

• Why can’t ordinary software tools restore files from RAID?
• How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?
  • Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • Safe recovery from disk images
  • Where are user’s files stored?
  • Comparison of software for RAID recovery

Why can’t ordinary software tools restore files from RAID?

Conventional hard disks keep user’s data by writing it to their surface in a consecutive way, and this is how an entire file is stored on a single hard disk. However, when data is written to a RAID system, a file is divided into several parts. Then these parts are written consecutively to all hard disks within such array. The size of such parts may range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so each file is stored on several hard disks at the same time.

Such approach helps to speed up read and write operations, and it is evident that saving two parts of a file having the size of 1 GB to two hard disks simultaneously is much faster than saving the same 1 GB of data to one hard disk. However, this peculiarity makes file recovery more complicated.

Various RAID levels store information in different ways. Additionally, manufacturers like Buffalo also introduce some modifications to this process, and that is why data can be written to hard disk in a wide variety of ways.

How does a NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 device store and manage data?

The NAS Buffalo DriveStation HD-CE1.5TLU2 device is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed to store and manage data for multiple users or devices on a network. Here is how it stores and manages data:

1. Storage Capacity: The device comes with a pre-installed hard drive with a storage capacity of 1.5TB (terabytes). This capacity can vary depending on the specific model or configuration.
2. Network Connectivity: The device connects to the network using Ethernet ports, allowing multiple users or devices to access and share data simultaneously. It typically supports standard network protocols such as TCP/IP, SMB/CIFS, FTP, and others.
3. File Sharing: The NAS device creates a shared folder or multiple shared folders that can be accessed by users on the network. Users can store, retrieve, and manage their files within these shared folders. The device supports various file systems like NTFS (Windows), HFS+ (Mac), and FAT32.
4. User Management: The device has built-in user management features that allow administrators to create user accounts and assign specific permissions to each user. This ensures that only authorized users can access certain files or folders.
5. RAID Configuration: The device may support different RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations, such as RAID 0, RAID 1, or JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks). These configurations provide data redundancy, performance improvement, or a combination of both.
6. Backup and Data Protection: The NAS device often includes built-in backup features, allowing users to schedule automatic backups of their data to external drives or cloud storage services. It may also support features like RAID redundancy or snapshot technology to protect against data loss.
7. Remote Access: Many NAS devices, including the Buffalo DriveStation, offer remote access capabilities. This enables users to access their data from anywhere using a secure internet connection, using dedicated apps or web interfaces provided by the manufacturer.
8. Additional Features: The device may have additional features such as media streaming capabilities, printer sharing, FTP server functionality, or integration with other cloud storage services.

Overall, the Buffalo DriveStation HD-CE1.5TLU2 NAS device provides a centralized storage solution for networked devices, allowing efficient data storage, access, and management for multiple users or devices.

How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?

Although NAS Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 can be accessed over the network, you still need to take the hard disks out of the storage device and connect them to a Windows computer. Only in this case will the software be able to scan them properly. Here is what you should do:

1. Turn off the storage and disconnect it from the power supply.

   WARNING! Before you start taking hard disks out of your NAS device, read the manual carefully. Incorrect actions may damage your network-attached storage and/or the hard disks within the RAID system.

2. Take the hard disks out of the NAS one by one, carefully removing them from their slots. Remember that the disks are extremely vulnerable: hitting or dropping them may result in serious physical damage.

3. Make sure to mark each hard disk in accordance with how they were installed inside the NAS.

4. Remove the hard disks and connect them to the computer. In this video, we have explored what ports are used to connect hard disks, and what to do if there are not enough ports or connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2. The hard disks that make up the RAID contain technical information about the algorithm used to save files. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery reads this information and puts the damaged array together. Then you can open the disk and save your files. Also, you can recover the files accidentally deleted from the network drive.

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How to recover data from a Buffalo

Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 has 1 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• exFAT, VFAT, FAT 12 / 16 / 32;
• NTFS / ReFS;
• APFS / HFS+;
• Ext2 / 3 / 4 / ReiserFS / XFS / UFS / ZFS / Btrfs;
• VMFS / HikvisionFS;

Safe recovery from disk images

This utility lets you save an entire copy of the disk to file and then work with this image instead of the actual disk. Such feature helps to protect data on the disk from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Loss resulting from bad sectors;
• User mistakes.

To create an image, do the following:

1. Make sure that you have enough free space to save the image. The image file size usually equals the disk size.

2. Select the disk in the main window, and choose from the menu Tools – Save Disk. You can select multiple disks to be saved.

3. When the image creation wizard starts, you can choose to save the entire disk or select only a part of it. Specify the parameters and click Next.

   

4. At this stage, you need to choose a directory where to save the image. Choose any disk connected to this PC, or save the image by FTP.

   

Where are user’s files stored?

The Buffalo Drive Station HD-CE1.5TLU2 network-attached storage keeps OS Linux operating system files on a separate RAID 1 (mirrored) array. Usually, all NAS systems create several volumes on every hard disk, and the first of them takes up to 2 Gb of space. This is where operating system files are stored. Other volumes are united into a RAID array where user’s data is written.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery