- 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?
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.
Are there any known limitations or performance issues related to specific RAID levels in NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5 devices?
There are a few limitations and performance issues related to specific RAID levels in NAS Buffalo DriveStation HD-QL8TU3R5 devices. Here are some of them:
- RAID 0: RAID 0 offers improved performance by striping data across multiple drives, but it does not provide any data redundancy. If one drive fails, all data is lost. Additionally, the performance gains may not be significant in real-world scenarios, and the risk of data loss is high.
- RAID 1: RAID 1 provides data redundancy by mirroring data across multiple drives. However, it does not offer any performance improvements as all data is duplicated on each drive. The usable capacity is also limited to the capacity of a single drive.
- RAID 5: RAID 5 offers both data redundancy and improved performance by striping data across multiple drives with parity information. However, the performance of RAID 5 can be slower compared to RAID 0 or RAID 1, especially during write operations. This is because calculating and writing parity information takes additional processing time.
- RAID 6: RAID 6 provides higher data redundancy than RAID 5 by using dual parity, which allows for the simultaneous failure of two drives without data loss. However, the performance of RAID 6 is generally slower than RAID 5 due to the additional calculations required for dual parity.
- RAID 10: RAID 10 combines the benefits of RAID 0 (performance) and RAID 1 (redundancy) by striping data across mirrored pairs of drives. It offers improved performance and data redundancy, but it has a higher cost in terms of usable capacity as half of the total drive capacity is used for mirroring.
It's important to consider these limitations and performance issues when choosing the appropriate RAID level for your specific needs and workload.
How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?
Although NAS Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5 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:
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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.
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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.
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Make sure to mark each hard disk in accordance with how they were installed inside the NAS.
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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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Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery
This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Buffalo Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5. 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.
How to recover data from a Buffalo
Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5 has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:
- RAID 0;
- RAID 1;
- RAID 5;
- RAID 6;
- 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:
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Make sure that you have enough free space to save the image. The image file size usually equals the disk size.
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Select the disk in the main window, and choose from the menu Tools – Save Disk. You can select multiple disks to be saved.
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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.
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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-QL8TU3R5 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
| Product | Operating system | License type | RAID controller support | Supported file systems | Virtual RAID controller support | Data recovery from damaged RAID | File preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetman RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DiskInternals RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| R-Studio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 200 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UFS Explorer RAID Recovery | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 1,000 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EaseUS Data Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 20 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| ReclaiMe Free RAID Recovery | Windows | Free | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
If the storage disks of a NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5 device have been accidentally overwritten or reformatted, data recovery may still be possible, but it depends on several factors:
It is recommended to immediately stop using the NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-QL8TU3R5 device to prevent further overwriting of data and consult with a professional data recovery service for the best chance of recovering your files.