Fixing a Damaged RAID Array on NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-WL6TU3R1 with Several Faulty 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 can RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations impact data loss in NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-WL6TU3R1 devices?

RAID configurations can have a significant impact on data loss in NAS Buffalo Drive Station HD-WL6TU3R1 devices. Here are a few ways how:

1. Redundancy: RAID configurations, such as RAID 1 (mirroring) or RAID 5 (striping with parity), provide redundancy by storing multiple copies of data across different drives. In case of a drive failure, the redundant copies can be used to rebuild the data without any loss. This helps protect against data loss due to drive failures.
2. Fault tolerance: RAID configurations with parity, like RAID 5 or RAID 6, can tolerate the failure of one or more drives without losing data. The parity information allows for the reconstruction of the lost data from the remaining drives. This enhances the device's ability to withstand drive failures and reduces the risk of data loss.
3. Hot swapping: Many NAS devices, including the Buffalo Drive Station HD-WL6TU3R1, support hot swapping, which means you can replace a failed drive while the system is still running. This feature minimizes the downtime and reduces the chances of data loss during drive replacement.
4. Data recovery: In case of data loss due to accidental deletion or corruption, some RAID configurations, like RAID 1, can aid in data recovery. Since the data is mirrored across multiple drives, you can retrieve the lost data from the remaining drives.

However, it's important to note that RAID configurations alone cannot guarantee complete protection against data loss. They primarily address drive failures and provide some level of fault tolerance. Other factors like human error, malware attacks, or natural disasters can still lead to data loss. Therefore, it is recommended to have additional backup strategies in place, such as regular backups to external storage or cloud services, to ensure comprehensive data protection.

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

Although NAS Drive Station HD-WL6TU3R1 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-WL6TU3R1. 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-WL6TU3R1 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-WL6TU3R1 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