How to Access RAID Disk Data Without a NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH Device

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 regular disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: Disk health monitoring tools can constantly monitor the health of the hard drives in the NAS device. They can detect early signs of disk failures such as bad sectors, high temperature, or abnormal noise. By identifying these issues early on, you can take preventive measures like replacing the failing disk before it completely fails and causes data loss.
2. Predictive analysis: Disk health monitoring tools often provide predictive analysis based on the collected data. They can estimate the remaining lifespan of the disks and warn you when they are likely to fail. This allows you to plan for disk replacement in advance, minimizing the risk of data loss.
3. RAID monitoring: If your Buffalo LinkStation NAS is configured with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), disk health monitoring can help in monitoring the status of the RAID array. It can detect any issues with the RAID configuration or disk synchronization, ensuring the data redundancy and integrity. This is crucial as RAID provides protection against disk failures and data loss.
4. SMART monitoring: Most modern hard drives support SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) which provides detailed information about the health and performance of the disks. Disk health monitoring tools can read and analyze the SMART data to identify potential issues. This can include analyzing parameters like read/write error rates, spin-up time, reallocated sectors count, and more.
5. Proactive maintenance: By regularly monitoring the disk health, you can proactively perform maintenance tasks like defragmentation, disk cleanup, or firmware updates. These tasks can optimize the performance and stability of the disks, reducing the chances of data loss due to disk-related issues.

Overall, regular disk health monitoring and analysis provide valuable insights into the status of the disks in your Buffalo LinkStation NAS. By taking timely actions based on the monitoring results, you can prevent potential data loss and ensure the reliability of your storage system.

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

Although NAS LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH 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 LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH. 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

LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH 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 LinkStation LS-WS500GLR1WH 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