How to recover data from Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA NAS

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 storage tiering or caching strategies impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices?

Storage tiering and caching strategies can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices. Here's how:

1. Improved Data Availability: Storage tiering and caching strategies aim to enhance data availability by optimizing the performance and accessibility of frequently accessed data. By intelligently storing frequently accessed data on faster storage tiers or in cache, these strategies reduce the latency in retrieving data, ensuring it is readily available when needed.
2. Reduced Potential Data Loss: By implementing storage tiering and caching, the NAS device can minimize the potential loss of data. This is achieved through techniques like data replication and redundancy. Data is often replicated across multiple storage tiers or cached in redundant locations, ensuring that even if one tier or cache fails, the data remains accessible from other sources, reducing the risk of data loss.
3. Improved Performance: Storage tiering and caching strategies can significantly improve the overall performance of the NAS device. Frequently accessed data is stored on faster storage tiers or in cache, reducing the need to fetch it from slower storage mediums. This results in faster data retrieval and improved system responsiveness, enhancing the user experience.
4. Efficient Resource Utilization: By leveraging storage tiering and caching, the NAS device optimizes resource utilization. Frequently accessed data is stored in high-performance storage tiers or cache, while less frequently accessed data can be stored on slower, cost-effective storage mediums. This ensures that resources are efficiently allocated based on data access patterns, maximizing the overall storage capacity and cost-effectiveness of the device.
5. Enhanced Scalability: Storage tiering and caching strategies can support the scalability of NAS devices. As data grows, these strategies can dynamically adjust the placement of data across different storage tiers or caches, ensuring optimal performance and availability. This scalability allows the NAS device to accommodate increasing data demands without compromising data availability or performance.

However, it's important to note that the specific impact of storage tiering and caching strategies on the Buffalo LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA devices may vary based on the implementation and configuration. It is recommended to consult the device's documentation or Buffalo's support for detailed information on the specific capabilities and best practices for storage tiering and caching on the mentioned NAS device.

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

Although NAS LinkStation LS-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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-WSX1.0TLR1WHA. 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-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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-WSX1.0TLR1WHA 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