Steps to Restore a NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 RAID Array with Multiple Damaged 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 regular disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: By monitoring the health of the disks regularly, you can detect any signs of impending failure such as bad sectors, high temperature, or excessive read/write errors. This allows you to replace the failing disk before it completely fails and causes data loss.
2. RAID array maintenance: NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 devices typically use RAID configurations to provide data redundancy and protection against disk failures. Regular monitoring can help identify any issues with the RAID array, such as degraded or failed disks, and take appropriate actions to rebuild or replace the affected disks.
3. SMART monitoring: Most modern hard drives support Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART), which provides various parameters and statistics about the drive's health. By monitoring these SMART attributes regularly, you can identify any abnormalities and take necessary actions, such as replacing the drive or backing up the data before a failure occurs.
4. Proactive maintenance: Regular disk health monitoring allows you to proactively maintain your NAS device by identifying potential issues before they become critical. This includes regular firmware updates, checking for any known issues or vulnerabilities, and ensuring the overall system is functioning optimally.
5. Data backup and redundancy: Monitoring disk health also reminds you to regularly back up your data to an external source or another NAS device. This redundancy ensures that even if a disk fails and data is lost, you can restore it from the backup, minimizing the risk of permanent data loss.
6. Timely disk replacements: By monitoring disk health, you can identify the lifespan of the disks and plan for their replacement before they reach their maximum recommended usage. This prevents the chances of sudden disk failures and minimizes the risk of data loss.

In summary, regular disk health monitoring and analysis on NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 devices help in early detection of disk failures, maintenance of RAID arrays, proactive maintenance, data backup, and timely disk replacements, all of which contribute to preventing potential data loss.

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

Although NAS TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 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 TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5. 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

TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 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:

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 TeraStation TS-H1.0TGL/R5 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