NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS5410DN3204 Data Recovery: Detailed Step-by-Step RAID Array Guide

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 does a NAS Buffalo TeraStation TS5410DN3204 device store and manage data?

The Buffalo TeraStation TS5410DN3204 is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed to store and manage data in a centralized location. Here is how it stores and manages data:

1. Storage Capacity: The TeraStation TS5410DN3204 comes with four hard drive bays, allowing you to install up to four hard drives. It supports various types of hard drives, including SATA and SSD, and can accommodate different storage capacities depending on the drives you install. The total storage capacity of the device is the combined capacity of the installed drives.
2. RAID Configuration: The device supports various RAID configurations, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and JBOD. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage technology that combines multiple drives into a single logical unit for improved performance, data redundancy, or a combination of both. By configuring RAID, you can choose the level of data protection and performance that suits your needs.
3. File System: The TeraStation TS5410DN3204 uses a file system to organize and manage the stored data. It supports multiple file systems, including NTFS (Windows), HFS+ (Mac), and ext4 (Linux). The file system determines how files are stored, accessed, and managed on the NAS device.
4. Network Access: The NAS device is connected to a network, allowing multiple users or devices to access the stored data simultaneously. It supports various network protocols, such as SMB/CIFS, AFP, FTP, and NFS, which enable different operating systems and devices to access the data.
5. User and Group Management: The TeraStation TS5410DN3204 allows you to create user accounts and groups, enabling you to control access to the stored data. You can assign different levels of permissions to users and groups, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access specific files or folders.
6. Data Backup and Synchronization: The device offers backup and synchronization features to protect your data. It supports scheduled backups to external drives or other NAS devices, cloud backup services like Amazon S3 or Dropbox, and synchronization with other devices or cloud storage.
7. Additional Features: The TeraStation TS5410DN3204 may have additional features, such as RAID expansion, hot-swapping of drives, remote access, integration with Active Directory, data encryption, and antivirus protection. These features enhance data management, security, and accessibility.

Overall, the Buffalo TeraStation TS5410DN3204 stores and manages data by providing a centralized storage solution with various storage configurations, file systems, network access options, user management, backup/synchronization capabilities, and additional features to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses or home users.

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

Although NAS TeraStation TS5410DN3204 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 TS5410DN3204. 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 TS5410DN3204 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 TS5410DN3204 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