Tips on How to Prevent Data Loss on NAS D-Link DSN-1100-10 and Recover Deleted Files

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 D-Link 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 continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS D-Link DSN-1100-10 devices?

Continuous data protection (CDP) mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS D-Link DSN-1100-10 devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time Backup: CDP mechanisms continuously capture and replicate data changes as they occur in real-time. This ensures that even the most recent changes are protected and can be restored in case of a failure or data loss event.
2. Granular Recovery: CDP allows for granular recovery of data at any point in time. This means that if a file or data is corrupted or accidentally deleted, it can be restored to a specific point in time before the issue occurred. This minimizes the amount of data that needs to be recovered and reduces downtime.
3. Reduced Recovery Point Objective (RPO): RPO refers to the maximum tolerable amount of data loss in case of a failure. CDP mechanisms offer a low RPO as they continuously capture every data change, minimizing the potential data loss to almost zero.
4. Improved Disaster Recovery: CDP mechanisms replicate data to remote locations or off-site backups, providing an additional layer of protection against disasters like fires, floods, or theft. This ensures that data can be restored even if the primary NAS device is completely destroyed or inaccessible.
5. Protection against Human Errors: Accidental deletion, overwriting, or modification of data by users can lead to data loss. CDP mechanisms can help in such scenarios by allowing the restoration of data to a previous point in time before the error occurred.
6. Quick Recovery: With CDP, the recovery process is faster as it eliminates the need for lengthy backup restoration processes. Users can quickly restore data to a specific point in time, reducing downtime and minimizing the impact on business operations.

Overall, CDP mechanisms provide a robust and reliable solution for minimizing potential data loss on NAS devices like D-Link DSN-1100-10, ensuring data availability, integrity, and business continuity.

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

Although NAS DSN-1100-10 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 D-Link DSN-1100-10. 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 D-Link

DSN-1100-10 has 5 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 10;
• 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 D-Link DSN-1100-10 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