NAS Digiever DS-323128-RM Pro+ Data Recovery: Pro Tips for RAID Array Restoration

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 Digiever 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 the number of concurrent users or clients accessing a NAS Digiever DS-323128-RM Pro+ device affect data loss risks?

The number of concurrent users or clients accessing a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device like the Digiever DS-323128-RM Pro+ can affect data loss risks in several ways:

1. Increased Network Traffic: With more concurrent users accessing the NAS device, there will be an increase in network traffic. This increased load on the network can lead to slower data transfer speeds and potential data loss if the network becomes overwhelmed or experiences bottlenecks.
2. Higher Risk of Accidental Deletions or Modifications: As the number of users accessing the NAS simultaneously increases, the chances of accidental deletions or modifications to files also rise. Multiple users making changes to the same files simultaneously can result in conflicts and data loss if changes are not properly synchronized or if files are accidentally overwritten.
3. Increased Vulnerability to Malicious Activities: More concurrent users mean a larger attack surface for potential security breaches. If proper security measures are not in place, such as strong user authentication, access controls, and encryption, the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, or data loss due to malware or hacking attempts can increase significantly.
4. Performance Impact: The number of concurrent users can impact the overall performance of the NAS device. If the device is not capable of handling a high number of simultaneous connections, it may become overloaded, leading to slower response times, increased latency, and potential data loss if the system becomes unresponsive or crashes.

To mitigate these risks and ensure data integrity on a NAS device with multiple concurrent users, it is important to:

• Implement robust user authentication and access controls to prevent unauthorized access.
• Regularly backup data to an off-site location or another NAS device to protect against accidental deletions, modifications, or hardware failures.
• Monitor and optimize network performance to handle the increased load efficiently.
• Implement redundancy and fault-tolerant configurations, such as RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), to protect against hardware failures and data loss.
• Regularly update the NAS firmware and security patches to address any vulnerabilities and ensure the latest security measures are in place.
• Educate users about best practices for data management, including file versioning, avoiding simultaneous editing, and proper backup procedures.

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

Although NAS DS-323128-RM Pro+ 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.

   Go to view

   

   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 Digiever DS-323128-RM Pro+. 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.

Go to view

How to recover data from a Digiever

DS-323128-RM Pro+ has 32 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• 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 Digiever DS-323128-RM Pro+ 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