Proven RAID Array Strategies for NAS Digiever DS-4209 UHD Data Recovery

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Digiever DS-4209 UHD
• How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
  • Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images
  • Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?
  • RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison

Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID

Conventional hard drives store user data by writing it sequentially across the disk surface, which means an entire file is typically located on a single drive. In contrast, when data is written to a RAID array, each file is split into multiple fragments. These fragments are then distributed and written in sequence across all the drives in the array. Depending on the configuration, fragment sizes can range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so every file is physically stored across several disks at once.

This approach significantly increases read and write performance — after all, writing two halves of a 1 GB file to two drives simultaneously is much faster than writing the full 1 GB to a single disk. However, this same mechanism makes file recovery far more complex.

Different RAID levels use different methods to distribute and protect data. On top of that, manufacturers like Digiever often add their own proprietary structures and variations. As a result, data can be written to disks in many different formats, and each requires a specific approach during recovery.

How can continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS Digiever DS-4209 UHD devices?

Continuous data protection (CDP) mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS Digiever DS-4209 UHD devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time Backup: CDP continuously captures and replicates data changes in real-time. It ensures that every modification made to files or folders on the NAS device is immediately backed up, minimizing the risk of data loss.
2. Point-in-Time Recovery: CDP maintains multiple versions of data, allowing users to restore files or folders to a specific point in time. In case of accidental deletion, corruption, or ransomware attacks, users can recover data from a previous state, reducing the impact of data loss.
3. Instant Recovery: CDP enables instant recovery by maintaining a replica of the NAS data on a separate storage system. In the event of a primary NAS failure, the replica can be quickly activated, minimizing downtime and ensuring continuous access to data.
4. Granular Recovery: CDP provides granular recovery options, allowing users to restore individual files or folders instead of the entire NAS system. This helps in saving time and storage resources while recovering specific data that may have been lost or corrupted.
5. Data Integrity Verification: CDP mechanisms often include data integrity checks to ensure that the backed-up data is consistent and free from errors. This helps in identifying and mitigating potential data corruption issues, reducing the chances of data loss.
6. Off-site Replication: CDP can replicate data to off-site locations, such as cloud storage or remote servers. This provides an additional layer of protection against local disasters or physical damage to the NAS device, minimizing the risk of complete data loss.

Overall, continuous data protection mechanisms offer enhanced data resilience and minimize potential data loss by providing real-time backups, point-in-time recovery, instant recovery, granular recovery options, data integrity verification, and off-site replication.

How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS DS-4209 UHD can be accessed over the network, you still need to remove its hard disks and connect them directly to a Windows PC. Only then can the recovery software properly scan and analyze the drives. Follow these steps:

1. Power off the NAS and disconnect it from the power source.

   WARNING! Before removing any drives, carefully read the device manual. Improper actions may damage both the NAS enclosure and the hard disks in the RAID array.

2. Remove the hard disks one by one, gently sliding each drive out of its slot. Remember that hard disks are highly sensitive: any impact or drop can cause serious physical damage.

3. Label each hard disk according to its position inside the NAS. The order of the drives is crucial for correct RAID reconstruction.

4. Connect the drives to your computer. In this video, we explain which ports you can use to connect hard disks and what to do if your PC does not have enough free connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program restores data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Digiever DS-4209 UHD. Each hard disk in the array contains technical metadata describing how files were written. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery analyzes this metadata, automatically reconstructs the damaged array, and provides access to its contents. After that, you can browse the recovered disk and save your files. The program can also restore files that were accidentally deleted from the network drive.

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How to recover data from a Digiever

DS-4209 UHD 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;

How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images

This utility allows you to create a complete copy of a disk and work with the disk image instead of the physical drive. This approach helps protect your data from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Additional data loss caused by bad sectors;
• User errors.

To create a disk image, follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have enough free space to store the image. Its size will typically match the size of the original disk.

2. In the main window, select the target disk and choose Tools - Save Disk. You can also select multiple disks if needed.

3. When the Image Creation Wizard opens, select whether you want to save the entire disk or only a specific region. Adjust the settings and click Next.

   

4. Choose the directory where the image will be saved. You may select any available disk connected to your PC or upload the image via FTP.

   

Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?

The Digiever DS-4209 UHD 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison