How to Recover a Malfunctioning RAID Array from NAS Idis DR-2508P

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 Idis 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 conducting regular backups on external storage devices mitigate data loss risks for NAS Idis DR-2508P devices?

Conducting regular backups on external storage devices can mitigate data loss risks for NAS Idis DR-2508P devices in the following ways:

1. Redundancy: By backing up your data on external storage devices, you create a redundant copy of your important files. In case of any data loss or hardware failure on the NAS device, you can restore the data from the backup, ensuring its availability.
2. Protection against hardware failure: NAS devices can experience hardware failures like hard drive crashes or power supply issues. Regular backups on external storage devices ensure that even if the NAS device fails, your data remains safe and can be easily retrieved.
3. Protection against data corruption: Data corruption can occur due to various reasons such as software bugs, viruses, or human errors. By conducting regular backups, you can store multiple versions of your data over time. This allows you to restore a clean version of the data in case of corruption, minimizing the risk of permanent loss.
4. Disaster recovery: Natural disasters like fire, floods, or theft can damage or destroy the NAS device and the data stored on it. Having backups on external storage devices, preferably stored off-site, ensures that your data remains safe and can be easily recovered in such situations.
5. Ease of data migration: Regular backups on external storage devices facilitate easy data migration to a new NAS device or storage solution. You can transfer the backed-up data to the new device, reducing the downtime and ensuring continuity of operations.
6. Long-term data preservation: External storage devices can provide a reliable and secure means of long-term data preservation. By periodically transferring your data to these devices, you can ensure that your important files are not subject to degradation or loss over time.

It is important to follow best practices for backups, such as using reliable external storage devices, scheduling regular backups, and verifying the integrity of the backed-up data to ensure its effectiveness in mitigating data loss risks.

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

Although NAS DR-2508P 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 Idis DR-2508P. 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 Idis

DR-2508P has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• 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 Idis DR-2508P 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