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

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Idis DR-2508P
• 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 Idis 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 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 Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

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

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 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison