How to Diagnose and Fix Faulty RAID Arrays in NAS Idis DR-8532

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 regular disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Idis DR-8532 devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Idis DR-8532 devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: Regular monitoring allows you to identify any signs of disk failure or degradation. By analyzing disk health parameters such as SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) attributes, you can detect early warning signs of potential disk failures. This enables you to take proactive measures to replace the failing disk before it leads to data loss.
2. Predictive maintenance: Disk health analysis can provide insights into the overall health and performance of the disks in your NAS device. By monitoring metrics like temperature, read/write error rates, and bad sectors, you can anticipate potential issues and plan for maintenance or replacement in advance. This helps you avoid unexpected disk failures and the subsequent data loss.
3. RAID array monitoring: NAS devices like Idis DR-8532 often use RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) for data redundancy and protection. Regular disk health monitoring allows you to track the status of individual disks within the RAID array. If a disk shows signs of failure, you can initiate a RAID rebuild process to restore data redundancy and prevent data loss.
4. Data backup and replication: Disk health monitoring can remind you to regularly backup and replicate your data. If disk health analysis indicates potential issues, it serves as a reminder to ensure that your data is properly backed up to an external storage device or replicated to another NAS device. This ensures that even if a disk fails and data is lost, you have a recent backup or replica available for recovery.
5. Proactive disk replacement: By monitoring disk health, you can proactively replace aging or degraded disks before they fail. This helps prevent data loss that could occur during the time it takes to replace a failed disk and restore data from backups. Regular monitoring allows you to identify disks that are approaching their end of life or exhibiting signs of deterioration, enabling you to schedule timely replacements.

Overall, regular disk health monitoring and analysis provide valuable insights into the status of your NAS device's disks, allowing you to take preventive actions, ensure data redundancy, and minimize the risk of data loss.

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

Although NAS DR-8532 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-8532. 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-8532 has 8 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 Idis DR-8532 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