Essential Tips for RAID Array Data Recovery on NAS Infortrend EonStor DS 3012 Devices

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 Infortrend 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 Infortrend EonStor DS 3012 devices?

Conducting regular backups on external storage devices can mitigate data loss risks for NAS Infortrend EonStor DS 3012 devices in the following ways:

1. Data redundancy: By regularly backing up data to an external storage device, you create a duplicate copy of your important files. In case of any data loss or corruption on the NAS device, you can restore the data from the backup, ensuring that your files are safe.
2. Protection against hardware failures: NAS devices, like any other hardware, can experience failures. Conducting regular backups on external storage devices ensures that even if the NAS device fails, your data remains intact on the backup storage. You can easily restore the data to a new NAS device or any other system.
3. Protection against accidental deletion or user errors: Sometimes, data loss can occur due to accidental deletion or user errors. Regular backups on external storage devices provide a safety net in such cases. If any data is accidentally deleted or modified incorrectly, you can retrieve the original version from the backup.
4. Protection against malware and ransomware attacks: NAS devices are vulnerable to malware and ransomware attacks, which can encrypt or delete your data. Regular backups on external storage devices ensure that even if your NAS device gets infected, you have a clean copy of your data that is not affected by the attack. You can restore the data after removing the malware or ransomware.
5. Disaster recovery: In case of a natural disaster, fire, theft, or any other catastrophic event that damages or destroys your NAS device, having regular backups on external storage devices ensures that your data is not lost forever. You can recover your data from the backup and continue your operations.

It is important to follow best practices for backups, such as keeping multiple copies of backups, storing them in separate physical locations, and regularly verifying the integrity of the backups to ensure their effectiveness in mitigating data loss risks.

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

Although NAS EonStor DS 3012 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 Infortrend EonStor DS 3012. 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 Infortrend

EonStor DS 3012 has 12 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 Infortrend EonStor DS 3012 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