Advanced Tips for Recovering NAS Infortrend EonStor DS 3024 Data from RAID Arrays

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 regular system monitoring and alerting help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Infortrend EonStor DS 3024 devices?

Regular system monitoring and alerting can help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Infortrend EonStor DS 3024 devices in the following ways:

1. Performance Monitoring: By monitoring the performance metrics of the NAS device, such as CPU usage, memory utilization, and disk I/O, you can identify any abnormal behavior that could indicate a potential data loss event. For example, a sudden spike in CPU usage or a significant increase in disk I/O could be a sign of a malware attack or a failing hardware component.
2. Storage Capacity Monitoring: Monitoring the available storage capacity on the NAS device can help prevent data loss due to storage space exhaustion. By setting up alerts for low disk space, you can proactively take action to either expand the storage capacity or optimize the usage to avoid any data loss events.
3. Disk Health Monitoring: Monitoring the health of the physical disks in the NAS device is crucial for early detection of potential data loss events. By monitoring parameters such as disk temperature, SMART attributes, and disk read/write errors, you can identify failing or degraded disks that could lead to data loss. Alerts can be set up to notify administrators when disk health thresholds are breached, allowing them to replace the faulty disks before any data loss occurs.
4. RAID Array Monitoring: Infortrend EonStor DS 3024 devices support various RAID levels for data protection. Monitoring the status of the RAID arrays, including the individual disks' status and the overall array health, is essential for detecting and preventing data loss events. Alerts can be configured to notify administrators when a disk fails or when the RAID array is in a degraded state, enabling them to take immediate action to rebuild the array or replace the failed disks.
5. Backup Monitoring: Regular monitoring of the backup processes and ensuring their successful completion is vital for preventing data loss. By monitoring backup job statuses and verifying the integrity of backup files, you can ensure that data is being properly backed up and can be restored in case of any data loss events. Alerts can be set up to notify administrators if backups fail or if there are any issues with the backup files.
6. Security Monitoring: Monitoring the NAS device for any security-related events, such as unauthorized access attempts or suspicious network traffic, can help in early detection of potential data breaches. By setting up alerts for security events, administrators can take immediate action to prevent any unauthorized access and mitigate the risk of data loss.

Overall, regular system monitoring and alerting provide administrators with real-time insights into the health and performance of the NAS device, enabling early detection and prevention of data loss events. It allows proactive measures to be taken to address any potential issues before they escalate into significant data loss incidents.

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

Although NAS EonStor DS 3024 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 3024. 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 3024 has 24 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 3024 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