How to Choose Data Recovery Software for Recovering NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 1024 Data: Essential Guide

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 data fragmentation impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 1024 devices?

Data fragmentation can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 1024 devices. Here are some ways in which data fragmentation can affect these devices:

1. Reduced performance: Data fragmentation can lead to decreased read and write speeds on the NAS device. Fragmented data requires the device to perform additional seek operations to access different parts of the file, resulting in slower performance.
2. Increased disk space usage: Fragmented data takes up more disk space than contiguous data. This can result in inefficient disk utilization and can lead to running out of storage space sooner than expected.
3. Increased risk of data loss: Fragmented data is more susceptible to data loss. If a single fragment of a file becomes corrupted or lost, the entire file may become unreadable or unusable. This risk is particularly high in cases where data is spread across multiple disks or storage volumes.
4. Longer data recovery time: In the event of a data loss or system failure, recovering fragmented data can be more time-consuming and complex. The fragmented data may be scattered across different disks or storage locations, requiring additional effort and resources to restore the data.
5. Difficulty in data management: Fragmented data can make it challenging to manage and organize files effectively. It becomes harder to locate specific files or perform tasks like data backups, data migration, or data replication.

To mitigate the impact of data fragmentation on NAS devices, it is essential to regularly defragment the data. Defragmentation rearranges the fragmented data into contiguous blocks, improving performance, reducing disk space usage, and minimizing the risk of data loss. Additionally, implementing proper data management practices, such as organizing files into logical folders and regularly monitoring disk usage, can help prevent fragmentation and ensure data availability on NAS devices.

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

Although NAS EonStor GS 1024 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 GS 1024. 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 GS 1024 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 GS 1024 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