Best Data Recovery Software for Lost NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B Data: How to Choose

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B
• 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 Infortrend 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 data fragmentation impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B devices?

Data fragmentation can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B devices in the following ways:

1. Reduced Performance: Data fragmentation can lead to decreased performance as the system needs to search for and retrieve data from multiple fragmented locations. This can result in slower read and write speeds, affecting the overall performance of the NAS device.
2. Increased Disk Fragmentation: Fragmented data can also lead to increased disk fragmentation, where files are scattered across different physical locations on the storage disks. This can result in inefficient disk utilization and slower data access times.
3. Data Loss: Fragmented data can increase the risk of data loss. If a file is fragmented across multiple locations and one of those locations becomes corrupted or inaccessible, it can lead to permanent data loss. The more fragmented the data, the higher the risk of losing critical information.
4. Difficulty in Data Recovery: In the event of a system failure or data corruption, fragmented data can make the data recovery process more challenging. It may require additional time and resources to recover and reconstruct fragmented files, increasing the potential for data loss during the recovery process.
5. Limited Storage Capacity: Fragmented data can also result in inefficient use of storage capacity. As files become fragmented, they occupy more disk space due to the allocation of additional storage blocks for each fragment. This can lead to reduced available storage capacity and a need for more frequent disk space management.

To mitigate these issues, regular defragmentation of data is recommended. Defragmentation rearranges fragmented data into contiguous blocks, improving data access times, reducing disk fragmentation, and enhancing overall system performance.

How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS EonStor GS 3025B 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 Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B. 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 Infortrend

EonStor GS 3025B has 25 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;

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 Infortrend EonStor GS 3025B 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