How to recover data from Infortrend EonStor GSe 2016 NAS

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 performance monitoring and optimization help in preventing data loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GSe 2016 devices?

Regular performance monitoring and optimization can help in preventing data loss on NAS Infortrend EonStor GSe 2016 devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of performance issues: Regular monitoring allows you to identify any performance bottlenecks or issues that may affect the overall performance of the NAS device. By addressing these issues promptly, you can prevent any potential data loss that may occur due to degraded performance.
2. Proactive identification of hardware failures: Performance monitoring can help in detecting any hardware failures or issues with the storage drives, power supplies, or other components of the NAS device. By identifying and replacing faulty hardware in a timely manner, you can prevent any data loss that may occur due to hardware failures.
3. Capacity planning and optimization: Regular monitoring of storage capacity usage can help you identify any potential capacity shortages or imbalances. By optimizing the storage capacity and planning for future growth, you can prevent any data loss that may occur due to insufficient storage space or unbalanced data distribution.
4. Data backup and replication monitoring: Regular performance monitoring can also include monitoring the status and effectiveness of data backup and replication processes. By ensuring that backups are being performed regularly and successfully, you can minimize the risk of data loss and ensure quick data recovery in case of any unforeseen events.
5. Security monitoring: Regular performance monitoring can also include monitoring the security aspects of the NAS device, such as access control, user permissions, and network security. By detecting any unauthorized access attempts or potential security vulnerabilities, you can prevent data loss due to unauthorized data access or cyber-attacks.

Overall, regular performance monitoring and optimization of NAS Infortrend EonStor GSe 2016 devices can help in maintaining the stability, reliability, and security of the system, thereby minimizing the risk of data loss.

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

Although NAS EonStor GSe 2016 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.

Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Infortrend EonStor GSe 2016. 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.

EonStor GSe 2016 has 16 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 GSe 2016 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