- 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?
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 LaCie also introduce some modifications to this process, and that is why data can be written to hard disk in a wide variety of ways.
Are there any known limitations or performance issues related to specific RAID levels in NAS LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 (STGB8000400 / STGB12000400 / STGB16000400 / STGB20000400 / STGB32000400) devices?
There are a few limitations and performance issues that can be associated with specific RAID levels in NAS LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 devices. Here are some considerations:
- RAID 0: This level offers maximum performance and capacity by striping data across multiple drives. However, it does not provide any data redundancy, so if one drive fails, all data is lost.
- RAID 1: This level mirrors data across two drives, providing data redundancy. However, it sacrifices half of the total capacity for the redundant copy.
- RAID 5: This level stripes data across multiple drives with parity information, providing both performance and data redundancy. However, it requires at least three drives and can be slower for write operations due to the overhead of calculating parity.
- RAID 6: Similar to RAID 5, but with dual parity, RAID 6 provides even higher data redundancy. It requires at least four drives and has a higher overhead for write operations.
- RAID 10: This level combines RAID 1 (mirroring) and RAID 0 (striping) to provide both performance and data redundancy. It requires at least four drives, and half of the total capacity is used for mirroring.
Performance issues can arise in RAID levels that involve parity calculations (RAID 5 and RAID 6) due to the additional overhead. Write operations can be slower compared to RAID levels without parity. Additionally, rebuilding a RAID array after a drive failure can take longer for larger capacity drives.
It's important to choose the RAID level that best suits your needs, considering factors like performance, capacity, and data redundancy.
How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?
Although NAS 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 (STGB8000400 / STGB12000400 / STGB16000400 / STGB20000400 / STGB32000400) 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:
-
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.
-
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.
-
Make sure to mark each hard disk in accordance with how they were installed inside the NAS.
-
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.
Go to view
Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery
This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 (STGB8000400 / STGB12000400 / STGB16000400 / STGB20000400 / STGB32000400). 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.
How to recover data from a LaCie
2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 (STGB8000400 / STGB12000400 / STGB16000400 / STGB20000400 / STGB32000400) has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:
- RAID 0;
- RAID 1;
- 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:
-
Make sure that you have enough free space to save the image. The image file size usually equals the disk size.
-
Select the disk in the main window, and choose from the menu Tools – Save Disk. You can select multiple disks to be saved.
-
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.
-
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 LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 (STGB8000400 / STGB12000400 / STGB16000400 / STGB20000400 / STGB32000400) network-attached storage keeps LaCie NAS OS 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
| Product | Operating system | License type | RAID controller support | Supported file systems | Virtual RAID controller support | Data recovery from damaged RAID | File preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetman RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DiskInternals RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| R-Studio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 200 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UFS Explorer RAID Recovery | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 1,000 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EaseUS Data Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 20 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| ReclaiMe Free RAID Recovery | Windows | Free | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3 devices do not use any specific encryption methods that would directly affect data recovery. These devices typically use hardware-based RAID configurations for data redundancy and performance improvement.
However, it's worth noting that if you have enabled encryption on the device using third-party software or operating system features, it may impact data recovery. In such cases, you would need the encryption key or password to access and recover the encrypted data.