How to recover data from Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server 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 Lenovo 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 does a NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server device store and manage data?

The Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed for edge computing environments. It can store and manage data in the following ways:

1. Storage Capacity: The SE350 can be equipped with up to four hot-swappable storage drives, typically using solid-state drives (SSDs) or hard disk drives (HDDs). These drives provide the primary storage capacity for the device.
2. RAID Support: The SE350 supports various RAID configurations, such as RAID 0, 1, 5, or 10. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) allows for data redundancy and increased performance by distributing data across multiple drives.
3. File System: The SE350 uses a file system to organize and manage data on the storage drives. It typically supports file systems like NTFS (Windows), ext4 (Linux), or other compatible file systems.
4. Network Connectivity: The SE350 is equipped with multiple network interfaces, such as Ethernet ports, which allow it to connect to the local network or the internet. This enables data transfer and access from other devices across the network.
5. Network Protocols: The SE350 supports various network protocols, including SMB (Server Message Block), NFS (Network File System), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and others. These protocols facilitate data access and file sharing between the SE350 and other network devices.
6. Management Software: Lenovo provides management software, such as Lenovo XClarity Controller, which allows administrators to monitor, configure, and manage the SE350 remotely. This software provides a user-friendly interface to perform tasks like creating storage pools, managing RAID configurations, and monitoring system health.
7. Data Protection: The SE350 supports data protection mechanisms like data backup, snapshots, and replication. These features help safeguard data against accidental deletion, hardware failures, or other unforeseen events.

Overall, the Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server device combines storage drives, network connectivity, and management software to store and manage data efficiently in edge computing environments.

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

Although NAS ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server 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 Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server. 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 Lenovo

ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server has 12 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 Lenovo ThinkSystem SE350 Edge Server network-attached storage keeps LifeLine 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