Your Guide to Recovering Data from a NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server
• 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 Lenovo 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 regular system monitoring and alerting help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server devices?

Regular system monitoring and alerting can help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time monitoring: By continuously monitoring the server's performance metrics, such as CPU usage, memory utilization, disk space, and network traffic, you can identify any abnormal behavior or potential issues that may lead to data loss.
2. Disk health monitoring: Monitoring the health and status of the server's hard drives can help detect any signs of impending disk failures. By using SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data, you can receive alerts when a drive's health deteriorates, allowing you to replace it before data loss occurs.
3. RAID monitoring: If you have configured RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) on your NAS, monitoring the RAID array is crucial. Regularly checking the RAID status and receiving alerts when there are any degraded or failed drives can help prevent data loss. Promptly replacing or rebuilding the failed drives can ensure data availability.
4. Backup monitoring: Monitoring the status and success of your data backups is essential for data protection. Regularly verifying the integrity of backups, ensuring they are up to date, and receiving alerts in case of backup failures can help prevent data loss events.
5. Security monitoring: Monitoring the server for any security breaches or unauthorized access attempts can help prevent data loss due to malicious activities. Implementing intrusion detection systems (IDS) or security information and event management (SIEM) solutions can provide real-time alerts for potential security threats.
6. Network monitoring: Monitoring the network traffic and bandwidth usage can help identify any abnormal activities that may indicate data exfiltration or unauthorized data transfers. By receiving alerts for unusual network behavior, you can take immediate action to prevent data loss.
7. Power and environmental monitoring: Monitoring the power supply, temperature, and other environmental factors can help prevent data loss caused by power outages, overheating, or other environmental issues. Alerts for power failures or abnormal temperature levels can prompt you to take necessary actions to prevent data loss.

By implementing a comprehensive system monitoring and alerting solution, you can proactively identify and address potential issues, ensuring the early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server devices.

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

Although the NAS ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server 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 Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server. 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 Lenovo

ThinkSystem SN550 Blade Server has 32 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 Lenovo ThinkSystem SN550 Blade 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison