How to recover data from Lenovo ThinkSystem SR570 Rack 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 can data redundancy techniques such as mirroring or replication enhance data availability and protect against loss on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SR570 Rack Server devices?

Data redundancy techniques such as mirroring or replication can enhance data availability and protect against loss on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SR570 Rack Server devices in the following ways:

1. Mirroring: Mirroring involves creating an exact copy of data on multiple drives or storage systems. In the case of the ThinkSystem SR570, you can configure a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) solution such as RAID 1 or RAID 10. These RAID levels provide mirroring capabilities, ensuring that data is duplicated across multiple drives. In the event of a drive failure, the mirrored copy can be used to maintain data availability and prevent data loss.
2. Replication: Replication involves creating duplicate copies of data on separate storage systems, either locally or remotely. ThinkSystem SR570 supports various replication technologies, such as Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC) and Lenovo Storage Manager (LSM). These tools enable you to replicate data to another ThinkSystem SR570 or to a remote location, providing an additional layer of data protection. In case of a failure or disaster, the replicated data can be used to restore operations quickly and minimize downtime.
3. High Availability (HA) configurations: The ThinkSystem SR570 supports HA configurations, which involve deploying multiple servers in a cluster with shared storage. This setup ensures that if one server fails, another server can take over seamlessly, maintaining data availability. By combining mirroring or replication techniques with HA configurations, you can further enhance data protection and availability.
4. Data backup: While mirroring and replication techniques provide redundancy and protect against drive or system failures, they may not protect against accidental deletion, corruption, or other data loss scenarios. It is essential to regularly back up your data to a separate storage device or offsite location. ThinkSystem SR570 supports various backup solutions, including Lenovo ThinkSystem DM Series Storage Arrays, which provide robust backup capabilities.

By implementing these data redundancy techniques, you can minimize the risk of data loss, improve data availability, and ensure business continuity on NAS Lenovo ThinkSystem SR570 Rack Server devices.

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

Although NAS ThinkSystem SR570 Rack 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.

   Go to view

   

   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 SR570 Rack 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.

Go to view

How to recover data from a Lenovo

ThinkSystem SR570 Rack Server has 10 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 SR570 Rack 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