Data Recovery Best Practices for NAS Promise SmartStor NS4600 RAID Array Failures

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise SmartStor NS4600
• 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 Promise 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.

Are there any specific industry regulations or compliance requirements to consider when securing data on NAS Promise SmartStor NS4600 devices?

Yes, there are several industry regulations and compliance requirements to consider when securing data on NAS Promise SmartStor NS4600 devices. Some of the key regulations and requirements include:

1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): If you are dealing with personal data of European Union (EU) citizens, you need to ensure compliance with GDPR. This regulation lays out specific requirements for the protection of personal data, including encryption, access controls, and data breach notification.
2. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): If you are storing or processing protected health information (PHI), you must comply with HIPAA regulations. This includes implementing appropriate safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI.
3. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): If you store, process, or transmit credit card information, you must comply with PCI DSS. This standard includes requirements for secure storage of cardholder data, encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments.
4. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX): If your organization is publicly traded in the United States, you need to comply with SOX regulations. This includes ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of financial data and implementing appropriate controls to protect against unauthorized access.
5. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): If you handle the personal information of California residents, you need to comply with CCPA. This regulation grants specific privacy rights to California consumers and imposes obligations on businesses to protect personal information.

In addition to these specific regulations, it is also important to consider other industry-specific regulations and best practices that may apply to your organization, such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules for financial institutions or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for educational institutions. It is recommended to consult with legal and compliance professionals to ensure full compliance with applicable regulations.

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

Although the NAS SmartStor NS4600 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 Promise SmartStor NS4600. 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 Promise

SmartStor NS4600 has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 1E;
• RAID 3;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• 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 Promise SmartStor NS4600 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison