Best Practices for Recovering Data from NAS Promise UltraTrak RM15000 RAID Array Failures

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise UltraTrak RM15000
• 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.

How can data fragmentation impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Promise UltraTrak RM15000 devices?

Data fragmentation can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Promise UltraTrak RM15000 devices. Here are some ways data fragmentation can affect these devices:

1. Reduced Performance: Data fragmentation leads to scattered data blocks across the storage system, causing increased seek times and reduced read/write speeds. This can result in slower data access and overall degraded performance on the NAS device.
2. Increased Disk Wear: Fragmentation forces the hard disk drives (HDDs) to work harder to retrieve scattered data blocks, leading to increased disk activity and wear. This can potentially shorten the lifespan of the drives and increase the risk of data loss due to drive failures.
3. Higher Probability of Data Loss: Fragmented data is more susceptible to data loss or corruption. If a fragmented file is partially overwritten or damaged, it becomes much more difficult to recover the complete file. This can result in permanent data loss or require expensive and time-consuming data recovery processes.
4. Difficulty in Backup and Restore: Fragmented data can complicate backup and restore operations. Backing up fragmented data may take longer and require more storage space, while restoring fragmented data may be slower and more error-prone. This can impact data availability and recovery in case of system failures or accidental deletions.
5. Limited Storage Efficiency: Fragmentation reduces the effective storage capacity of the NAS device. As files are fragmented and scattered across the drives, it becomes challenging to utilize the available storage efficiently. This can lead to wasted disk space and the need for frequent disk optimizations or defragmentation processes.

To mitigate these impacts, it is important to regularly monitor and defragment the data on NAS Promise UltraTrak RM15000 devices. Performing routine disk defragmentation and implementing strategies to prevent fragmentation can help maintain data availability, reduce the risk of data loss, and optimize the performance of the NAS device.

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

Although the NAS UltraTrak RM15000 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 UltraTrak RM15000. 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

UltraTrak RM15000 has 15 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 1E;
• RAID 3;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 30;
• 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 Promise UltraTrak RM15000 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