Best Practices for Recovering Data from a Failed NAS Promise Vess 1820i RAID Setup

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 Promise 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 regular vulnerability assessments and security audits help identify and mitigate potential data loss risks for NAS Promise Vess 1820i devices?

Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits can help identify and mitigate potential data loss risks for NAS Promise Vess 1820i devices in the following ways:

1. Identifying Vulnerabilities: Vulnerability assessments scan the NAS device and its connected network for any known vulnerabilities. This helps in identifying potential weak points that could be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause data loss.
2. Patch Management: Regular security audits ensure that the NAS device is up to date with the latest firmware and security patches. This helps in addressing any known vulnerabilities and reducing the risk of data loss due to unpatched vulnerabilities.
3. Access Control: Security audits can assess the access control mechanisms in place for the NAS device. This includes user authentication, password policies, and user permissions. By ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive data, the risk of data loss due to unauthorized access is minimized.
4. Encryption: Vulnerability assessments can evaluate the encryption mechanisms implemented on the NAS device. Encrypting data stored on the device helps protect it from unauthorized access in case of theft or physical compromise of the device.
5. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Security audits can review the backup and disaster recovery processes in place for the NAS device. This includes ensuring regular backups are performed, testing the restoration process, and verifying the offsite storage of backups. By having robust backup and recovery mechanisms, the impact of data loss can be minimized.
6. Intrusion Detection and Prevention: Vulnerability assessments can assess the effectiveness of intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) implemented for the NAS device. IDPS can help detect and prevent any unauthorized access attempts or malicious activities that could lead to data loss.
7. Network Segmentation: Security audits can evaluate the network architecture and segmentation around the NAS device. Proper network segmentation helps isolate the NAS device from other network resources, reducing the potential attack surface and limiting the impact of any security breach.
8. Employee Awareness and Training: Regular security audits can assess the level of employee awareness and training regarding data loss risks and best practices for securing the NAS device. By educating employees about potential risks and security measures, the likelihood of accidental data loss can be reduced.

By conducting regular vulnerability assessments and security audits, organizations can proactively identify and address potential data loss risks for NAS Promise Vess 1820i devices, ensuring the security and integrity of their data.

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

Although NAS Vess 1820i 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 Promise Vess 1820i. 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 Promise

Vess 1820i has 16 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;

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 Promise Vess 1820i 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.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery