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

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise Vess 1820i
• 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 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 Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS Vess 1820i 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 Vess 1820i. 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

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;

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 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison