Best Practices for Recovering Data from a Failed NAS Promise VSky A1100bSM RAID Configuration

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise VSky A1100bSM
• 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 conducting regular backups on external storage devices mitigate data loss risks for NAS Promise VSky A1100bSM devices?

Conducting regular backups on external storage devices can mitigate data loss risks for NAS Promise VSky A1100bSM devices in the following ways:

1. Redundancy: By creating backups on external storage devices, you are creating redundant copies of your data. In case of data loss or corruption on the NAS device, you can restore the data from the backups, ensuring that your critical information is not permanently lost.
2. Protection against hardware failure: NAS devices can experience hardware failures, such as hard drive crashes. By regularly backing up data to external storage devices, you can safeguard your data against such failures. If the NAS device fails, you can restore the data from the backups onto a new device or storage medium.
3. Protection against accidental deletion or user errors: Human errors, such as accidental deletion or overwriting of files, can lead to data loss. Regular backups on external storage devices provide a safety net in such cases. If important data is accidentally deleted or modified, you can retrieve the original version from the backups.
4. Protection against data corruption and malware attacks: Data corruption can occur due to various reasons, including software bugs, power outages, or malware attacks. By regularly backing up your data, you can restore clean and uncorrupted versions of your files in case of data corruption or malware infections.
5. Off-site storage: Storing backups on external devices allows you to keep copies of your data off-site, away from the location of the NAS device. This protects your data from disasters like fire, theft, or natural calamities that may affect the physical NAS device and the data stored on it.

It is important to ensure that backups are performed regularly, and the external storage devices used for backups are properly maintained and tested to ensure their reliability. Additionally, following a comprehensive backup strategy that includes regular testing and verification of backups will further enhance the effectiveness of data loss mitigation.

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

Although the NAS VSky A1100bSM 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 VSky A1100bSM. 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

VSky A1100bSM has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• 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 VSky A1100bSM 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