Best Practices for Data Recovery from a NAS Promise VSky A1970rDM RAID Array Failure

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Promise VSky A1970rDM
• 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 disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Promise VSky A1970rDM devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Promise VSky A1970rDM devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: Disk health monitoring tools can constantly monitor the status of the disks in the NAS device. By analyzing various parameters such as SMART attributes, temperature, and error rates, these tools can identify signs of potential disk failures. This allows administrators to proactively replace failing disks before they completely fail and cause data loss.
2. Predictive analysis: Disk health monitoring tools often include predictive analysis capabilities. By analyzing historical data and patterns, these tools can predict the likelihood of disk failures in the future. This enables administrators to take preventive measures such as migrating data to other disks or replacing disks that are likely to fail soon.
3. RAID monitoring: NAS devices like Promise VSky A1970rDM often use RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) for data protection. Regular disk health monitoring can ensure that all disks in the RAID array are functioning properly. If a disk fails or shows signs of failure, the monitoring tools can alert administrators to take immediate action, such as rebuilding the RAID array or replacing the faulty disk.
4. Performance optimization: Disk health monitoring tools can also provide insights into the performance of individual disks in the NAS device. By monitoring metrics such as read/write speeds and latency, administrators can identify disks that are underperforming or causing bottlenecks. Addressing these performance issues can help prevent data loss due to slow or unresponsive disks.
5. Proactive maintenance: Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help administrators identify any potential issues with the disks or the overall NAS system. This allows them to schedule regular maintenance activities such as firmware updates, disk cleanups, or system checks. By proactively maintaining the NAS device, administrators can reduce the chances of data loss caused by system failures or software vulnerabilities.

In summary, regular disk health monitoring and analysis provide crucial insights into the status and performance of the disks in a NAS device. By detecting disk failures early, predicting potential failures, ensuring RAID integrity, optimizing performance, and enabling proactive maintenance, these monitoring tools play a vital role in preventing potential data loss on NAS Promise VSky A1970rDM devices.

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

Although the NAS VSky A1970rDM 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 A1970rDM. 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 A1970rDM has 70 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 VSky A1970rDM 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