What to Do When Your NAS QNAP EJ1600 v2 RAID Array Fails: Recovery Techniques for When It Breaks

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 QNAP also introduce some modifications to this process, and that is why data can be written to hard disk in a wide variety of ways.

Are there any known issues or limitations when using NAS QNAP EJ1600 v2 devices with virtualization platforms such as VMware or Hyper-V?

There are some known issues and limitations when using QNAP EJ1600 v2 devices with virtualization platforms like VMware or Hyper-V. Here are a few:

1. Limited compatibility: The QNAP EJ1600 v2 is primarily designed for NAS storage and may not have full compatibility with all virtualization platforms. It is recommended to check the compatibility list provided by QNAP or consult with their support team for specific platform compatibility.
2. Performance limitations: The performance of the QNAP EJ1600 v2 may be limited when used as storage for virtualization platforms. This is because the device uses a hardware RAID controller, which may not provide the same level of performance as dedicated storage appliances designed for virtualization.
3. Lack of advanced features: The QNAP EJ1600 v2 may lack some advanced features that are commonly found in dedicated storage appliances for virtualization. This includes features like thin provisioning, deduplication, and compression, which can help optimize storage usage and improve performance in virtualized environments.
4. Limited scalability: The scalability of the QNAP EJ1600 v2 may be limited compared to dedicated storage appliances for virtualization. The device supports up to 16 hard drives, which may not be sufficient for larger virtualized environments with high storage demands.
5. Lack of integration: The QNAP EJ1600 v2 may lack deep integration with virtualization platforms like VMware or Hyper-V. This can result in a less seamless experience when managing storage resources and provisioning virtual machines.

It is important to thoroughly evaluate your requirements and consult with QNAP or their authorized resellers to ensure that the QNAP EJ1600 v2 meets your specific needs when used with virtualization platforms.

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

Although NAS EJ1600 v2 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 QNAP EJ1600 v2. 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 QNAP

EJ1600 v2 has 16 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 10;
• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• ZFS;
• EXT4;
• EXT3;
• exFAT;
• FAT32 (External Disk Only);
• NTFS (External Disk Only);
• HFS+ (External Disk Read Only);

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 QNAP EJ1600 v2 network-attached storage keeps QTS (QuTS hero) 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