Recovery Approaches for Mechanical and Logical Failures in NAS QNAP TAS-268 RAID Arrays

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP TAS-268
• 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 QNAP 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 continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS QNAP TAS-268 devices?

Continuous data protection mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS QNAP TAS-268 devices in several ways:

1. Real-time backup: Continuous data protection mechanisms enable real-time backup of data as it is being created or modified. This ensures that any changes made to files or folders on the NAS device are immediately backed up, reducing the risk of data loss in case of hardware failure or accidental deletion.
2. Versioning and point-in-time recovery: Continuous data protection mechanisms often include versioning capabilities, allowing users to restore previous versions of files or recover data from specific points in time. This is particularly useful in scenarios where data becomes corrupted or accidentally modified, as it provides the ability to roll back to a known good state.
3. Incremental backups: Continuous data protection mechanisms typically perform incremental backups, meaning only the changes made to files since the last backup are saved. This reduces the backup time and storage requirements, while still ensuring that all data modifications are protected.
4. Replication and synchronization: Some continuous data protection mechanisms offer replication and synchronization features, allowing data to be mirrored to another NAS device or off-site location. This provides an additional layer of protection against hardware failures, natural disasters, or other catastrophic events that may affect the primary NAS device.
5. Automatic backup scheduling: Continuous data protection mechanisms often include the ability to schedule backups at regular intervals. This ensures that backups are performed automatically without user intervention, minimizing the risk of forgetting to back up important data.

Overall, continuous data protection mechanisms provide a comprehensive and proactive approach to data protection, reducing the potential for data loss on NAS QNAP TAS-268 devices.

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

Although the NAS TAS-268 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.

   Go to view

   

   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 QNAP TAS-268. 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.

Go to view

How to recover data from a QNAP

TAS-268 has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 1;

NAS supports:

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

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 QNAP TAS-268 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison