Mechanical and Logical Failures in NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 RAID Arrays: Recovery Tips and Strategies

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 recommended practices for regular testing and validation of data backups to prevent potential loss on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 devices?

Yes, there are several recommended practices for regular testing and validation of data backups on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 devices to prevent potential data loss. Here are some best practices:

1. Regular Backup Schedule: Set up a regular backup schedule to ensure that your data is backed up at frequent intervals. This can be done daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on your data usage and criticality.
2. Multiple Backup Copies: Maintain multiple backup copies of your data. This can include both onsite and offsite backups. Onsite backups can be stored on separate hard drives or RAID arrays within the NAS device, while offsite backups can be stored in a different physical location or on cloud storage services.
3. Verify Backup Integrity: After each backup, verify the integrity of the backup files. QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 devices provide data verification options such as CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) and MD5 checksum. Use these features to ensure that the backup files are not corrupted.
4. Regular Restore Tests: Perform regular restore tests to ensure that your backups are working correctly. Select random files or folders from the backup and restore them to a different location or a test machine. This will help identify any issues with the backup process or backup media.
5. Monitor Backup Status: QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 devices provide monitoring and notification features. Enable notifications for backup completion, failures, or any other critical events. Regularly review the backup logs and status to ensure backups are running smoothly.
6. Offsite Backup: Consider setting up an offsite backup solution. This can involve using cloud storage services or replicating data to another QNAP NAS device located in a different physical location. Offsite backups provide an additional layer of protection against physical damage or theft.
7. Regular Firmware Updates: Keep your NAS device's firmware up to date. Firmware updates often include bug fixes, security patches, and performance improvements. Regularly check for firmware updates and apply them as recommended by QNAP.

By following these recommended practices, you can minimize the risk of data loss and ensure that your data backups on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-1635 devices are reliable and effective.

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

Although NAS Turbo Station TS-1635 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 Turbo Station TS-1635. 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

Turbo Station TS-1635 has 16 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• 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 Turbo Station TS-1635 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