- 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?
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.
How does a NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP device store and manage data?
The QNAP Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed to store and manage data in a centralized location. Here's how it stores and manages data:
- Storage Capacity: The TS-453DU comes with four drive bays, allowing you to install up to four hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs). The device supports various RAID configurations (RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, or JBOD) to provide data redundancy and improve performance.
- File System: The TS-453DU uses the QTS operating system, which supports multiple file systems such as ext4, NTFS, and FAT32. These file systems allow the device to store and manage different types of data, including documents, photos, videos, and more.
- Data Access: The NAS device provides various methods to access and manage data. It supports file sharing protocols like SMB/CIFS, AFP, and NFS, enabling seamless file sharing across different operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux). Additionally, it supports FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV protocols for remote access to files.
- Data Protection: The TS-453DU offers multiple data protection features. It supports snapshots, which allow you to take point-in-time copies of your data, ensuring quick recovery in case of accidental deletion or data corruption. It also supports data encryption to protect sensitive information stored on the device.
- Data Management: The device comes with a web-based management interface called QTS, which provides a user-friendly dashboard to manage your data. QTS offers various features like file/folder management, file search, file sharing, and user access control. It also supports backup and synchronization options to ensure data redundancy and easy data management.
- Additional Features: The TS-453DU offers additional features like multimedia streaming, virtualization support, surveillance station, and app center. These features allow you to stream media files to different devices, run virtual machines, set up a surveillance system, and install additional applications to extend the functionality of the NAS.
Overall, the QNAP Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP provides a robust storage solution with data protection, easy management, and various features to meet the storage needs of individuals and small businesses.
How to take hard disks out of the NAS and connect them to a PC?
Although NAS Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP 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:
-
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.
-
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.
-
Make sure to mark each hard disk in accordance with how they were installed inside the NAS.
-
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.
Go to view
Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery
This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with QNAP Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP. 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.
Turbo Station TS-453DU / TS-453DU-RP has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:
- RAID 5;
- RAID 6;
- RAID 10;
- RAID 0;
- RAID 1;
- JBOD;
NAS supports:
- ZFS;
- EXT4;
- EXT3;
- 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:
-
Make sure that you have enough free space to save the image. The image file size usually equals the disk size.
-
Select the disk in the main window, and choose from the menu Tools – Save Disk. You can select multiple disks to be saved.
-
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.
-
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-453DU / TS-453DU-RP 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
Product | Operating system | License type | RAID controller support | Supported file systems | Virtual RAID controller support | Data recovery from damaged RAID | File preview |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hetman RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
DiskInternals RAID Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
R-Studio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 200 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
UFS Explorer RAID Recovery | Windows, Mac, Linux | Paid | Yes, over 1,000 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
EaseUS Data Recovery | Windows | Paid | Yes, over 20 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
ReclaiMe Free RAID Recovery | Windows | Free | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |