NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ RAID Array Format Recovery: Steps to Recover Data After Format

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.

How can a NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ device's power management settings impact data availability and potential loss?

The power management settings of a NAS device like QNAP Turbo Station TS-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ can impact data availability and potential loss in several ways:

1. Sleep Mode: NAS devices often have a sleep mode feature that automatically powers down the hard drives after a period of inactivity. While this can save energy, it can also cause delays when accessing data as the drives need to spin up again. If the NAS is used for critical applications or requires constant access, enabling sleep mode may result in decreased data availability.
2. Power Interruptions: Power management settings can determine how the NAS device responds to power interruptions. If the device is set to shut down immediately during power outages, there is a risk of data loss if any unsaved changes were made. It is important to configure the NAS to gracefully shut down during power failures or use an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to provide backup power.
3. RAID Rebuild: In a NAS with multiple hard drives configured in a RAID array, power management settings can impact the process of rebuilding the RAID in case of a drive failure. If the NAS is set to power down or enter sleep mode during idle periods, it may delay or interrupt the RAID rebuild process, increasing the risk of data loss.
4. Scheduled Backups and Updates: Power management settings can affect scheduled backup tasks or software updates. If the NAS is powered off or in sleep mode during these scheduled events, it can lead to missed backups or updates, potentially resulting in data loss or vulnerability to security threats.

To mitigate the impact of power management settings on data availability and potential loss, it is recommended to:

• Configure the NAS to enter sleep mode only during extended periods of inactivity or non-critical usage.
• Use a UPS to provide backup power and avoid sudden power interruptions.
• Set up the NAS to gracefully shut down during power failures to prevent data corruption.
• Adjust power management settings to ensure that RAID rebuilds can proceed without interruption.
• Schedule backup tasks and software updates during periods when the NAS is likely to be powered on and accessible.

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

Although NAS Turbo Station TS-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ 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-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+. 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-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ has 5 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:

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-559 Pro / TS-559 Pro II / TS-559 Pro+ 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