Data Recovery After Formatting Your NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863XU RAID Array: Guide

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 user authentication methods impact data loss risks for NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863XU devices?

User authentication methods can have a significant impact on data loss risks for NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863XU devices. Here are a few ways in which user authentication methods can help mitigate data loss risks:

1. Strong Password Policies: Implementing strong password policies can ensure that users choose complex and unique passwords. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access to the NAS device, minimizing the chances of data loss due to malicious activities.
2. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enabling 2FA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide a second form of authentication, such as a one-time password or biometric verification. This makes it much more difficult for attackers to gain unauthorized access to the device, reducing the risk of data loss.
3. User Access Controls: Implementing granular user access controls allows administrators to define specific permissions and access levels for different users or groups. By restricting access to sensitive data or critical system settings, the risk of accidental data loss or unauthorized modifications can be minimized.
4. Account Lockouts and Intrusion Detection: Setting up account lockouts and intrusion detection mechanisms can help protect against brute-force attacks. If an attacker repeatedly fails to authenticate, the account can be temporarily locked or flagged for further investigation, preventing unauthorized access and potential data loss.
5. Regular User Account Audits: Conducting regular audits of user accounts helps identify and remove any inactive, unnecessary, or potentially compromised accounts. This reduces the attack surface and ensures that only authorized users have access to the NAS device, minimizing the risk of data loss.
6. Regular Firmware Updates: Keeping the NAS device's firmware up to date is crucial as it often includes security patches and bug fixes. Regularly updating the firmware helps protect against known vulnerabilities that could be exploited to gain unauthorized access and potentially lead to data loss.

By implementing robust user authentication methods and following best practices, the risk of data loss for NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-863XU devices can be significantly reduced.

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

Although NAS Turbo Station TS-863XU 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-863XU. 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-863XU has 8 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-863XU 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