NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP RAID Array Format Recovery: What to Do 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 regular performance monitoring and optimization help in preventing data loss on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP devices?

Regular performance monitoring and optimization can help in preventing data loss on NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of hardware issues: By monitoring the performance of the NAS device regularly, you can identify any hardware problems that might lead to data loss. For example, if you notice a sudden increase in disk errors or high temperature readings, you can take immediate action to prevent further damage.
2. RAID health monitoring: QNAP Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP devices typically use RAID configurations for data redundancy. Regular monitoring allows you to check the health of RAID arrays, identify any degraded or failed disks, and take appropriate actions such as replacing the faulty drives before data loss occurs.
3. Backup verification: Performance monitoring can help ensure that your backup processes are running smoothly and effectively. You can monitor the backup jobs, check for any errors or failures, and verify the integrity of the backed-up data. This helps in preventing data loss by ensuring that your backups are up-to-date and reliable.
4. Network and connectivity monitoring: Regularly monitoring the network and connectivity of the NAS device helps in identifying any issues that might disrupt data transfer or access. For example, if you notice high latency or packet loss, you can investigate and resolve the network issues promptly to prevent data loss during file transfers.
5. Performance optimization: By monitoring the performance of the NAS device, you can identify any bottlenecks or performance issues that might affect data availability or access. Optimizing the performance by adjusting settings, upgrading hardware, or optimizing network configurations can help prevent data loss due to slow or unresponsive systems.
6. Security monitoring: Regular performance monitoring can also include monitoring for security-related events and vulnerabilities. By staying updated on the latest security patches, monitoring for any unauthorized access attempts or unusual activities, and implementing security best practices, you can prevent data loss due to security breaches or data theft.

In summary, regular performance monitoring and optimization of NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP devices can help in early detection of hardware issues, monitoring RAID health, verifying backups, ensuring network connectivity, optimizing performance, and enhancing security measures. These proactive measures significantly reduce the risk of data loss and improve the overall reliability of the NAS device.

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

Although NAS Turbo Station TS-864eU-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:

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-864eU-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.

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How to recover data from a QNAP

Turbo Station TS-864eU-RP 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-864eU-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