Mechanical and Logical Failures in NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-EC1279U-RP RAID Arrays: Recovery 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 a NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-EC1279U-RP device's power management settings impact data availability and potential loss?

The power management settings of a NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-EC1279U-RP device can impact data availability and potential loss in the following ways:

1. Power outage: If the power management settings are not properly configured, a sudden power outage can result in the NAS device shutting down abruptly. This can lead to data loss or corruption if any ongoing read/write operations are interrupted.
2. Scheduled power off/on: The NAS device may have a scheduled power off/on feature to conserve energy during non-working hours. If the power off time is not synchronized with the backup or synchronization schedules, it can result in incomplete or missed backups, leading to potential data loss.
3. Disk spin-down: Some NAS devices have the option to spin down idle hard drives to save power. While this can reduce energy consumption, it may cause a delay when accessing data stored on those drives, resulting in slower performance. Additionally, frequent spin-up/spin-down cycles can increase wear and tear on the drives, potentially leading to premature drive failure and data loss.
4. UPS integration: Power management settings can include integration with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) system. A properly configured UPS can provide backup power during a power outage, allowing the NAS device to gracefully shut down, minimizing the risk of data loss or corruption.
5. Wake-on-LAN: Wake-on-LAN is a feature that allows the NAS device to be powered on remotely. If this feature is enabled and not properly secured, it can potentially be exploited by unauthorized users, leading to data breaches or loss.

To mitigate the impact on data availability and potential loss, it is important to:

• Configure power management settings according to the specific requirements and usage patterns of the NAS device.
• Ensure that backup and synchronization schedules are properly aligned with the power off/on schedules.
• Regularly monitor and test UPS systems to ensure they are functioning correctly.
• Consider the trade-off between power savings and performance when configuring disk spin-down settings.
• Implement appropriate security measures, such as strong passwords and network access controls, to protect against unauthorized access through Wake-on-LAN or other remote power management features.

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

Although NAS Turbo Station TS-EC1279U-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-EC1279U-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-EC1279U-RP has 12 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-EC1279U-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