NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP RAID Arrays: Recovery Techniques for Mechanical and Logical Failures

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP
• How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
  • Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images
  • Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?
  • RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison

Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID

Conventional hard drives store user data by writing it sequentially across the disk surface, which means an entire file is typically located on a single drive. In contrast, when data is written to a RAID array, each file is split into multiple fragments. These fragments are then distributed and written in sequence across all the drives in the array. Depending on the configuration, fragment sizes can range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so every file is physically stored across several disks at once.

This approach significantly increases read and write performance — after all, writing two halves of a 1 GB file to two drives simultaneously is much faster than writing the full 1 GB to a single disk. However, this same mechanism makes file recovery far more complex.

Different RAID levels use different methods to distribute and protect data. On top of that, manufacturers like QNAP often add their own proprietary structures and variations. As a result, data can be written to disks in many different formats, and each requires a specific approach during recovery.

How does a NAS QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP device store and manage data?

The QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP is a Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device that is primarily designed to store and manage data. Here's how it stores and manages data:

1. Storage Drives: The TS-h1283XU-RP supports multiple storage drives, typically hard disk drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs). These drives are installed in the NAS device and provide the physical storage space for data.
2. RAID Configuration: The NAS supports various RAID configurations such as RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, 60, and JBOD. These configurations allow for data redundancy, increased performance, or a combination of both. Users can choose the desired RAID level based on their requirements.
3. File System: The NAS device uses a file system to organize and manage data on the storage drives. QNAP NAS devices typically use the ext4 file system, which is a robust and widely-used file system in the Linux ecosystem.
4. Storage Pool: The TS-h1283XU-RP allows users to create storage pools, which are virtualized storage spaces that combine multiple drives into a single logical unit. Storage pools provide flexibility in managing storage capacity and can be expanded by adding more drives to the pool.
5. Storage Space Allocation: Within the storage pool, users can allocate storage space to create volumes. Volumes act as separate partitions or logical drives that can be accessed and managed independently. Users can create multiple volumes with different settings and permissions based on their needs.
6. Data Management Features: The NAS device offers various data management features such as file sharing, access control, data backup, and synchronization. Users can set up shared folders, create user accounts, and define access rights to manage data access. Additionally, the NAS supports backup and synchronization options to protect and manage data across different devices and locations.
7. Network Connectivity: The TS-h1283XU-RP is connected to the network, allowing users to access and manage data remotely. It supports various network protocols such as SMB/CIFS, NFS, FTP, and WebDAV, enabling seamless file sharing and data access across different devices and platforms.

Overall, the QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP device stores and manages data through a combination of storage drives, RAID configurations, file systems, storage pools, and data management features to provide a reliable and efficient storage solution.

How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP can be accessed over the network, you still need to remove its hard disks and connect them directly to a Windows PC. Only then can the recovery software properly scan and analyze the drives. Follow these steps:

1. Power off the NAS and disconnect it from the power source.

   WARNING! Before removing any drives, carefully read the device manual. Improper actions may damage both the NAS enclosure and the hard disks in the RAID array.

2. Remove the hard disks one by one, gently sliding each drive out of its slot. Remember that hard disks are highly sensitive: any impact or drop can cause serious physical damage.

3. Label each hard disk according to its position inside the NAS. The order of the drives is crucial for correct RAID reconstruction.

4. Connect the drives to your computer. In this video, we explain which ports you can use to connect hard disks and what to do if your PC does not have enough free connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program restores data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-RP. Each hard disk in the array contains technical metadata describing how files were written. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery analyzes this metadata, automatically reconstructs the damaged array, and provides access to its contents. After that, you can browse the recovered disk and save your files. The program can also restore files that were accidentally deleted from the network drive.

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How to recover data from a QNAP

Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-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);

How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images

This utility allows you to create a complete copy of a disk and work with the disk image instead of the physical drive. This approach helps protect your data from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Additional data loss caused by bad sectors;
• User errors.

To create a disk image, follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have enough free space to store the image. Its size will typically match the size of the original disk.

2. In the main window, select the target disk and choose Tools - Save Disk. You can also select multiple disks if needed.

3. When the Image Creation Wizard opens, select whether you want to save the entire disk or only a specific region. Adjust the settings and click Next.

   

4. Choose the directory where the image will be saved. You may select any available disk connected to your PC or upload the image via FTP.

   

Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?

The QNAP Turbo Station TS-h1283XU-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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison