Home NAS QNAP TVS-872N Data Recovery: Features and Options Explained

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP TVS-872N
• 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 TVS-872N device store and manage data?

The QNAP TVS-872N is a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device that is designed to store and manage data. It utilizes various components and technologies to perform these functions.

1. Hard Drives: The TVS-872N typically comes with multiple hard drive bays that can accommodate 3.5" or 2.5" SATA hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs). Users can install drives of their choice and capacity to create a storage pool.
2. Storage Pool: The device supports various RAID configurations (such as RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60) that allow for data redundancy and improved performance. These RAID configurations distribute data across multiple drives in different ways, depending on the chosen configuration.
3. File System: The TVS-872N uses the QTS operating system, which supports multiple file systems like EXT4, NTFS, and exFAT. The file system manages how data is organized, stored, and accessed on the drives.
4. Data Management: The NAS device offers various data management features, including snapshots, version control, and data deduplication. Snapshots allow users to take point-in-time copies of data for backup or recovery purposes. Version control enables tracking changes to files, while data deduplication eliminates redundant data to optimize storage space.
5. Network Connectivity: The TVS-872N has multiple network ports (including Gigabit Ethernet and 10GbE ports) that allow it to connect to a local network. This enables users to access and manage data from multiple devices simultaneously.
6. Software Applications: QNAP provides a range of software applications that can be installed on the TVS-872N. These applications allow users to perform various tasks such as file sharing, data backup, media streaming, virtualization, and more.
7. User Management: The device supports user and group management, allowing administrators to create multiple user accounts and assign different access permissions to the stored data. This ensures data security and privacy.

Overall, the TVS-872N combines hardware components, software, and network connectivity to provide a robust storage solution that can efficiently store and manage data for personal or business use.

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

Although the NAS TVS-872N 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 TVS-872N. 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

TVS-872N has 8 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 5;
• 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 TVS-872N 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