Steps to Recover Your NAS QNAP VS-12140U-RP Pro RAID Array: Recovery Steps When It Fails to Start

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 VS-12140U-RP Pro device's power management settings impact data availability and potential loss?

The power management settings on a NAS QNAP VS-12140U-RP Pro device can impact data availability and potential loss in several ways:

1. Power loss during data operations: If the power management settings are not properly configured, sudden power loss or unexpected shutdowns can occur during data operations such as file transfers or disk operations. This can lead to data corruption or loss, as the device may not have enough time to complete the necessary write operations before shutting down.
2. Disk spin-down: Some power management settings allow for disk spin-down or standby mode when the disks are not in use. While this can save power, it can also introduce latency when accessing data. If a disk is in spin-down mode and a request is made to access data stored on it, there will be a delay as the disk spins up and becomes ready. This can impact data availability and overall system performance.
3. Scheduled power on/off: Power management settings may allow for scheduled power on/off operations. If the device is set to power off during certain times, it may not be accessible or available for data access during those periods. This can impact data availability, especially if the device is needed for continuous access or if critical operations are scheduled during the power-off periods.
4. RAID rebuild and disk health monitoring: Power management settings can impact the ability of the NAS device to monitor disk health and perform RAID rebuild operations. If the device is set to power off or enter a low-power state too frequently, it may not be able to perform regular disk health checks or detect failing disks in a timely manner. This can increase the risk of data loss if a disk fails and the RAID array is not rebuilt promptly.

To mitigate the potential impact on data availability and loss, it is important to configure the power management settings of a NAS device carefully. This includes ensuring that sufficient backup power or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is available to prevent sudden power loss, setting appropriate spin-down times for disks to balance power savings with performance needs, and scheduling power on/off operations to minimize disruption to data access. Regular monitoring of disk health and proactive replacement of failing disks is also crucial to prevent data loss.

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

Although NAS VS-12140U-RP Pro 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 VS-12140U-RP Pro. 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

VS-12140U-RP Pro has 12 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);

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 VS-12140U-RP Pro 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