Features of NAS QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+ Data Recovery for Home Users

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+
• 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 can continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+ devices?

Continuous data protection (CDP) mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+ devices in several ways:

1. Real-time data backup: CDP mechanisms continuously monitor changes to files and folders on the NAS device, capturing every modification or addition in real-time. This ensures that even the most recent changes are backed up, minimizing the risk of data loss.
2. Instant recovery: CDP allows for instant recovery of data to a specific point in time. In case of accidental deletion, data corruption, or any other data loss event, you can quickly restore the data to a previous state, minimizing the impact of the loss.
3. Granular recovery options: CDP mechanisms often provide granular recovery options, allowing you to restore individual files or folders instead of the entire backup set. This flexibility helps minimize the amount of data that needs to be recovered, reducing downtime and improving efficiency.
4. Versioning and retention: CDP systems typically maintain multiple versions of backed-up data, enabling you to recover from different points in time. This feature is especially useful in scenarios where data corruption or malware attacks go unnoticed for some time, as you can roll back to a clean version of the data.
5. Automatic backup scheduling: CDP mechanisms can be configured to automatically back up data at regular intervals. This eliminates the reliance on manual backups, reducing the risk of forgetting to back up critical data and ensuring that data loss is minimized.
6. Off-site replication: Some CDP systems offer the ability to replicate data to an off-site location, providing an additional layer of protection against local disasters, such as fire or theft. This ensures that even if the NAS device is damaged or stolen, the data remains safe and accessible.

Overall, implementing continuous data protection mechanisms on NAS QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+ devices helps ensure that data loss is minimized, and critical information is always available for recovery.

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

Although the NAS VS-4108U-RP Pro+ 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 VS-4108U-RP Pro+. 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

VS-4108U-RP Pro+ has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• 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 VS-4108U-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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison