How to recover data from QNAP VS-4108U-RP Pro+ NAS

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

Although NAS VS-4108U-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-4108U-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-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);

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-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.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery