How to recover data from QNAP VSM-4000U-RP 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 regular system monitoring and alerting help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS QNAP VSM-4000U-RP devices?

Regular system monitoring and alerting can help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS QNAP VSM-4000U-RP devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time monitoring: By continuously monitoring the system, you can identify any abnormal behavior or performance issues that could potentially lead to data loss. Monitoring tools can track various metrics like CPU usage, memory usage, disk health, network traffic, and storage capacity.
2. Disk health monitoring: Regular monitoring of the disk health can help detect any signs of impending disk failure. By monitoring attributes like SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data, you can identify any potential issues with the hard drives and take proactive measures like replacing the failing disks before they fail completely and cause data loss.
3. Storage capacity monitoring: Monitoring the storage capacity of the NAS device is crucial to prevent data loss due to insufficient storage space. When the storage capacity reaches a certain threshold, alerts can be triggered to notify administrators so they can take necessary actions like adding more storage or archiving data to prevent data loss.
4. Network monitoring: Monitoring network traffic can help identify any suspicious or abnormal activities that could indicate a potential security breach or data loss event. Unusual spikes in network traffic or unauthorized access attempts can trigger alerts, allowing administrators to investigate and take appropriate actions to prevent data loss.
5. Backup status monitoring: Regularly monitoring the status of backups is essential to ensure data can be restored in case of data loss events. Monitoring tools can check the backup schedules, verify the integrity of backup files, and send alerts if any issues are detected, such as backup failures or incomplete backups.
6. Alerting and notifications: Setting up alerts and notifications for critical events like disk failures, low storage space, network anomalies, or backup failures ensures that administrators are promptly informed about potential data loss risks. Alerts can be sent via email, SMS, or integrated with centralized monitoring systems for immediate attention and action.

By implementing regular system monitoring and alerting practices, administrators can proactively identify and address potential issues that could lead to data loss on NAS QNAP VSM-4000U-RP devices, minimizing the risk of data loss and ensuring the integrity and availability of critical data.

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

Although NAS VSM-4000U-RP 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 VSM-4000U-RP. 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

VSM-4000U-RP 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 VSM-4000U-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.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery