- Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
- Key Information About the NAS Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T
- How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
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 Qsan 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 data redundancy techniques such as mirroring or replication enhance data availability and protect against loss on NAS Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T devices?
Data redundancy techniques such as mirroring or replication can enhance data availability and protect against loss on NAS Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T devices in the following ways:
- Mirroring: Mirroring involves creating an exact copy of data on multiple drives or systems. In the case of XCubeNAS XN3004T, you can configure a RAID 1 (or RAID 10) setup, where data is written simultaneously to multiple drives. This ensures that if one drive fails, the mirrored drive(s) can take over seamlessly, providing uninterrupted access to data. Mirroring enhances data availability as it eliminates single points of failure and reduces the risk of data loss due to drive failures.
- Replication: Replication involves creating multiple copies of data and distributing them across different devices or locations. XCubeNAS XN3004T supports data replication to other Qsan NAS devices or remote servers. By replicating data, you can create redundant copies that are geographically dispersed, which protects against data loss due to localized disasters, such as fire or flood. Replication also enhances data availability as it enables users to access data from multiple locations, ensuring uninterrupted access even if one location becomes inaccessible.
- High Availability (HA) Cluster: XCubeNAS XN3004T supports HA clustering, where multiple NAS devices are interconnected to provide failover capabilities. In an HA cluster, data is replicated across multiple devices, and if one device fails, another device takes over seamlessly. This ensures high availability of data and protects against data loss by eliminating single points of failure. HA clustering also provides load balancing and performance scalability.
Overall, data redundancy techniques like mirroring, replication, and HA clustering on Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T devices enhance data availability by reducing the risk of data loss, ensuring continuous access to data, and protecting against hardware failures or localized disasters.
How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
Although the NAS XCubeNAS XN3004T 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:
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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.
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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.
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Label each hard disk according to its position inside the NAS. The order of the drives is crucial for correct RAID reconstruction.
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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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Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery
This program restores data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T. 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.
How to recover data from a Qsan
XCubeNAS XN3004T has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:
- RAID 0;
- RAID 1;
- RAID 5;
- RAID 6;
- JBOD;
NAS supports:
- exFAT, VFAT, FAT 12 / 16 / 32;
- NTFS / ReFS;
- APFS / HFS+;
- Ext2 / 3 / 4 / ReiserFS / XFS / UFS / ZFS / Btrfs;
- VMFS / HikvisionFS;
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:
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Ensure you have enough free space to store the image. Its size will typically match the size of the original disk.
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In the main window, select the target disk and choose Tools - Save Disk. You can also select multiple disks if needed.
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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.
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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 Qsan XCubeNAS XN3004T network-attached storage keeps SANOS 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
| Product | Operating system | RAID controller support | Supported file systems | Virtual RAID controller support | Data recovery from damaged RAID | File preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetman RAID Recovery | Windows, Linux, MacOS | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, exFAT, NTFS, ReFS, APFS, HFS+, Ext4, Ext3, Ext2, ReiserFS, Btrfs, VMFS, Hikvision, XFS, UFS, ZFS | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DiskInternals RAID Recovery | Windows | Yes, over 10 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| R-Studio | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes, over 20 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UFS Explorer RAID Recovery | Windows, Mac, Linux | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EaseUS Data Recovery | Windows | Yes, over 20 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | No | Yes | Yes |
| ReclaiMe Free RAID Recovery | Windows | Yes, over 100 controllers | FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Recovering data from a NAS device that has been affected by a network attack or intrusion is possible, but it can be challenging depending on the extent of the damage caused by the attack. Here are a few steps you can take to attempt data recovery:
Remember, prevention is always better than recovery. It is essential to have adequate security measures in place, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular software updates, to minimize the risk of network attacks and intrusions.