Professional Tips for RAID Array Data Recovery on NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224 Devices

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 Qsan 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 Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224 device's cache settings impact data loss risks?

The cache settings of a NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224 device can impact data loss risks in the following ways:

1. Write Cache: Enabling write cache can improve the performance of write operations by temporarily storing data in the cache before writing it to the disk. However, if there is a power failure or system crash before the data is written to the disk, the cached data may be lost, leading to potential data loss.
2. Read Cache: Enabling read cache can enhance the performance of read operations by storing frequently accessed data in the cache. This reduces the need to fetch data from the slower disk storage. However, if the data in the cache becomes corrupted or if the cache fails, it may result in data loss or data inconsistency.
3. Battery Backup Unit (BBU): Some NAS devices, including the Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224, come with a battery backup unit for cache protection. This BBU ensures that data in the cache is written to the disk in case of a power failure or system crash. Enabling BBU can significantly reduce the risk of data loss by providing a power source to flush the cache to disk during such events.
4. Cache Size: The size of the cache can also impact the data loss risks. A larger cache allows for more data to be stored temporarily, increasing the chances of data loss in case of a power failure or system crash. On the other hand, a smaller cache may limit the performance benefits but reduce the amount of potentially lost data.

It is crucial to carefully configure and monitor the cache settings of a NAS device to balance performance improvements with the risk of data loss. Additionally, regularly backing up critical data to separate storage devices or implementing RAID configurations can further mitigate the impact of potential data loss.

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

Although NAS XCubeSAN XS5224 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 Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224. 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 Qsan

XCubeSAN XS5224 has 24 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• exFAT, VFAT, FAT 12 / 16 / 32;
• NTFS / ReFS;
• APFS / HFS+;
• Ext2 / 3 / 4 / ReiserFS / XFS / UFS / ZFS / Btrfs;
• VMFS / HikvisionFS;

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 Qsan XCubeSAN XS5224 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.

Comparison of software for RAID recovery