Professional Tips for Data Recovery from a Failed NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324 RAID Array

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324
• 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 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 the NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324 device's CPU or processing power affect data transfer and potential loss?

The CPU or processing power of the NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324 device can affect data transfer and potential loss in the following ways:

1. Data Transfer Speed: The CPU's processing power determines how quickly the device can handle data transfer requests. A more powerful CPU can handle multiple data transfers simultaneously and process them faster, resulting in higher data transfer speeds.
2. Network Performance: The CPU plays a crucial role in network performance. It processes network protocols, manages connections, and handles data encryption/decryption. A powerful CPU can handle higher network loads efficiently, resulting in better network performance and faster data transfers.
3. RAID Rebuilding and Data Recovery: In case of a drive failure in a RAID array, the CPU is responsible for rebuilding the data from the remaining drives. A powerful CPU can handle the rebuilding process faster, reducing the time required for data recovery and minimizing the potential loss of data.
4. Data Protection Features: The CPU is responsible for running various data protection features like data deduplication, compression, and encryption. These features can impact data transfer speeds and potential loss. A more powerful CPU can handle these tasks more efficiently, minimizing any performance impact on data transfers and ensuring data integrity.
5. Data Integrity and Error Correction: The CPU also plays a role in error detection and correction during data transfers. It processes checksum calculations and ensures data integrity. A powerful CPU can quickly detect and correct errors, reducing the potential loss of data during transfers.

Overall, a more powerful CPU in the NAS Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324 device can result in faster data transfers, better network performance, quicker RAID rebuilding, improved data protection features, and enhanced data integrity, thereby reducing the potential loss of data.

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

Although the NAS XCubeSAN XS5324 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 Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324. 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 Qsan

XCubeSAN XS5324 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;

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 Qsan XCubeSAN XS5324 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