Professional Advice for Recovering NAS Raidon GT2660-TB3 Data from RAID Arrays

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 Raidon 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 disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Raidon GT2660-TB3 devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Raidon GT2660-TB3 devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: Disk health monitoring tools can provide real-time information about the health and performance of individual drives in the NAS device. By regularly monitoring the SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) data of each disk, you can identify any signs of impending failure, such as increasing bad sectors, high temperature, or abnormal noise. Early detection allows you to replace the failing disk before it completely fails and causes data loss.
2. RAID array monitoring: NAS devices like Raidon GT2660-TB3 usually use RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations to provide data redundancy and protection against disk failures. Disk health monitoring tools can also monitor the status of the RAID array, ensuring that all disks are functioning properly and no errors or inconsistencies are detected. This helps to prevent data loss by identifying and resolving RAID issues promptly.
3. Predictive analysis: Disk health monitoring tools often include predictive analysis capabilities that use historical data and statistical algorithms to estimate the remaining lifespan of each disk. By analyzing factors such as the age of the disk, the number of operating hours, and past performance, these tools can provide an estimate of when a disk is likely to fail. This allows you to proactively replace disks nearing the end of their lifespan, minimizing the risk of data loss due to sudden failures.
4. Data backup reminders: Regular disk health monitoring can also serve as a reminder to regularly back up your data. If you notice any signs of potential disk failure or degradation, it can prompt you to take immediate action and ensure that your important data is backed up to a separate storage device or cloud service. This redundancy can protect your data in case of a catastrophic disk failure.
5. Performance optimization: Disk health monitoring tools can also provide insights into the overall performance of your NAS device. By monitoring metrics such as read/write speeds, latency, and disk utilization, you can identify any performance bottlenecks or inefficiencies that may impact the reliability and availability of your data. Addressing these issues can help prevent data loss caused by poor performance or system instability.

In summary, regular disk health monitoring and analysis on NAS Raidon GT2660-TB3 devices can help prevent potential data loss by detecting disk failures early, monitoring the status of RAID arrays, predicting disk failures, reminding you to back up your data, and optimizing system performance.

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

Although NAS GT2660-TB3 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 Raidon GT2660-TB3. 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 Raidon

GT2660-TB3 has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• APFS / HFS+;
• Ext2 / Ext3 / Ext4;

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 Raidon GT2660-TB3 network-attached storage keeps OS Linux 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