Professional Strategies for RAID Array Data Recovery on NAS Raidon Mobile Rack iT8776 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 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 system monitoring and alerting help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Raidon Mobile Rack iT8776 devices?

Regular system monitoring and alerting can help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Raidon Mobile Rack iT8776 devices in the following ways:

1. Disk Health Monitoring: By regularly monitoring the health and status of the hard drives in the NAS, you can identify any signs of potential failure or degradation. Many NAS systems provide SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) monitoring, which can alert you to issues such as bad sectors, high temperature, or abnormal drive behavior.
2. RAID Array Monitoring: If you have configured your NAS with a RAID configuration (e.g., RAID 1, RAID 5), monitoring the RAID array is crucial. Regularly check the RAID status and ensure all drives are functioning correctly. Any degraded or failed drives should be replaced immediately to prevent data loss.
3. Storage Utilization Monitoring: Monitoring the storage utilization of your NAS helps you keep track of available space and avoid running out of storage capacity. When the storage reaches a certain threshold, you can proactively take action to expand the capacity or archive/delete unnecessary data to prevent data loss due to lack of space.
4. Backup Monitoring: If you have set up regular backups of your NAS data, monitoring the backup process is crucial. Ensure that backups are scheduled and executed successfully. If backups fail or encounter errors, you can investigate and rectify the issue promptly to avoid relying solely on the NAS for data recovery.
5. Network Monitoring: Monitoring the network connectivity and performance of your NAS can help detect any issues that may lead to data loss. Network monitoring tools can alert you to network outages, high latency, or abnormal traffic patterns, allowing you to take appropriate action to prevent data loss or corruption.
6. Security Monitoring: Regularly monitoring the security of your NAS helps identify any unauthorized access attempts or potential security breaches. Enable and review logs, monitor user activity, and implement security measures such as strong passwords, firewall rules, and access controls to prevent data loss due to unauthorized access.
7. Alerting and Notifications: Configure your NAS to send alerts and notifications for critical events such as drive failures, high disk temperature, low storage space, or backup failures. This ensures that you are promptly informed of any potential issues, allowing you to take immediate action and prevent data loss.

By implementing a comprehensive system monitoring and alerting strategy, you can proactively detect and prevent data loss events on NAS Raidon Mobile Rack iT8776 devices, minimizing the risk of data loss and ensuring the integrity and availability of your data.

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

Although NAS Mobile Rack iT8776 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 Mobile Rack iT8776. 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

Mobile Rack iT8776 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 Mobile Rack iT8776 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