Advanced Tips for RAID Array Data Recovery on NAS Raidon SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 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 the NAS Raidon SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 device's CPU or processing power affect data transfer and potential loss?

The NAS Raidon SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 device's CPU or processing power can have an impact on data transfer and potential data loss in the following ways:

1. Data Transfer Speed: The CPU of the device plays a crucial role in handling data transfer operations. A powerful CPU can efficiently process and manage data, resulting in faster transfer speeds. On the other hand, a weaker CPU may struggle to keep up with high data transfer rates, leading to slower speeds and longer transfer times.
2. RAID Rebuild Time: In a RAID configuration, if a drive fails, the data needs to be rebuilt onto a new drive. The CPU's processing power affects the speed at which the RAID controller can rebuild the data. A faster CPU can handle the necessary calculations and data reconstruction more quickly, minimizing the time the system is vulnerable during the rebuild process.
3. Data Integrity: The CPU is responsible for various data management tasks, including error correction, checksum calculations, and data verification. A powerful CPU can efficiently perform these tasks, reducing the chances of data corruption or loss during transfer. In contrast, a slower CPU may struggle to keep up with the demands, potentially increasing the risk of data errors or loss.
4. Network Traffic Management: The CPU also handles network traffic management, including handling incoming and outgoing data packets. A robust CPU can efficiently manage network traffic, preventing bottlenecks and ensuring smooth data transfer. Insufficient processing power may result in dropped packets, network congestion, and potential data loss.
5. Data Protection Features: Some NAS devices offer advanced data protection features like encryption, compression, or deduplication. These features require CPU resources to perform the necessary calculations. A more powerful CPU can handle these tasks more efficiently, minimizing the impact on data transfer speeds and reducing the chances of data loss.

In summary, a NAS device's CPU or processing power can significantly impact data transfer speeds, RAID rebuild times, data integrity, network traffic management, and the performance of data protection features. Investing in a NAS device with a powerful CPU can help ensure smoother data transfers, minimize potential data loss, and improve overall system performance.

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

Although NAS SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 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 SafeTANK GR3660-BA31. 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

SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 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 SafeTANK GR3660-BA31 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