How to recover data from Rasilient Pixel Stor PS390 NAS

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 Rasilient also introduce some modifications to this process, and that is why data can be written to hard disk in a wide variety of ways.

Can the use of deduplication or compression technologies impact data loss risks on NAS Rasilient Pixel Stor PS390 devices?

The use of deduplication or compression technologies on NAS Rasilient Pixel Stor PS390 devices can potentially impact data loss risks in the following ways:

1. Deduplication: Deduplication eliminates redundant data by storing only unique data blocks and creating references to them. This can reduce the storage footprint and optimize storage capacity. However, if there are any issues with the deduplication process, such as data corruption or errors in the deduplication algorithm, it can potentially lead to data loss. Additionally, if the deduplication system fails or the metadata referencing the unique data blocks gets lost, it may result in the loss of access to the deduplicated data.
2. Compression: Compression reduces the size of data by encoding it in a more efficient manner. While compression can save storage space, it introduces the risk of data loss if the compression algorithm used is not reliable. If the compressed data becomes corrupted or the decompression process fails, it can result in the loss of the original uncompressed data.

It is important to note that the impact of deduplication or compression on data loss risks can vary depending on the implementation, the quality of the technology used, and the specific circumstances of the NAS device. It is recommended to carefully evaluate and test the deduplication or compression technologies before implementing them to mitigate any potential data loss risks. Additionally, having proper backup and disaster recovery strategies in place is crucial to minimize the impact of data loss in case of any unforeseen issues.

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

Although NAS Pixel Stor PS390 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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Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Rasilient Pixel Stor PS390. 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 Rasilient

Pixel Stor PS390 has 90 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 Rasilient Pixel Stor PS390 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