How to recover data from Seagate Black Armor STCT200 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 Seagate 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 storage tiering or caching strategies impact data availability and potential loss on NAS Seagate Black Armor STCT200 devices?

Storage tiering and caching strategies can have a significant impact on data availability and potential loss on NAS Seagate Black Armor STCT200 devices. Here are some ways these strategies can affect the device:

1. Improved Performance: By implementing storage tiering and caching strategies, the device can enhance its performance by automatically moving frequently accessed data to faster storage tiers or caching it in high-speed memory. This improves data availability as users can access their data quickly and efficiently.
2. Reduced Latency: Caching frequently accessed data in high-speed memory can significantly reduce data access latency. This ensures that users can retrieve their data without experiencing delays, enhancing data availability.
3. Enhanced Data Protection: Some storage tiering strategies prioritize data protection by automatically moving critical data to more reliable and redundant storage tiers. This reduces the potential loss of data in case of hardware failures or disasters.
4. Efficient Resource Utilization: Storage tiering allows organizations to optimize resource utilization by automatically migrating less frequently accessed data to lower-cost storage tiers. This ensures that valuable resources are allocated effectively, reducing the risk of potential data loss due to insufficient storage capacity.
5. Data Loss Risks: However, if not properly implemented, storage tiering and caching strategies can introduce potential risks of data loss. For example, if critical data is cached and not adequately protected, a power outage or system failure might result in data loss. Similarly, if data migration is not handled correctly, there is a risk of data corruption or loss during the process.

To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to implement proper backup and disaster recovery strategies, regularly monitor the health of storage tiers, and ensure data integrity during migration processes. Additionally, organizations should carefully plan and test their storage tiering and caching strategies to minimize the potential for data loss and maximize data availability on NAS Seagate Black Armor STCT200 devices.

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

Although NAS Black Armor STCT200 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 Seagate Black Armor STCT200. 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 Seagate

Black Armor STCT200 has 2 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• 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 Seagate Black Armor STCT200 network-attached storage keeps Seagate NAS OS 4 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