How to recover data from Seagate Exos AP 2U24 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 data fragmentation impact the read and write speeds, and potential data loss on NAS Seagate Exos AP 2U24 devices?

Data fragmentation can have several impacts on read and write speeds, as well as potential data loss on NAS Seagate Exos AP 2U24 devices:

1. Read and Write Speeds: Data fragmentation refers to the scattering of data across different sectors or blocks on a storage device. When data becomes fragmented, the read and write speeds can be negatively affected. The device has to perform additional seeks and accesses to gather all the fragmented pieces of data, resulting in slower performance compared to sequential access. This can lead to increased latency and reduced overall read and write speeds on the NAS device.
2. Data Loss: Fragmentation can also increase the risk of data loss on NAS devices. If a file is fragmented, it becomes more susceptible to corruption or loss due to various factors such as disk errors, power failures, or system crashes. Since the fragmented data is spread across different locations, any issue affecting one or more of those locations can result in the loss of a portion or the entire file. Additionally, data recovery from fragmented files can be more challenging and time-consuming, increasing the chances of permanent data loss.

To mitigate the impact of data fragmentation on NAS Seagate Exos AP 2U24 devices, the following steps can be taken:

1. Regular Defragmentation: Perform regular defragmentation on the NAS device to consolidate fragmented data and optimize storage. This process rearranges the data blocks and organizes them in a contiguous manner, improving read and write speeds.
2. File System Optimization: Choose a file system that is less prone to fragmentation, such as NTFS or ext4. These file systems have built-in mechanisms to reduce fragmentation and maintain data integrity.
3. Disk Monitoring and Maintenance: Monitor the health of the NAS disks regularly and perform necessary maintenance tasks like disk checks and repairs. This helps identify and resolve any disk errors or bad sectors that can contribute to data fragmentation and potential data loss.
4. Data Backup and Redundancy: Implement a robust backup strategy by regularly backing up critical data stored on the NAS device. This ensures that even if data loss occurs due to fragmentation or other factors, a recent backup copy is available for recovery.
5. RAID Configuration: Consider using RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) for data redundancy and protection. RAID configurations like RAID 5 or RAID 6 can distribute data across multiple disks, reducing the impact of fragmentation and providing fault tolerance in case of disk failures.

By implementing these measures, the impact of data fragmentation on read and write speeds, as well as potential data loss, can be minimized on NAS Seagate Exos AP 2U24 devices.

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

Although NAS Exos AP 2U24 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 Exos AP 2U24. 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

Exos AP 2U24 has 24 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 Seagate Exos AP 2U24 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