How to recover data from Seagate Exos E 4U106 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 conducting regular backups on external storage devices mitigate data loss risks for NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices?

Conducting regular backups on external storage devices can mitigate data loss risks for NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices in the following ways:

1. Redundancy: By regularly backing up data to external storage devices, you create redundant copies of your important files. In case of any data loss or hardware failure on the NAS device, you can restore the data from the external backup, ensuring minimal or no data loss.
2. Protection against hardware failure: NAS devices like Seagate Exos E 4U106 can experience hardware failures, such as disk failures or controller malfunctions. Regular backups on external storage devices provide an additional layer of protection by storing data on separate hardware. If the NAS device fails, you can still access your data from the external backup.
3. Protection against data corruption or accidental deletion: Sometimes, data corruption or accidental deletion can occur on the NAS device. Regular backups allow you to recover previous versions of files or restore deleted files from the external storage devices, reducing the impact of such incidents.
4. Disaster recovery: In the event of a natural disaster, fire, theft, or any other catastrophic event that affects the NAS device, having off-site backups on external storage devices ensures that your data remains safe and can be recovered easily.
5. Easy migration or upgrade: Regular backups on external storage devices simplify the process of migrating data to a new NAS device or upgrading the existing one. You can restore the data from the backups onto the new device, saving time and effort.

To ensure effective backup practices, consider the following tips:

• Schedule regular backups: Set up a backup schedule that suits your needs and the frequency of data changes. Automated backup software can simplify this process.
• Use reliable external storage devices: Choose high-quality and reliable external storage devices that offer sufficient capacity and data transfer speeds. Consider using multiple external drives for additional redundancy.
• Test backups periodically: Regularly test the backup process by restoring files from the external storage devices to ensure the backups are functioning correctly.
• Store backups off-site: Keep at least one copy of the backup off-site, preferably in a different location, to protect against physical damage or theft.
• Encrypt backups: If your data contains sensitive information, consider encrypting the backups on the external storage devices to ensure data security.

By following these practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of data loss on NAS Seagate Exos E 4U106 devices and ensure the safety and availability of your important data.

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

Although NAS Exos E 4U106 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.

   Go to view

   

   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 E 4U106. 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.

Go to view

How to recover data from a Seagate

Exos E 4U106 has 106 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 E 4U106 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