NAS Synology DiskStation DS1511+ RAID Arrays: Recovering Data Affected by Natural Wear

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 Synology 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 file system corruption impact data integrity on NAS Synology DiskStation DS1511+ devices?

File system corruption on NAS Synology DiskStation DS1511+ devices can have a significant impact on data integrity. Here are some ways it can affect data:

1. Data loss: File system corruption can lead to the loss of data stored on the NAS device. Corrupted files or directories may become inaccessible or get permanently deleted. This can result in the loss of important documents, media files, or other critical data.
2. Data inconsistency: Corruption can cause inconsistencies within the data stored on the NAS device. This means that the data may become partially or incorrectly written, leading to errors or inaccuracies when accessing or using the files. This can be particularly problematic for databases or applications that rely on consistent and accurate data.
3. Data integrity checks: NAS devices like Synology DiskStation DS1511+ often have built-in mechanisms to ensure data integrity, such as checksums or RAID configurations. File system corruption can compromise these checks, making it difficult to detect or recover from errors. This can result in undetected data corruption, leading to data integrity issues that may go unnoticed until it's too late.
4. System instability: File system corruption can cause the NAS device to become unstable or crash frequently. This can disrupt normal operations, leading to data loss or corruption during the crash or subsequent recovery process. Instability can also impact the overall performance of the device, affecting data access and transfer speeds.
5. Difficulty in data recovery: If file system corruption occurs, it can make data recovery more challenging. Traditional data recovery methods may not be effective, and specialized tools or services may be required to recover the data. This can be time-consuming, expensive, and may not guarantee a complete recovery of all data.

To mitigate the impact of file system corruption on data integrity, it is crucial to regularly backup data stored on the NAS device. This way, even if corruption occurs, you can restore the data from a reliable backup source. Additionally, keeping the NAS device's firmware and software up to date, using reliable storage media, and performing regular system maintenance can help minimize the risk of file system corruption.

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

Although NAS DiskStation DS1511+ 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 Synology DiskStation DS1511+. 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 Synology

DiskStation DS1511+ has 5 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR);
• RAID 6;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 10;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 0;
• Basic;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• Btrfs;
• EXT4;
• EXT3 (External Disk Only);
• FAT32 (External Disk Only);
• exFAT (External Disk Only);
• NTFS (External Disk Only);
• HFS+ (External Disk Read Only);

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 Synology DiskStation DS1511+ network-attached storage keeps DSM (DiskStation Manager) 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