NAS Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j RAID Arrays: Data Recovery Approaches After Natural Component Wear

Natural component wear can cause ⭐ NAS RAID array failures. Here’s how to recover your data.

NAS Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j RAID Arrays: Data Recovery Approaches After Natural Component Wear

Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j NAS Data Recovery in 2024

In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll show you how to rebuild your RAID and recover data from DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j.

NAS Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j RAID Arrays: Data Recovery Approaches After Natural Component Wear

RAID Recovery™ 2.6
Recover data from damaged RAID arrays inaccessible from a computer.
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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.

Are there any specific factors to consider when choosing a NAS Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j device to minimize data loss risks?

Yes, there are several factors to consider when choosing a NAS device like the Synology DiskStation DS420+ or DS420j to minimize data loss risks. Here are some key factors to consider:

  1. Redundancy: Look for NAS devices that support RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations. RAID provides data redundancy by distributing data across multiple drives, ensuring that even if one drive fails, your data remains intact. Both DS420+ and DS420j support RAID configurations.
  2. Drive compatibility: Ensure that the NAS device supports compatible hard drives. Check the manufacturer's specifications to see which drive models and capacities are recommended. Using compatible drives reduces the risk of compatibility issues and potential data loss.
  3. Backup options: Choose a NAS device that offers various backup options. Look for features like scheduled backups, incremental backups, and support for remote backups to external devices or cloud storage. Having multiple backup options helps protect your data in case of hardware failure.
  4. Data protection features: Consider NAS devices that offer built-in data protection features like data scrubbing, snapshotting, and data encryption. Data scrubbing helps detect and correct errors on the drives, while snapshots allow you to restore previous versions of files. Data encryption ensures that your data remains secure even if the drives are stolen.
  5. Power protection: Consider using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your NAS device from power surges or sudden power outages. A UPS provides temporary power during such events, giving you enough time to safely shut down the NAS and prevent data loss.
  6. Regular maintenance and firmware updates: Ensure that you regularly update the NAS firmware and perform routine maintenance tasks recommended by the manufacturer. This helps ensure that your NAS device operates optimally and reduces the risk of potential vulnerabilities or data loss.
  7. Off-site backup: Consider implementing an off-site backup strategy to further minimize data loss risks. This involves backing up your important data to a remote location, such as another NAS device located in a different physical location or using cloud storage services.

By considering these factors, you can choose a NAS device that provides sufficient data protection and minimizes the risk of data loss.

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

Although NAS DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j 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

    How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Restoring data with Hetman RAID Recovery

Hetman Raid Recovery

This program recovers data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j. 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 Synology

How to recover data from a Synology

DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j has 4 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 ToolsSave 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.

    Hetman Raid Recovery: Image Creation Wizard
  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.

    Hetman Raid Recovery: hoose any disk connected to this PC, or save the image by FTP

Where are user’s files stored?

The Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j 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

Product Operating system License type RAID controller support Supported file systems Virtual RAID controller support Data recovery from damaged RAID File preview
Hetman RAID Recovery Windows Paid Yes, over 100 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ Yes Yes Yes
DiskInternals RAID Recovery Windows Paid Yes, over 100 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ No Yes Yes
R-Studio Windows, Mac, Linux Paid Yes, over 200 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ Yes Yes Yes
UFS Explorer RAID Recovery Windows, Mac, Linux Paid Yes, over 1,000 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ Yes Yes Yes
EaseUS Data Recovery Windows Paid Yes, over 20 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ No Yes Yes
ReclaiMe Free RAID Recovery Windows Free Yes, over 100 controllers FAT, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, HFS+ Yes Yes Yes

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  • Hetman Software: Data Recovery
    Hetman Software: Data Recovery 9.08.2022 12:31 #
    If you want to ask a question about data recovery, from NAS DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j, feel free to leave a comment!
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Vladimir Artiukh

Author: Vladimir Artiukh, Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Oleg Afonin

Editor: Oleg Afonin, Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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Questions and answers

  • How does RAID technology enhance the data storage capabilities of the Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j NAS devices?

    RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology enhances the data storage capabilities of the Synology DiskStation DS420+ and DS420j NAS devices in several ways:

    1. Data Protection: RAID technology ensures data redundancy and protection against drive failures. Both DS420+ and DS420j support various RAID configurations, such as RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10. By combining multiple hard drives into a single logical unit, RAID allows for the duplication of data across drives, so if one drive fails, the data can be rebuilt or recovered from the remaining drives.
    2. Increased Storage Capacity: RAID technology allows for the aggregation of multiple physical drives into a larger storage pool. This enables the DS420+ and DS420j to provide increased storage capacity beyond what a single drive can offer. For example, RAID 5 combines the capacity of multiple drives while reserving one drive for data parity, providing a balance between capacity and data protection.
    3. Improved Performance: Certain RAID configurations, such as RAID 0, can improve read and write performance by striping data across multiple drives. This can be beneficial for applications that require high-speed data access, such as media streaming or large file transfers.
    4. Flexibility and Scalability: The DS420+ and DS420j NAS devices support hot-swappable drive bays, allowing for easy drive replacement or capacity expansion without downtime. RAID technology enables the seamless integration of new drives into existing RAID arrays, allowing users to scale their storage capacity as their needs grow.
    5. Data Integrity and Recovery: RAID technology includes features like data scrubbing and automatic error detection and correction. These features help maintain data integrity by regularly checking for errors and inconsistencies in the stored data. If errors are detected, RAID can automatically repair or rebuild the data using the redundant information stored across multiple drives.

    Overall, RAID technology enhances the data storage capabilities of Synology DiskStation DS420+ and DS420j NAS devices by providing data protection, increased storage capacity, improved performance, flexibility, and data integrity features.

  • What RAID configurations are supported by the Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j, and how do they contribute to data protection and performance?

    The Synology DiskStation DS420+ and DS420j support several RAID configurations, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 6, RAID 10, and JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks). Each RAID configuration offers different levels of data protection and performance.

    1. RAID 0 (Striping): This configuration combines multiple drives into a single logical volume, distributing data across all drives. It offers improved performance and increased storage capacity but provides no data redundancy or protection. If one drive fails, all data is lost.
    2. RAID 1 (Mirroring): This configuration mirrors data across two drives, creating an exact copy of the data on each drive. It offers high data redundancy as both drives contain the same information. If one drive fails, the other drive continues to function, ensuring data availability. However, it doesn't offer increased storage capacity or performance improvement.
    3. RAID 5: This configuration requires a minimum of three drives. It distributes data and parity information across all drives, providing both data redundancy and performance improvement. If one drive fails, the system can rebuild the lost data using the parity information stored on the remaining drives. RAID 5 offers increased storage capacity and good read performance but has slower write performance due to the parity calculations.
    4. RAID 6: This configuration is similar to RAID 5 but requires a minimum of four drives. It provides higher data redundancy by distributing data and dual parity information across all drives. RAID 6 can tolerate the failure of up to two drives simultaneously without losing data. It offers good read performance and better write performance than RAID 5, but it requires more drives and has slightly lower usable storage capacity.
    5. RAID 10 (Mirrored-Striping): This configuration combines mirroring (RAID 1) and striping (RAID 0). It requires a minimum of four drives and provides both data redundancy and improved performance. Data is mirrored across pairs of drives, and then these pairs are striped for increased performance. RAID 10 offers high data redundancy, good read and write performance, but it has lower usable storage capacity due to mirroring.
    6. JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks): This configuration allows each drive to be used independently without any RAID protection or performance improvement. Each drive appears as a separate volume, and data is not distributed or duplicated across drives. JBOD offers maximum storage capacity but lacks data redundancy and performance benefits.

    It's important to choose a RAID configuration based on your specific requirements for data protection, performance, and storage capacity.

  • Can the Synology DiskStation DS420+ / DS420j be configured as a RAID system, and what are the advantages of utilizing RAID in a NAS environment?

    Yes, both the Synology DiskStation DS420+ and DS420j can be configured as a RAID system. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology that combines multiple hard drives into a single logical unit to provide data redundancy, improved performance, or a combination of both.

    The advantages of utilizing RAID in a NAS environment are:

    1. Data Redundancy: RAID provides data redundancy by creating duplicate copies of data across multiple drives. In case of a hard drive failure, the data can be recovered from the remaining drives, ensuring data integrity and minimizing the risk of data loss.
    2. Improved Performance: Certain RAID configurations, such as RAID 0 or RAID 10, distribute data across multiple drives, allowing for improved read and write speeds. This can be beneficial for tasks that require fast data access, such as media streaming or large file transfers.
    3. Scalability: RAID allows for easy expansion of storage capacity by adding additional drives to the array. With a NAS supporting RAID, you can increase the storage capacity of your system without losing any data or disrupting the existing setup.
    4. Flexibility: Different RAID levels offer different combinations of data redundancy and performance. Depending on your specific requirements, you can choose a RAID level that suits your needs. Synology NAS devices support various RAID levels, including RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, and JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks).
    5. Automatic Data Recovery: In the event of a drive failure, a RAID system can automatically rebuild the data using the remaining drives. This process is known as data reconstruction or data resynchronization. It ensures that your data remains accessible and the system remains operational even during a drive failure.

    Overall, utilizing RAID in a NAS environment provides increased data protection, improved performance, scalability, and flexibility, making it an essential feature for many users.

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