How to Extract Data from a RAID Disk When NAS TerraMaster F5-221 is Not Booting

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 TerraMaster 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 data availability and potential loss on NAS TerraMaster F5-221 devices?

Data fragmentation can have several impacts on data availability and potential loss on NAS TerraMaster F5-221 devices:

1. Reduced Performance: Fragmentation occurs when files are divided into smaller pieces and stored in non-contiguous locations on the storage medium. This can result in slower read and write operations, as the device needs to search for and retrieve data from multiple locations.
2. Increased Disk Wear: Fragmentation can lead to increased disk wear as the device needs to perform more frequent and scattered read/write operations. This can potentially shorten the lifespan of the hard drives.
3. Higher Risk of Data Loss: When data is fragmented, there is a higher risk of data loss. If a single disk fails in a RAID configuration, the data stored on that disk might be spread across multiple locations. This makes it more challenging to recover the data and increases the likelihood of data loss.
4. Difficulty in Data Recovery: Fragmented data can make data recovery more complex and time-consuming. In case of data corruption or accidental deletion, the fragmented data might be scattered across different areas of the disk, making it harder to retrieve and restore the lost data.
5. Limited Storage Efficiency: Fragmentation can decrease the overall storage efficiency of the NAS device. When files are fragmented, it can lead to wasted disk space due to the allocation of larger clusters or blocks for storing fragmented data.

To mitigate the impact of data fragmentation on NAS TerraMaster F5-221 devices, it is recommended to regularly defragment the hard drives. Defragmentation rearranges the fragmented data, placing it in contiguous blocks on the disk, improving performance and reducing the risk of data loss. Additionally, monitoring the health of the hard drives and implementing a regular backup strategy can help mitigate potential data loss risks.

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

Although NAS F5-221 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 TerraMaster F5-221. 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 TerraMaster

F5-221 has 4 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• Ext2;
• Ext3;
• Ext4;
• Btrfs;

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 TerraMaster F5-221 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