Extracting Data from a RAID Disk When NAS TerraMaster F8-422 Does Not Begin: Step-by-Step Guide

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 continuous data protection mechanisms help in minimizing potential data loss on NAS TerraMaster F8-422 devices?

Continuous data protection (CDP) mechanisms can help minimize potential data loss on NAS TerraMaster F8-422 devices in the following ways:

1. Real-time Data Replication: CDP mechanisms continuously replicate data in real-time to a secondary storage location. This ensures that any changes made to the data on the primary NAS device are immediately replicated, reducing the risk of data loss in case of hardware failures, disasters, or accidental deletions.
2. Point-in-Time Recovery: CDP mechanisms capture data changes at specific points in time, allowing users to recover data from any chosen point in time. This feature is particularly useful in scenarios where data corruption or accidental changes occur and the user needs to restore the data to a previous state.
3. Incremental Backups: CDP mechanisms typically use incremental backups, where only the changes made since the last backup are saved. This minimizes the amount of data that needs to be transferred and stored, reducing storage costs and backup duration.
4. Instant Data Recovery: With CDP, data recovery can be almost instantaneous. Users can quickly restore files, folders, or entire systems from the replicated data, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity.
5. Continuous Monitoring: CDP mechanisms constantly monitor the primary NAS device for changes and errors. If any issues are detected, such as disk failures or data corruption, alerts are generated, allowing administrators to take immediate action and mitigate the risk of data loss.
6. Data Versioning: CDP mechanisms often provide data versioning capabilities, allowing users to access and restore previous versions of files or folders. This can be crucial in cases where data is accidentally modified, overwritten, or deleted, providing a safety net for data recovery.

By implementing continuous data protection mechanisms on NAS TerraMaster F8-422 devices, organizations can significantly reduce the potential for data loss, enhance data availability, and ensure data integrity.

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

Although NAS F8-422 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 F8-422. 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

F8-422 has 8 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• 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 F8-422 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