RAID Array Recovery on NAS Thecus N3200: How to Handle a Breakdown

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 Thecus 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 regular system monitoring and alerting help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Thecus N3200 devices?

Regular system monitoring and alerting can help in early detection and prevention of data loss events on NAS Thecus N3200 devices in the following ways:

1. Monitoring Disk Health: Regular monitoring of the NAS device's disks can help identify any potential issues such as bad sectors or imminent disk failures. By using disk monitoring tools, you can receive alerts when disk health deteriorates, allowing you to take immediate action to replace the failing disk and prevent data loss.
2. RAID Array Monitoring: The Thecus N3200 supports various RAID configurations. Monitoring the RAID array's status is crucial to ensure data redundancy and protection. Regular monitoring can help detect any degraded or failed RAID arrays, enabling you to rebuild or replace the faulty disks promptly and prevent data loss.
3. Network Traffic Monitoring: Monitoring network traffic on the NAS device can help identify any unusual or suspicious activities that may indicate unauthorized access attempts or data breaches. By setting up alerts for abnormal network behavior, you can detect potential security threats early on and take necessary measures to prevent data loss.
4. File System Monitoring: Monitoring the file system on the NAS device can help detect any corruption or errors that may lead to data loss. Regularly checking the integrity of the file system and receiving alerts for any inconsistencies can help you take corrective actions before data loss occurs.
5. Backup Monitoring: If you have implemented a backup strategy for your NAS device, monitoring the backup process is essential. Regularly verifying the success of backups and receiving alerts for failed or incomplete backups can help ensure that your data is adequately protected and can be restored in case of data loss events.
6. Temperature and Environmental Monitoring: Monitoring the temperature and environmental conditions of the NAS device can help prevent data loss caused by overheating or other environmental factors. By setting up alerts for abnormal temperature levels or environmental conditions, you can take preventive actions such as improving ventilation or relocating the device to a cooler area.

By implementing regular system monitoring and alerting on your Thecus N3200 NAS device, you can proactively identify and address potential issues that may lead to data loss, minimizing the risk of data loss events and ensuring the safety of your data.

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

Although NAS N3200 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 Thecus N3200. 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 Thecus

N3200 has 3 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• EXT3;
• EXT4;
• XFS;

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 Thecus N3200 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