Steps to Recover Your NAS Thecus N4100 RAID Array: What to Do After a Break

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 performance monitoring and optimization help in preventing data loss on NAS Thecus N4100 devices?

Regular performance monitoring and optimization can help in preventing data loss on NAS Thecus N4100 devices in several ways:

1. Early detection of potential issues: Performance monitoring allows you to keep an eye on the health and performance of your NAS device. By regularly monitoring metrics such as CPU usage, memory utilization, disk I/O, and network traffic, you can identify any anomalies or signs of potential problems. This early detection can help you take preventive measures before they escalate into data loss situations.
2. Identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks: Performance monitoring helps you identify any bottlenecks or performance issues that may be affecting the overall performance of your NAS device. By analyzing the performance metrics, you can pinpoint the root causes of slow performance, such as network congestion, disk overload, or insufficient memory. Resolving these bottlenecks can prevent data loss that may occur due to system instability or unresponsive behavior.
3. Capacity planning and resource allocation: Regular performance monitoring allows you to track the utilization of storage capacity, CPU, memory, and other resources on your NAS device. By analyzing historical trends and usage patterns, you can estimate future resource requirements and plan for capacity upgrades or resource allocations accordingly. This proactive approach ensures that your NAS device doesn't run out of storage space or resources, minimizing the risk of data loss due to inadequate capacity.
4. RAID health monitoring: Thecus N4100 devices support various RAID configurations for data redundancy and protection. Regular performance monitoring can include monitoring the health and status of RAID arrays. By monitoring RAID status, you can identify any degraded or failed disks, rebuild RAID arrays, and replace faulty disks promptly. This proactive approach helps prevent data loss by ensuring the integrity and availability of your data through RAID redundancy.
5. Backup monitoring and verification: Performance monitoring can also include monitoring the status and effectiveness of your backup processes. Regularly monitoring backup jobs, verifying backup integrity, and ensuring successful completion of backups are essential steps in preventing data loss. By monitoring backup performance, you can identify any backup failures or inconsistencies, allowing you to take corrective actions and ensure the availability of reliable backups.

Overall, regular performance monitoring and optimization of your NAS Thecus N4100 device help you maintain its stability, reliability, and performance, reducing the risk of data loss and ensuring the safety of your valuable data.

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

Although NAS N4100 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 Thecus N4100. 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 Thecus

N4100 has 4 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 N4100 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