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

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Thecus N4100
• How to Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC
  • Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery
  • How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images
  • Where Are the User’s Files Actually Stored?
  • RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison

Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID

Conventional hard drives store user data by writing it sequentially across the disk surface, which means an entire file is typically located on a single drive. In contrast, when data is written to a RAID array, each file is split into multiple fragments. These fragments are then distributed and written in sequence across all the drives in the array. Depending on the configuration, fragment sizes can range from 2 KB to 2 MB, so every file is physically stored across several disks at once.

This approach significantly increases read and write performance — after all, writing two halves of a 1 GB file to two drives simultaneously is much faster than writing the full 1 GB to a single disk. However, this same mechanism makes file recovery far more complex.

Different RAID levels use different methods to distribute and protect data. On top of that, manufacturers like Thecus often add their own proprietary structures and variations. As a result, data can be written to disks in many different formats, and each requires a specific approach during recovery.

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 Remove Hard Disks from Your NAS and Connect Them to a PC

Although the NAS N4100 can be accessed over the network, you still need to remove its hard disks and connect them directly to a Windows PC. Only then can the recovery software properly scan and analyze the drives. Follow these steps:

1. Power off the NAS and disconnect it from the power source.

   WARNING! Before removing any drives, carefully read the device manual. Improper actions may damage both the NAS enclosure and the hard disks in the RAID array.

2. Remove the hard disks one by one, gently sliding each drive out of its slot. Remember that hard disks are highly sensitive: any impact or drop can cause serious physical damage.

3. Label each hard disk according to its position inside the NAS. The order of the drives is crucial for correct RAID reconstruction.

4. Connect the drives to your computer. In this video, we explain which ports you can use to connect hard disks and what to do if your PC does not have enough free connectors.

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   How to Order Remote Data Recovery

Step-by-Step Data Recovery with Hetman RAID Recovery

This program restores data from damaged RAID arrays and is fully compatible with Thecus N4100. Each hard disk in the array contains technical metadata describing how files were written. When launched, Hetman RAID Recovery analyzes this metadata, automatically reconstructs the damaged array, and provides access to its contents. After that, you can browse the recovered disk and save your files. The program can also restore files that were 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;

How to Safely Recover Data from Disk Images

This utility allows you to create a complete copy of a disk and work with the disk image instead of the physical drive. This approach helps protect your data from:

• Overwriting during the recovery process;
• Additional data loss caused by bad sectors;
• User errors.

To create a disk image, follow these steps:

1. Ensure you have enough free space to store the image. Its size will typically match the size of the original disk.

2. In the main window, select the target disk and choose Tools - Save Disk. You can also select multiple disks if needed.

3. When the Image Creation Wizard opens, select whether you want to save the entire disk or only a specific region. Adjust the settings and click Next.

   

4. Choose the directory where the image will be saved. You may select any available disk connected to your PC or upload the image via FTP.

   

Where Are the User’s Files Actually 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.

RAID Recovery Software: Detailed Comparison