Preventing Data Loss on NAS Thecus N8900PRO and Recovering Deleted Files: Comprehensive Strategy

Contents

• Why Regular Data Recovery Tools Can’t Restore Files from RAID
• Key Information About the NAS Thecus N8900PRO
• 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 N8900PRO devices?

Regular performance monitoring and optimization can help in preventing data loss on NAS Thecus N8900PRO devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of issues: By regularly monitoring the performance of the NAS device, you can identify any potential issues or bottlenecks that could lead to data loss. This allows you to take proactive measures to address the problem before it escalates.
2. Identifying resource utilization: Performance monitoring helps you understand how resources such as CPU, memory, and storage are being utilized. By analyzing these metrics, you can identify any resource constraints that could impact the availability and integrity of your data.
3. Capacity planning: Monitoring the storage capacity of the NAS device helps you plan for future growth and prevent data loss due to insufficient storage space. By identifying trends and patterns in data usage, you can proactively allocate additional storage or optimize existing storage to avoid data loss.
4. RAID health monitoring: Thecus N8900PRO devices support RAID configurations for data redundancy and protection. Regular performance monitoring allows you to check the health and status of the RAID arrays, ensuring that they are functioning properly and protecting your data against drive failures.
5. Network monitoring: Monitoring the network connectivity and performance of the NAS device helps you identify any issues that could lead to data loss, such as network congestion or connectivity failures. By detecting and resolving these issues promptly, you can ensure uninterrupted access to your data.
6. Backup monitoring: Regularly monitoring the backup processes and schedules on the NAS device helps you verify the integrity and completeness of your data backups. This ensures that you have a reliable backup in case of data loss events.
7. Firmware and software updates: Performance monitoring can help you identify any compatibility issues or bugs in the NAS device's firmware or software. By keeping the device up to date with the latest updates and patches, you can prevent potential vulnerabilities that could lead to data loss.

Overall, regular performance monitoring and optimization of NAS Thecus N8900PRO devices can help you proactively identify and address any issues that could potentially lead to data loss, ensuring the availability and integrity of your data.

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

Although the NAS N8900PRO 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 N8900PRO. 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

N8900PRO has 8 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• RAID 10;
• 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 N8900PRO 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