RAID Disk File Access Without Functional NAS Uniview VX1624-C: Practical Steps

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 Uniview 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 disk health monitoring and analysis help in preventing potential data loss on NAS Uniview VX1624-C devices?

Regular disk health monitoring and analysis can help prevent potential data loss on NAS Uniview VX1624-C devices in the following ways:

1. Early detection of disk failures: Disk health monitoring tools can constantly monitor the status and performance of the disks in the NAS device. They can alert the user or administrator about any signs of potential disk failures such as bad sectors, high temperature, or abnormal noise. By detecting these issues early on, steps can be taken to replace the faulty disk before it completely fails and causes data loss.
2. Predictive analysis: Disk health monitoring tools often employ predictive analysis algorithms to analyze the historical data of disk performance. These algorithms can identify patterns and trends that indicate the likelihood of a disk failure in the future. By using this predictive analysis, administrators can proactively replace disks that are at a higher risk of failure, reducing the chances of data loss.
3. RAID monitoring: NAS devices like Uniview VX1624-C often use RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) configurations for data redundancy and protection. Disk health monitoring tools can monitor the health and status of each disk in the RAID array. They can detect any issues with individual disks, such as degraded performance or errors, and notify the user or administrator. This allows for timely replacement of the faulty disk and rebuilding of the RAID array, ensuring data integrity and preventing data loss.
4. Data backup and recovery: Disk health monitoring tools can also facilitate regular data backup and recovery processes. By monitoring the health of the disks, administrators can schedule automated backups of critical data to an external storage device or cloud storage. In the event of a disk failure, data can be recovered from the backups, minimizing the impact of data loss.

Overall, regular disk health monitoring and analysis provide essential insights into the status of the disks in NAS devices like Uniview VX1624-C. By detecting potential issues early on, taking proactive measures, and ensuring data redundancy through RAID configurations and backups, the risk of data loss can be significantly reduced.

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

Although NAS VX1624-C 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 Uniview VX1624-C. 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 Uniview

VX1624-C has 24 HDD slots, and it supports the following array types:

• RAID 0;
• RAID 1;
• RAID 5;
• RAID 6;
• RAID 50;
• RAID 60;
• JBOD;

NAS supports:

• exFAT, VFAT, FAT 12 / 16 / 32;
• NTFS / ReFS;
• APFS / HFS+;
• Ext2 / 3 / 4 / ReiserFS / XFS / UFS / ZFS / Btrfs;
• VMFS / HikvisionFS;

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 Uniview VX1624-C 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