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Forum Discussion
dekkit
Nov 10, 2009Aspirant
ReadyNAS Data Recovery - VMware recovery tool
Description
This topic contains links to linux VMware images (Debian / Ubuntu) that have been modified to enable you to access your ReadyNAS duo HDDs from any machine with a USB plug and a SATA to USB cable.
Advantages:
* VMware player be downloaded freely
* Can run in both existing linux / MS Windows (XP,Vista etc) operating system without any further modification
Disadvantages:
* Requires a SATA to USB cable
* Mac users will need to find another program to run the VMware files
Background
At some point your ReadyNAS Duo unit is going to stop working (which hopefully will be long and far into in the future) and there may be a point where you'll need to rely on your external backups.
While it's a good strategy to ensure you (and your family / clients) have a good disaster recovery process (having external off-site backups, checking the backups, knowing how to restore from backups etc), in some cases the backups might not work or the backups aren't available to you.
Due to the architecture of the ReadyNAS Duo (more specifically the 16KB blocksize of the partitions), you cannot simply pull out the hard disks, place them into a standard windows / linux pc, then copy all your files across to another computer or storage device.
Unfortunately there are no windows drivers that can properly access the drives and the process to configure a linux pc is complex (see viewtopic.php?f=25&t=24861&hilit=16+blocksize for further background on this)
The following VMware images contain all required patches to read your HDDs in linux just by entering a few terminal commands.
VMplayer Link
To get started, you will need to download a version of VMplayer for your operating system Win/Linux (Mac not directly supported yet), this can be found
http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
VMware Linux Image with Ext2Fuse
acmtn Debian release - tested ok, reports are that it works fine except for files greater than 4GB)
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dek ... ebian5.zip
acmtn VM login info (username/password): root/rootadmin, vmuser/vmuser1
(please read the forums for more details on how to use this vmware )
_vito Ubuntu release - currently being tested, enables you to use the HDDs directly plugged into your pc without the need for a SATA to usb cable.
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dek ... buntu9.rar
Details on this alternative vmware can be found on this post (you'll need to review the instructions carefully):
viewtopic.php?p=203653#p203653
dekkit Debian release - tested, a number of issues.
my initial attempt that helped start this thread has been found to have quite a few issues and may not work for you, but can be found here if you would like to try:
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dekkit/VMwareDebian5.0%20-%20ext2Fuse.rar
dekkit VM login info: User: vmplanet pass: vmplanet.net
the acmtn version at this stage appears to be getting more reliable results for users. Unfortunately, I have not had time improve on my original dekkit release due to time constraints but if you would like to try please post your results.
Dekkit release Notes:
* You will need 8GB of free disk space once you have uncompressed the image
* You will still need to execute some of the terminal commands to mount the drive (take precaution so you don't accidently blow away your data)
* This VMware can access other windows file shares and can also be configured to host windows shares (see the docs for debian for more info on this)
* To uncompress the file use WinRar: http://download.cnet.com/WinRAR-32-bit/ ... 07677.html or for non-windows platforms try: http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm
* This image is a work in progress (WIP) so please post all errrors !!!!!.
Dekkit release Usage- this may apply to the other versions (eg acmtn
Login to the OS
Access the terminal and enter the following once the HDD has been attached (take note that your /dev/c may differ):
modprobe fuse
vgscan
vgchange -ay c
mkdir /mnt/lvm
ext2fuse /dev/c/c /mnt/lvm
there is a delay in output but then ..
"/dev/c/c is to be mounted at /mnt/lvm
fuse-ext2 initialized for device: /dev/c/c
block size is 16384"
Dekkit Release Acknowledgements
The original VMware image was found http://www.vmplanet.net/node/85 (before the various patches were applied - so feel free to drop them a donation), if you can improve this image by way of a script to make it even easier to use for us 'non-linux users' then please do so and share it back with the rest of us
This topic contains links to linux VMware images (Debian / Ubuntu) that have been modified to enable you to access your ReadyNAS duo HDDs from any machine with a USB plug and a SATA to USB cable.
Advantages:
* VMware player be downloaded freely
* Can run in both existing linux / MS Windows (XP,Vista etc) operating system without any further modification
Disadvantages:
* Requires a SATA to USB cable
* Mac users will need to find another program to run the VMware files
Background
At some point your ReadyNAS Duo unit is going to stop working (which hopefully will be long and far into in the future) and there may be a point where you'll need to rely on your external backups.
While it's a good strategy to ensure you (and your family / clients) have a good disaster recovery process (having external off-site backups, checking the backups, knowing how to restore from backups etc), in some cases the backups might not work or the backups aren't available to you.
Due to the architecture of the ReadyNAS Duo (more specifically the 16KB blocksize of the partitions), you cannot simply pull out the hard disks, place them into a standard windows / linux pc, then copy all your files across to another computer or storage device.
Unfortunately there are no windows drivers that can properly access the drives and the process to configure a linux pc is complex (see viewtopic.php?f=25&t=24861&hilit=16+blocksize for further background on this)
The following VMware images contain all required patches to read your HDDs in linux just by entering a few terminal commands.
VMplayer Link
To get started, you will need to download a version of VMplayer for your operating system Win/Linux (Mac not directly supported yet), this can be found
http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
VMware Linux Image with Ext2Fuse
acmtn Debian release - tested ok, reports are that it works fine except for files greater than 4GB)
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dek ... ebian5.zip
acmtn VM login info (username/password): root/rootadmin, vmuser/vmuser1
(please read the forums for more details on how to use this vmware )
_vito Ubuntu release - currently being tested, enables you to use the HDDs directly plugged into your pc without the need for a SATA to usb cable.
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dek ... buntu9.rar
Details on this alternative vmware can be found on this post (you'll need to review the instructions carefully):
viewtopic.php?p=203653#p203653
dekkit Debian release - tested, a number of issues.
my initial attempt that helped start this thread has been found to have quite a few issues and may not work for you, but can be found here if you would like to try:
http://www.readynas.com/contributed/dekkit/VMwareDebian5.0%20-%20ext2Fuse.rar
dekkit VM login info: User: vmplanet pass: vmplanet.net
the acmtn version at this stage appears to be getting more reliable results for users. Unfortunately, I have not had time improve on my original dekkit release due to time constraints but if you would like to try please post your results.
Dekkit release Notes:
* You will need 8GB of free disk space once you have uncompressed the image
* You will still need to execute some of the terminal commands to mount the drive (take precaution so you don't accidently blow away your data)
* This VMware can access other windows file shares and can also be configured to host windows shares (see the docs for debian for more info on this)
* To uncompress the file use WinRar: http://download.cnet.com/WinRAR-32-bit/ ... 07677.html or for non-windows platforms try: http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm
* This image is a work in progress (WIP) so please post all errrors !!!!!.
Dekkit release Usage- this may apply to the other versions (eg acmtn
Login to the OS
Access the terminal and enter the following once the HDD has been attached (take note that your /dev/c may differ):
modprobe fuse
vgscan
vgchange -ay c
mkdir /mnt/lvm
ext2fuse /dev/c/c /mnt/lvm
there is a delay in output but then ..
"/dev/c/c is to be mounted at /mnt/lvm
fuse-ext2 initialized for device: /dev/c/c
block size is 16384"
Dekkit Release Acknowledgements
The original VMware image was found http://www.vmplanet.net/node/85 (before the various patches were applied - so feel free to drop them a donation), if you can improve this image by way of a script to make it even easier to use for us 'non-linux users' then please do so and share it back with the rest of us
187 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
- dekkitAspirantRegarding the Mac compatibility, try this thread for assistance: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/111230
I'll have a look at the 'fuse-ext2: Can't read an inode bitmap while reading inode bitmap', i think it may be related to the fuse-ext2 version but not sure. - mdgm-ntgrNETGEAR Employee Retired
dekkit wrote: Regarding the Mac compatibility
Thanks dekkit. I've got Parallels so can use that.
Interesting that VirtualBox is an option. Presumably this means that those who install Virtualbox (unsupported) onto an x86 ReadyNas could use that for data recovery? It would be interesting if someone tested it out on an x86 ReadyNas. That way you may be able to copy directly off the disks onto a new ReadyNas! - pingleAspirantHi dekkit.
Superb work on the VMWare image, thank you very much.
I have a thread at http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=34661.
I'm running VMWare Fusion on my Macbook Pro, and have successfully started your image as a VM.
I'm sitting at the login field of Gnome.
I don't see in this thread or the previous thread where you state the username and password to login to the virtual machine.
I've tried <blank>/<blank>, <dekkit>/<dekkit> and <dekkit>/<blank> to no avail.
Please would you provide these details.
Regards, Peter - Tin_Man_0AspirantUser: vmplanet
pass: vmplanet.net
If you check out the the first post they metion where they got the vm, follow that and you have your info. - mdgm-ntgrNETGEAR Employee Retired
Tin_Man_0 wrote: User: vmplanet
pass: vmplanet.net
If you check out the the first post they metion where they got the vm, follow that and you have your info.
Also, I believe those details are in a readme in the download of dekkit's image (from memory). You have to extract the files from the rar file (of course). - dekkitAspirantI've updated the first post in this thread to include the login details (chances are someone else might not easily find it).
The error:fuse-ext2: Can't read an inode bitmap while reading inode bitmap
Is understood to be resolved by using a the 0.5 version of ext2fuse, so i'll recompile the kernal using the 0.5 and post another version of the image.
On another note, mdgm found this in another thread (viewtopic.php?p=196395#p196395)Its a windows tool that may help in restoring files from broken duo. It can rebuild raid volumes etc which might be another option/addition to use in your data recovery attempts.callmecheez wrote: Thanks again to mdgm for the help.
Just posting this little solution here for reference, in case it helps anyone else out.
If you can't mount a drive using debian / ubuntu / windows etc, as I could not - R-Studio can do (link to download the demo: http://www.data-recovery-software.net/D ... shtml#demo)
It brings up a list of the file systems it detects on the drive, and recovered 100% of the files from a 'bad' disk (according to Western Digitals tool).
Lifted from their site, it supports:HFS and HFS+ file systems support. In addition to FAT/NTFS/ExtFS2/ExtFS3/UFS1/UFS2 R-Studio supports HFS and HFS+ file systems developed by Apple Computer for use on computers running the Mac OS - redbrickAspiranthope my contribution here helps.... I left my experience here...
http://www.readynas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=24861&start=75
...I hate linux... - mdgm-ntgrNETGEAR Employee Retired
dekkit wrote:
Is understood to be resolved by using a the 0.5 version of ext2fuse, so i'll recompile the kernal using the 0.5 and post another version of the image.
Great. When you post the new version of the image update the first post to point to it (you may wish to keep the old link there as an old version in case someone wants to look at it).
You may want to use version numbers to distinguish the newer version from the old e.g. 1.1 - dekkitAspirant
redbrick wrote: hope my contribution here helps.... I left my experience here...
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=24861&start=75
...I hate linux...
Thanks redbrick, i've been retracing my steps trying to identify what i might have missed. I followed the various suggestions detailed in the pages of the thread, so i might of missed something. I'll try again from scratch following your exact steps and link to the blog before messing around with the other fuse versions. A few more posts in that thread have provided some useful insights that compile into my first post.
Its definately been a tedious experience learning about linux this way, but i figure better to spend time now putting a solution in place before it dies :) - mdgm-ntgrNETGEAR Employee Retired
redbrick wrote: ...I hate linux...
In most cases there should be no need to use Linux commands to recover your data. At worst (in most cases) provided your disks are fine, you'd have to move the disks to another ReadyNas using the instructions here:
http://www.readynas.com/forum/faq.php#How_do_I_migrate_disks_over_from_an_existing_ReadyNAS_to_another%3F
With a firmware re-install possibly necessary: http://www.readynas.com/forum/faq.php#How_do_I_re-install_the_firmware%3F
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