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Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

miogpsrocks
Tutor

Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

 

Is there a recovery software that can rebuild an array from individual drives outside the Readynas system? 

 

I have a readynas NV+ V1 and the system is not booting. I have tested each drive and found that one drive is not passing the extended test however is another drive which was clicking when it was trying to read over one spot over and over again however surprisingly it passed the test however I am suspicious of this drive.

 

I have the Xraid Version 1  setup which is kind of like a RAID 5 I think.

 

 

I am not 100% sure which is the offending drive and if I guess wrong, it will destroy my entire data array so I was thinking maybe I should use a recovery software and try to piece the array together from the individual drives.

 

Is there a software that can accomplish this?

 

Thanks.

Message 1 of 11
StephenB
Guru

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

Your NV+ is using RAID-4. It is similar to RAID-5, except all the parity blocks are placed on one disk.  The parity blocks are actually written to an unpartitioned section of the drive.

 

http://home.bott.ca/webserver/?p=306 gives some info on how to mount an array in a standard linux system.

 

There are recovery packages that claim Netgear support, though I haven't used any of them - so I have no recommendations.  Hopefully others will chime in.

 

Message 2 of 11
davexyz
Aspirant

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

I use ReclaiMe recovery software.

 

This has been sucessful for me on Readynas V1, V2 and OS6 (btrfs) systems  for data recovery

 

It is Windows based and reconstructs the array from the discs.

It is about €200 so it is your decision on how much your data is worth.

 

There is a demo which isn fact is the full software package but saving data is prohibited.  So you can install, run and check to see if it can recover your data befoe you shell out for a licence.

 

 If it is able to see your data you can pause the recovery (in fact you dod not have to go to "full recovery anyway") purchase the licence which is emailed to you, enter it into the program and start  the reading off your data to a new location

 

 

Message 3 of 11
miogpsrocks
Tutor

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

Do you know if using this software will prohibit it from being used in the readynas again? 

 

I think these are " read only" and don't modify anything but I'm not sure. 

 

Windows based seem easier than building a Linux machine however its nice to have options available. 

 

Thanks. 

Message 4 of 11
StephenB
Guru

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"


@miogpsrocks wrote:

Do you know if using this software will prohibit it from being used in the readynas again? 

 

I think your best option is to back up all the data, since the NAS isn't even booting.  Very likely you will end up with a factory reset.

Message 5 of 11
miogpsrocks
Tutor

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

Should this recovery either the linux or the 3rd party app be used BEFORE trying to boot up the readynas again? 

 

 

Basically there are 2 hard drive which I suspect may be bad, one of them the software said it base, the software said the other hard drive is good( however it was clicking for like an hour at one part) 


So both drives are suspect. 

 

If I boot up the readynas with 3 drives and I remove the wrong drive, it could cause damage to the data if I try using the readynas to read the data or only if I replace it with a new drive ? 

 

I wanted to ask if I should try reading the data wtih the readynas first  or try to recover the data via linux/3rd party app? 

 

Thanks. 

Message 6 of 11
davexyz
Aspirant

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

No  the program only reads the discs it does not write to the discs.

 

You can recover your data to a local drive, a usb attached drive or over the network. If you recover over the network you have to create an "elevated" network share via  the command prompt run as an administrator.  ReclaiMe have help on this as well on their site

 

If he recovery was succesful or you have finished with the discs then you simply delete the partions using the administratvie tools in windows, reinsert into the nas and it see them as "fresh" discs. effectively a factory default

Message 7 of 11
miogpsrocks
Tutor

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

OK, I think this answerd my question. I psoted the question before I even saw this response. 

 

So try the recovery software and backup the data BEFORE trying it on the machine. Great , Got it. 

 

Thanks. 

Message 8 of 11
miogpsrocks
Tutor

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

 

I had to do a second take on this response before it sunk in exactly what you are saying. 

 

Normally in raid 5, if a hard drive fails in a 4 drive system, the remaining hard  drives can recreate the data regardless of which 3 you use. 

 

You are saying that all the parity is on a single disk? So if that is the case, when you mount  to linux can read the information right off the disk without " rebuilding" anything. 

 

In the case of the parity disk  failing, all the data should be recovered however if the drive that failed is not a parity disk, that means the data is not recoverable using this linux method? Is that right? 

 

Since this is nonstandard raid(xraid), do you have any tools that know how to rebuild the information using the parity drive? Also, what drive is the parity drive in a 4 drive system? 


Is it always the same drive? In my case, drive #3 and #4 are suspect. 

 

Thanks. 

 

Message 9 of 11
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"

If the parity disk is not the disk that fails the system would still boot fine. There would have to be additional problems e.g. with another disk, or a problem on the root volume etc. to still have issues.

 

In situations like yours a data recovery contract with support could be used. Support would check and see what the best way forward is and may suggest cloning (support can attempt cloning disks using a Linux tool designed for cloning failing disks but if support does that we'd have to charge extra for that, so most users prefer to do the cloning - if required - themselves).

Message 10 of 11
StephenB
Guru

Re: Software to Recover array from each Hard drive outside of Readynas system?"


@miogpsrocks wrote:

Normally in raid 5, if a hard drive fails in a 4 drive system, the remaining hard  drives can recreate the data regardless of which 3 you use. 

  

 

 


This is also a property of RAID 4.  If only the parity disk fails, it can be recreated from the other three.  If a data disk fails, it can be recreated from the remaining data disks plus the partity disk.

 

So the recovery properties are the same, this is just matter of how the parity blocks are organized.  The disadvantage of RAID-4 is that any writes require updating of the parity disk.  So the write load on the drives is uneven.  That can reduce throughput, and potentially create more wear on the parity disk.  RAID-5 spreads the parity blocks across all disks to solve those issues.

 

Mounting the volume in linux (using the link I posted) does allow the parity blocks to be used for recovery if needed.


@miogpsrocks wrote:

 Since this is nonstandard raid(xraid), do you have any tools that know how to rebuild the information using the parity drive? Also, what drive is the parity drive in a 4 drive system? 

 


xraid is actually standard RAID underneath.  Generally with RAID recovery tools there are some RAID parameters that either the tool discovers or which need to be manually entered. I'm not sure what those are (I haven't needed those tools), but Netgear folks can/will provide them if you need them.

 

The parity disk is usually disk 4.  "usually" because it depends in part on this history - sometimes users move disks around.

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