Data Recovery on a RN528 with X-Raid configuration

[nasmmx]

Hello All - I have an RN528 that is less than 5 years old. I have  lost all power to the unit except for the ethernet port LEDs in the back (they still flash).  The internal fans do not run, the drives do not spin-up, there is no front display, and none  of the HDD LEDs  light up.

Netgear is refusing to assist in  resolving this issue, so I am writing the hardware off as a loss. My immediate concern is the data stored on the drives. Are there any suggestions out there as to how to recover the data? I have no reason to believe that the drives are bad. They are all less than 3 years old and have had little use, and they were showing in good health before the unit stopped turning on. The NAS is configured in X-raid mode. I am thinking that I just need to replace the power supply (if that is possible). If not I am open to other suggestions.

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

v/r

Mick

[AnishaA]

Hello @nasmmx ,

And welcome to the NETGEAR Community! 🙂

Could you please tell me the last configuration you pushed into the NAS while it was working we suggest you try once with changing the power cable.

And please mention the serial number of the device you are using. 

Incase your hardware warranty is expired Netgear offers paid data recovery services you can create a support case and opt for data recovery. 

Have a lovely day, 
Anisha A
Netgear Team 

[StephenB]

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@nasmmx wrote:

Netgear is refusing to assist in  resolving this issue, so I am writing the hardware off as a loss. My immediate concern is the data stored on the drives. Are there any suggestions out there as to how to recover the data? I have no reason to believe that the drives are bad. They are all less than 3 years old and have had little use, and they were showing in good health before the unit stopped turning on. The NAS is configured in X-raid mode. I am thinking that I just need to replace the power supply (if that is possible). If not I am open to other suggestions.

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Netgear's data recovery service might be an option if you can reach it - but everyone here who has attempted that in recent months hasn't been able to get it.  

The hardware warranty on the RN528 is 5 years in the US, so it would be useful to follow up with @AnishaA with the serial number, so she can look into why Netgear is refusing a warranty replacement.  One possibility is that you do need to purchase it from an authorized reseller.  Another is that the warranty doesn't cover used equipment.

If you can have a way to mount the disks in a Linux system (or a PC that you can boot up from linux using a USB drive), then you can mount the array manually and off-load the data. 8-bay USB-C enclosures are in the $300-$400 range on Amazon (US).

It is possible to replace the power supply, and it does sound like that is a likely cause.  I'm tagging @Sandshark to get his thoughts.

[Sandshark]

Do you see any activity, even brief, other than the Ethernet, when you plug it in?

I do not have, nor have I ever seen except in photos, a 528.  But, because it's a necessity to support WoL, I can tell you that the Ethernet ports run off of "standby" power (which is either 3.3V or 5V, depending on the design).  It would be typical of a unit with an internal power supply (that typically has a 5VSB output) to use 5V.  But the main thing here is that the StandBy voltage is always on and provided by a circuit independent of the rest.  So, a power supply or on/off control issue could be your problem.  But something elsewhere shorting out one of the voltages might be it as well. 

Most OS6 native ReadyNAS with internal supplies use a modified Flex ATX supply.  The modification is removal of the negative voltages from the connector and putting more 12V in their place.  I would expect the 528 to use a modified (or perhaps unmodified) Flex ATX12V (with the 24-pin connector) rather than an older basic Flex ATX (with a 20-pin connector).

Now, before you do anything else, you really need to pursue all avenues of getting warranty support.  Once you open the unit, Netgear will certainly refuse to honor the warranty.  Of course, if you know you aren't covered (you bought it used, for example), then no need.

If you decide to try something on your own, and it is a modified or unmodified Flex ATX(12V) supply, the first thing to do is to remove the power supply and try the "paper clip test", where you ground the power-on pin and see if the supply comes on (Green wire to any black wire).  That way, you can determine if the on/off circuit of the NAS is the problem.  While it's on from the jumper, you can also check the output voltages with a meter, but doing so without a load isn't a definitive test (no output says it's bad, but seemingly good output might not stay so under load).

If the NAS On/off control is the problem, a quick solution is to permanently jumper the green wire to black, bypassing the power control.  That means the unit will come on when plugged in and not turn off when commanded to do so.  But the power-off command will put the NAS at a point it can be safely unplugged.  You could investigate whether it's just a button issue, but most ReadyNAS use a double-pole switch to provide redundancy, so that's unlikely.  Without a schematic, the rest is basically unrepairable.

Since I'm unsure of the type of supply, I don't want to give any advise past that.  Let me know the number of pins on the output connector and if there is a blue or white wire or any unpopulated pins and I'll be able to see if it's like most other ReadyNAS use. 

How many drives are installed in your NAS, and was it using RAID5 or RAID6?  I ask because it will determine what other ReadyNAS you might potentially use to recover your data if it comes down to to recovery because the unit is unrepairable and Netgear won't replace it.  Replacing with another 528 is likely going to be tough.

[schumaku]

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@StephenB wrote:

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@nasmmx wrote:

Netgear is refusing to assist in  resolving this issue, so I am writing the hardware off as a loss. My immediate concern is the data stored on the drives. Are there any suggestions out there as to how to recover the data? I have no reason to believe that the drives are bad. They are all less than 3 years old and have had little use, and they were showing in good health before the unit stopped turning on. The NAS is configured in X-raid mode. I am thinking that I just need to replace the power supply (if that is possible). If not I am open to other suggestions.

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The hardware warranty on the RN528 is 5 years in the US, so it would be useful to follow up with @AnishaA with the serial number, so she can look into why Netgear is refusing a warranty replacement.  One possibility is that you do need to purchase it from an authorized reseller.  Another is that the warranty doesn't cover used equipment.

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The first point every Netgear customers is always the https://my.Netgear.com/ portal.

The warranty status is perfectly visible here.

[nasmmx]

Hello Anisha - Thank you for replying to my inquiry. 

I am interpreting the question 'Could you please tell me the last configuration you pushed into the NAS' to mean what is the latest OS software version. I think I had updated to 6.10.9 in June, and the system was working fine up until a week ago when it just would not power on one day. My apologies if this is not what you meant.

I have tried other power cords, but there was no improvement.

The SN is 4VB374E30000E. The unit is still within warranty until May of 24, but Netgear will not honor the warranty as I am not able to find the receipt. I registered the product at the time of purchase and thought that I had included a copy of the receipt, but Netgear states otherwise. So warranty options are not in the cards for this issue.

Thank you for your time.

[StephenB]

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@nasmmx wrote:

The unit is still within warranty until May of 24, but Netgear will not honor the warranty as I am not able to find the receipt.

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If you purchased it on-line, you might want to check with the seller.  FWIW, If you have an account with the seller, the order history should still be there.

[nasmmx]

Hello Stephen - Thank you for the reply.

I responded to Anisha with the SN, but I am not holding my breath on the warranty. Netgear requires a copy of my receipt and I have little hope of finding it since I bought the unit in 2019.

I do not have a Linux system, but I am intrigued by the suggestion. I would like to look into the option a little further, so if you have any suggestions on sources I might read to provide some details, I would be very grateful.

Thank you again for the reply and for forwarding this to @Sandshark.

I have some hope that I may be able to salvage this wreck.

All the Best,

Mick

[nasmmx]

Hello Sandshark - Thank you for the reply.

I do have ethernet LED lights flashing when I plug the unit in, but there is no other signs of life. No fans, drives, the front display is blank and no HDD lights either.

I do appreciate the detailed information on the power supply. I was hoping that there would be an option to purchase one, but that would have been to easy.

I will try to get further information when I have some time to take it apart.

There are six drives in the system and I think the X-Raid use RAID6. I will see if I can find that info as well.

All the Best,

Mick

[nasmmx]

I purchased it from a (Brick & Mortar) Fry's electronics, but they went out of business not long after I bought the NAS unit. So that is another dead end.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[AnishaA]

Hello @nasmmx ,

Thank you for providing the SN, Since your ReadyNAS needs a replacement and it has a suspected purchase date, without an invoice Netgear will not proceed.

Have a lovely day, 
Anisha A
Netgear Team 

[Sandshark]

There may be an option to purchase a replacement supply, but not from Netgear.  They have never sold parts.  That's why I'm asking about the specifics of the supply -- I may be able to identify one.

That you see nothing but the Ethernet activity LEDs at power-on likely means the power-on circuit isn't the issue.  But it's not definitive. 

[nasmmx]

Hello StephenB.

I appreciate your input above, and your assistance in helping me find a solution.

@StephenB  wrote:

If you can have a way to mount the disks in a Linux system (or a PC that you can boot up from linux using a USB drive), then you can mount the array manually and off-load the data.

I have been doing a lot of reading but I still have many questions that I have been unable to resolve.

The fundamental question being; if I install the HDDs into a USB enclosure and connect it to a LINUX system will it be able to read the drives that were configured as a single X-RAID? Do I need some special software such as TrueNAS?

I have found a lot of information on how to build a NAS, but nothing on how to recover the DATA from an X-RAID setup. I am very hesitant to blindly experiment, as for all I know this may be a one shot deal, and I may corrupt the configuration if I do this wrong.

Netgear is not providing me any assistance, so this is my only chance to save this data. I would greatly appreciate your feedback as to any other considerations that may be needed to actually read the data.

Thank you for your time.

[Sandshark]

Recovery with another ReadyNAS is also an option.

How many drives did you have in it and what RAID configuration?  If it's a configuration that is still intact (though perhaps degraded) with only 6 drives, another ReadyNAS would be easier to find than one with 8 (or more if you go with rack-mounted).

[nasmmx]

Hello Sandshark - Thank you for the reply.

@Sandsharkwrote:

How many drives did you have in it and what RAID configuration? If it's a configuration that is still intact (though perhaps degraded) with only 6 drives, another ReadyNAS would be easier to find than one with 8 (or more if you go with rack-mounted).

There were 6 drives installed, it was configured as an X-RAID single volume. All the drives were reporting healthy the day before the system stopped. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any ReadyNAS systems. That is why I am trying to find another option to read the HDDs.

[StephenB]

As far as using another NAS, you would need to purchased used, as all models are end-of-life.

You wouldn't need to exactly match the model.  RN316,RN426,RN426,RN516,RN526,RN528,RN626,RN628 would all work (the RN316 and RN516 being the oldest models).

A Pro 6 or Ultra 6 (older still) could also be used, but you would need to convert it to run OS-6 first.

Some used NAS aren't fully functional, so it is important to test them before migrating your disks.  I suggest doing a factory install on a single test disk, and then booting up the NAS with that disk in each slot.

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@nasmmx wrote:

The fundamental question being; if I install the HDDs into a USB enclosure and connect it to a LINUX system will it be able to read the drives that were configured as a single X-RAID? Do I need some special software such as TrueNAS?

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XRAID is an application package built on top of mdadm and btrfs that simplifies RAID and volume management.  mdadm are both standard linux tools, and can be easily installed on any current linux system.

A standard linux system with mdadm and btrfs installed can mount assemble the array and mount the volume.  We can give you the commands needed once you get to that point.

It would take a bit of investigation, particularly if you vertically expanded the volume in the past (starting with smaller disks, and then replacing them with larger).  Did you do that, or is the array using the original disk sizes?

[nasmmx]

Hello Stephen - Thank you for the reply.

@StephenBwrote:

XRAID is an application package built on top of mdadm and btrfs that simplifies RAID and volume management. mdadm are both standard linux tools, and can be easily installed on any current linux system.

A standard linux system with mdadm and btrfs installed can mount assemble the array and mount the volume. We can give you the commands needed once you get to that point.

It would take a bit of investigation, particularly if you vertically expanded the volume in the past (starting with smaller disks, and then replacing them with larger). Did you do that, or is the array using the original disk sizes?

This information is what I needed to get started.

I did perform a vertical expansion about a year ago. One of the original HDD was old and starting to fail, so I replaced it with a larger drive and I also added 2 new drives to previously empty bays.

[StephenB]

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@nasmmx wrote:

I did perform a vertical expansion about a year ago. One of the original HDD was old and starting to fail, so I replaced it with a larger drive and I also added 2 new drives to previously empty bays.

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It the 3 new drives were all the same larger size, then you will have two RAID groups in the data volume (plus RAID groups for the OS partition and swap)

These are each set up in matching partitions on the disks.

• partition 1: md0 (OS partition)
• partition 2: md1 (swap)
• partition 3: md127 (part of data volume, on all disks)
• partition 4: md126 (part of data volume, on the largest disks)

You can see the partition details using

cat /proc/partitions

Basic commands to assemble the RAID groups for the data volume are

mdadm --assemble /dev/md127 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3 ...
mdadm --assemble /dev/md126 /dev/sda4 ...

using the appropriate disk names you see in the system you are using (sda, etc).  The order of the disks in these commands doesn't matter - the ordering info is in the superblocks stored on each disk partition.

Then you can concatenate the two raid groups and mount the volume using

btrfs device scan
mount -t btrfs /dev/md127 /data

You can of course substitute any convenient mount point for /data

These commands assume the RAID groups and volumes weren't somehow damaged by the failure.