What’s Data Recovery Raid 5? Raid 5 is a redundant array that uses stripes data and parity information across all drives. In the event that one disk fails, the parity information helps in reconstructing data. The Raid 5 array is the most popular way of storing important data in organizations. It has high performance and features a relatively low-cost disk space. Although the array has a fast read rate, it’s slow when writing data on each drive. However, if you have multiple disks failure, you need to seek the services of a data recovery raid 5 specialist. A Raid 5 can be created with software and hardware.
Data Recovery Raid 5
Typical scenarios that cause Raid 5 failure
Although raid 5 array is a reliable way of storing data, it can break down just like any other mechanical device. Once it breaks down, the organization is likely to lose valuable data and information. The impact could be more severe if there is no data backup. It’s important to note that, even the most secure RAID 5 configurations can fail. The most common causes of Raid 5 failure are;
· Two or more failed HDD (hard disk drives)
Raid 5 array can survive when one disk fails. However, when there is multiple disk failure, the system becomes vulnerable to other disk failures which can result to system breakdown. It’s recommended not to run the system in a degraded mode to reduce the chances of the array failure.
· Raid controller failure
When a Raid 5 server rely on a single controller to direct the arrays, the controller is likely to fail. Booting issues are also likely to develop.
· Failed raid volumes/ missing RAID partitions
The system can breakdown completely or bring problems when accessing data when RAID 5 volume is not rebuilt correctly. Likewise, if the partition disks are corrupted or they are not working properly, it can result to unusable partitions.
Other reasons include MFT corruption, overwritten files, deleted files in the array, power surge among others.
What you should do when you experience Raid 5 array failure
The first thing is to turn off your Raid 5 array immediately. This will ensure there is no additional data that is written to the array. Make sure you note the events that caused the raid 5 failure. Secondly, contact a data recovery raid 5 specialist who has the tools and facilities to repair the system to retrieve your files. The likelihood that your data is intact will depend on the severity of the problem. It’s a bit odd to find two disks dropping out of a RAID 5 array simultaneously. However, when this happens it’s most likely to be a software issue and not a hardware issue.
Recovering raid 5 array with a software
If you don’t want to hire data recovery raid 5 technicians, you can do it yourself. To start, you should choose reliable RAID 5 data recovery software. One of the most popular software is the ReclaiMe File Recovery software. You should follow the following step-by-step instructions;
First, download and install the data recovery raid 5 software. Secondly, choose the hard drives to reconstruct RAID from the failed disks. It’s important to note that, the software is capable of recovering Raid 5 array when one disk is missing. The software will require parameters like Raid start sector, disk order, block size, parity order and parity repetition.
If you don’t understand the parameters simply state `don’t know’ and you will get several options from the drop down menu. Click the `build raid’ button to go to the recovery window. Lastly, click the volume list button to perform the data recovery operation. Make sure you mark the files to copy by clicking their corresponding check-boxes. Enter the name of the folder for the recovered files and click `start copying’.
The good thing about ReclaiMe File Recovery software is that it’s capable of determining a missing disk automatically. It utilizes different algorithms.
Recovering raid 5 array manually
Manual recovery is too complex and time- consuming. Since RAID 5 is a redundant array that stores parity data, one must determine parity rotation and position. This will aid in getting full configuration of your array. The parity position is identified from each of the array blocks.
As a rule of thumb, you should always back up your RAID arrays. Losing an entire RAID 5 array can be a big loss to an organization. The data recovery raid 5 procedures require precaution to ensure all data is protected. Before you begin the recovery process, you should mark each drive sector. It’s recommended that you stop running the array after a failure. If you don’t stop, it can result to overwrite, corruption, media damage and parity loss.