Physical data server drives are as simple as it can get when it comes to loss of data. It therefore is not hard for one to lose their data in the course of duty. That is why if you are to administer a server you may also need to acquaint yourself with details on server data recovery.
Server Data Recovery
Type of and scope of loss
To be able to perform an optimal server data recovery we need a brief visit into the various forms of data loss and their scope of loss. This is important as it will inform on the ability and type of data recovery to be carried out on your server.
• Data deletion and erasure: It is not foreign to accidentally or knowingly delete a file that one needs. Good thing is that most of these files are readily available if recovered in good time
• Malware attacks: This includes attacks by viruses and worms, which tend to change the structure of data by manipulating the source. Recovery of on this sort of data may not be easy for most people. Good news is that there are programs that can get back the data in accessible conditions
• Data encryption: Whether arising from attack by ransomware or loss of decryption keys this type of data loss may require a little bit of technical know-how.
• Extensive data file setup failure: Should you have reason to believe that one of your server disks is undergoing persistent failure it is important to exclude it from usage and try to recover as much data as possible from it.
• Physical destruction of servers: whenever your server suffers loss due to exposure to fires, high magnetic fields and water logging it is always advised that you should seek the help of professional data recovery experts.
Do it yourself server data recovery
Whether your server runs on Linux or Windows OS you can easily run data recovery on it using various software. The use of software to recover data is mostly tied to losses occurring from basic data deletion and malware attacks. Whereas the process might differ from one software to another, the general process flow is as follows:
• Install the software to your machine
• Launching the data recovery software
• Choose the disk partition (if more than one) to carry recovery on.
• Choosing a scan type to carry out on partition: most software have more than two scan methods with two basic methods always available; quick and deep scan.
• After scan is done preview the scan results and choose the files you need to recover
• Recover the data you need to a separate physical disk.
You can always recover the data to the same disk, however, in order to maintain the integrity of a disk, it is always advised that you recover files to a different disk.
In-depth data recovery, when to use professional help
Sometime the server may have undergone extensive physical damage. Alternatively the server may be encrypted rendering the whole server hard to basic software recovery. In such an instance you might require to have intensive server recovery carried out. Most of the time the experts will always ask to carry the disk with them so that they can carry out the recovery operation in their labs. This type of recovery takes time since recovery is not carried directly on the disk but via different mediums to ensure the integrity of the disk is maintained by not initiating any further writes on the disk.
Luckily technology has brought the field of data recovery a gift in the form of remote data recovery. This type of data recovery entails the experts accessing your network linked disk from a remote location. This type of recovery works well if you are trying to recover small amounts of data as well as encrypted drives. However, for physically damaged drives the only option is physical data recovery.
Precautions to take before any recovery procedures
• Always use a credible software if carrying a DIY recovery
• If need be, isolate the disk from the rest of the of the disks In order to prevent data overwrite
Data recovery is a good way to ensure that you retrieve your data. However, data recovery is never assured. As such it is always important that you have a concrete backup plan for your servers. This might save you the need to employ expensive and time-consuming data recovery processes.
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