RAID servers play a central role in the infrastructure of many enterprises. This is an electronic brain with memory, where data from subdivisions, departments and branches flows through the local network.
Failure or downtime of the server can paralyze the work of offices and entire companies. The data loss consequences can be disastrous for a business. The most severe effect is the consequential impact on the company’s reputation, which will significantly affect customer loyalty.
In this case, information security and protection should prevent risks and eliminate consequences.
RAID Recovery Services offers reliable data retrieval solutions to businesses of all sizes. Our highly qualified engineers successfully recover all lost data, minimizing downtime. We ensure that all our services are safe using advanced data recovery tools and a certified cleanroom.
Dell PowerEdge R430 Data Failure
In the past month, our team received a Dell PowerEdge Server. The client had four hard disk drives combined in RAID 10. They used Logical Volume Manager (LVM), a subsystem of Linux systems designed to organize disk space.
The customer said the server was operating, but the power supply malfunctioned. The Dell media storage was old and would not run back after the damage.
He tried to access crucial files on different PCs, but the hard disks were not shown in the BIOS. Only a beeping sound was heard.
During the consultation with our dedicated customer service representative, the client decided to proceed with an expedited evaluation. He safely packed the server and shipped it to our lab. The data recovery team received the damaged hard drives and started a technical inspection immediately.
| Failure Reason | Description |
|---|---|
| Physical Damage | Drop, shock, mishandling. |
| Mechanical Failure | Spindle motor, read/write head issues. |
| Manufacturing Defects | Flaws from production. |
| Power Surges | Voltage spikes damage circuitry. |
| Overheating | Excessive heat damages components. |
| Wear and Tear | Continuous use leads to mechanical failure. |
| Firmware Corruption | Firmware issues cause malfunction. |
| Environmental Factors | Dust, humidity, or other factors degrade drive. |
| Software Corruption | Data or OS corruption renders drive unusable. |
| Ageing | Limited lifespan, failure due to old age. |
As in the client’s case, the damage was known to be a power surge; our technicians did not run any diagnostics via their interfaces. Instead, they unsealed the HDDs in our ISO Certified Class 10 Cleanroom and physically checked their components.
Visual control of the integrity of the PCB’s electronic components was performed. Electronic devices during an electrical breakdown are very different from serviceable ones. For an experienced specialist, the appearance of damaged elements is enough to draw preliminary conclusions and malfunctions.
Our data recovery expert found that all hard disk drives had damaged electronic boards. The customer was informed about the estimated evaluation results and data recovery percentage. Upon receiving his approval, the engineers started to retrieve lost files.
Server Grade Hard Drive Data Recovery
As the client noted the drives that were in stripping, the specialists decided to replace PCBs of only two drives. They started by searching for a compatible working board that would be soldered to the failed HDDs.
To replace a faulty electronic board, it was not enough to match only the hard drive model. Hard drives of the same brand can easily be incompatible since hard disks of the same production line have boards of different configurations. Our engineer found the most compatible PCB for the customer’s hard drives.
The expert successfully replaced the boards thanks to his years of experience and deep knowledge. To adapt the electronics board of the donor HDDs, he had to transfer the ROM chip to the transferred board.
But the power surge damaged the read-only memory chip, so the specialists had to use our methods to search for a copy of the ROM in the service area.
This technique is not used for all drives, but sometimes it can be used to save lost data. Some models of hard drives in the service area have a copy of the information recorded in the ROM at the factory.
The engineer needed to select an electronics board with the closest possible parameters required from a hard drive with the same switch version to gain access to it. He used it to gain access to the service information modules. Further, having written the contents of the original ROM from the module, our expert got access to the user’s data.
Dell R430 Server RAID 10 Data Recovery
The engineers decided to assemble the RAID array in read-only mode. It was the only method that guaranteed the data’s invariance and allowed us to explore all areas of the hard disk. He found out the order of the disks in the array, the RAID controller’s algorithm, the block size used, and the start and end LBA.
The expert searched for file headers using knowledge of file formats without information from the file system.
For different types of files, the ability to check the integer part and the accuracy of this check is very different.
For some files, our experts can check the entire file, and for some, we can only check a few hundred bytes from the very beginning. For example, for BMP files, it does not matter if it is intact or damaged.
Our specialist successfully accessed all the data after reinitializing the RAID array. The customer checked the results during the file verification session. After receiving approval, we shipped his media storage and the retrieved data back on a new set of HDDs.
Fill in the request help form to start your data recovery case. Or contact our customer support representative at (866) 352-5009.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I rebuild a RAID array on Dell?
To rebuild a RAID array on a Dell server, replace the failed drive, then during boot, press Ctrl+R to access the RAID controller on Dell PowerEdge servers. Select ‘Rebuild’ from the menu, and the system will automatically start rebuilding.
How to configure RAID in Dell PowerEdge R430?
Turn on your Dell PowerEdge R430 and press F2 for BIOS setup. Go to “System BIOS” > “Integrated Devices” > RAID controller settings. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up and manage RAID configurations.
What happens if a disk fails in RAID 10?
RAID 10 stripes and mirrors data for high fault tolerance. If a disk fails, its mirror ensures the system keeps running. Replace the failed disk quickly to rebuild the array and regain full redundancy.
How to break RAID in a Dell server?
To delete a RAID configuration on a Dell server, access the RAID controller’s utility at boot-up. Choose the RAID array to delete and select the delete option. This will erase all data on the array, so back up if necessary.
How do I expand a RAID array in a Dell server?
To expand a RAID array, add new disks to the server and use the RAID controller’s utility to include them in the array, boosting storage capacity. Note, however, that expanding a RAID array might need a rebuild, which can be time-consuming and might temporarily reduce performance.
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