A rapidly expanding digital marketing agency experienced a critical drive failure on its Synology DiskStation DS1823xs+, the central platform for shared project files and campaign assets.
As the RAID array degraded, key folders became inaccessible and collaboration across teams stalled.
With deadlines looming and client deliverables at risk, the business engaged RAID Recovery Services for specialist Synology DS1823xs+ data recovery to analyse the failure, stabilise the NAS, and establish how much of the disrupted data environment could be recovered.
Incident Background and Impact Assessment
The Synology DiskStation DS1823xs+ developed a critical drive failure within its RAID configuration. Shortly afterwards, the team began to observe:
- Folders and files becoming intermittently inaccessible
- Network shares slowing down or dropping connections
- Backups and scheduled tasks completing with errors
The array entered a degraded state, reducing redundancy and introducing data inconsistencies. Patterns like this are common in complex NAS outages and are frequently seen in similar Synology data recovery cases.
Key Diagnostic Findings
Our engineers carried out targeted diagnostics on the Synology DS1823xs+ to establish the exact condition of the failed drive and the RAID set.
These results confirmed that any attempt to run an on device rebuild would carry a substantial risk of damaging otherwise recoverable data.
In comparable scenarios, administrators are strongly advised to review structured guidance on how to troubleshoot RAID failures safely before attempting any corrective action.
Step by Step Recovery Workflow
Our team carried out a controlled, on site recovery to stabilise the Synology DS1823xs+ and safeguard the remaining data.
The NAS was isolated from the production network and all active writes were halted. System logs, SMART reports, and RAID status information were collected for detailed analysis.
Each drive was tested to confirm the failed member and identify any marginal disks. This ensured no additional drives were pushed into failure during the recovery process.
The failed and at risk drives were imaged using dedicated lab equipment. All subsequent work was performed against these images rather than the original media to avoid further degradation.
Engineers rebuilt the Synology RAID configuration from the drive images, validating parameters such as drive order, stripe size, and parity layout. This followed the same disciplined methodology used in complex RAID rebuild risk scenarios.
Project data, shared folders, and key working directories were extracted from the reconstructed volume. Sample files were opened and validated to confirm that content was intact, consistent, and ready for use.
Critical Handling Advisory
If a Synology array is in a degraded state, do not force a rebuild or keep rotating drives. This can trigger further failures and overwrite data that is still recoverable. Power the system down, document the full configuration, and engage specialist support to work from forensic drive images rather than the live NAS.
Fast turnaround times for business-critical data
Final Recovery Outcomes
The on site engagement restored full functionality to the Synology DS1823xs+ and re established stable access to all working data.
The failed drive was isolated, the RAID set was safely reconstructed from drive images, and project folders were brought back online without any additional data loss.
The recovery achieved 100 per cent data recovery for the affected volume. Teams regained access to campaigns, assets, and shared workspaces, allowing projects to continue without rework or rebuilding data from older backups.
The DiskStation was returned to service with a healthy array and clear, documented guidance for future maintenance and monitoring.
Strategic Takeaways for Synology NAS Environments
Act quickly on degraded alerts: When DSM reports a degraded array, pause all non essential activity and follow a defined incident procedure instead of experimenting with rebuilds or ad hoc fixes.
Monitor health signals closely: Use SMART data and DSM notifications to catch issues early. To understand typical root causes, learn more about common NAS data loss causes.
Test your backups, not just configure them: Run regular test restores from both local and offsite backups. For broader outage planning, explore NAS failure and recovery scenarios.
Replace drives before they fail: Retire ageing or noisy drives based on usage hours and early error indicators, rather than waiting for complete failure.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a single failed drive in a Synology DS1823xs+ cause data loss?
Yes. In a degraded RAID set, one failed drive removes redundancy. If another drive becomes unstable or a rebuild is mishandled, data loss can occur very quickly.
Is it safe to swap the failed drive and start a rebuild immediately?
Not necessarily. If other drives are already marginal, a rebuild can push them into full failure and corrupt data that is still recoverable. The array should be assessed first before any rebuild is attempted.
How long does Synology DS1823xs+ data recovery usually take?
It depends on array size, drive condition, and the level of damage. Most business Synology DS1823xs+ data recovery cases run from several days to a couple of weeks.
Can all project data and shared folders be fully recovered?
Not in every case. Recovery potential depends on drive health, file system damage, and any previous actions taken. With a controlled lab process, however, most or all active project data can often be restored.
What should an IT team do right after a drive fails in a Synology RAID?
Stop non essential writes, capture logs and configuration details, avoid forced rebuilds, and contact a professional data recovery provider before making further changes to the system.