More and more small businesses are relying on the use of RAID technology for their storage needs. RAID systems provide users with increased storage capacity, greater reliability -- or both. But no computer technology is completely fail-proof. Power surges are one cause of RAID system failure. You should know what to do in the event of a power surge and failure in order to prevent catastrophic data loss.
But let's start with the basics: What is RAID?
What is RAID? RAID is an acronym for Redundant Array of Independent Disks and refers to the storage technology used, in this case, redundant combining of multiple disk drive components. RAID is commonly used as an umbrella term for computer data storage schemes that can divide and replicate data among multiple physical drives.
The software to perform the RAID-functionality and control the hard disks can either be located on a separate controller card (a hardware RAID controller) or it can simply be a driver. Both Windows NT 4 and 2000 include a software RAID solution. Hardware RAID controllers cost more than pure software but they also offer better performance.
RAID systems can offer users an increase in storage capacity over traditional single hard disks. In addition, many RAID configurations offer data redundancy which provides protection of the data in the event of a system failure. But as is the case with other data storage mechanisms, RAID systems are susceptible to failure; if your business runs on a RAID server, you want to have an on-staff or outsource RAID data recovery service provider available in the event of an emergency.
Why RAID Systems FailA RAID system can fail for a variety of reasons. One of the top reasons RAID systems fail is power surges. These can be caused by storms, overheating, or simply voltage fluctuations if you plug your RAID server into an outlet without a surge protector.
A power surge can destroy the external electronic circuitry of any hard drive and cause irreversible damage to the delicate components inside the drive. What is known as a "head crash" occurs when the read/write arm inside the hard drive crashes down on the magnetic platters that house data and damage the platter surface.
If either of these things have taken place, you will most likely experience signs of failure, including:
- clicking sounds
- loss of power to the drive
- A message stating the drive is not recognized by the Operating System (OS)
It is possible to rebuild data after a RAID failure, but expert assistance is highly recommended. Data might be corrupt, petitions could be missing, or deleted files may be difficult for anyone but a
RAID data recovery expert to access.
RAID Drive Failure: Steps to Full Data Recovery
So, what should you do if you experience RAID failure? Number one: stop using the system in order to avoid permanent, catastrophic data loss.
Turn off your RIAD server to ensure no data may be written over any data you want to attempt to recover. Be sure to document the series of events that took place leading up to the RAID failure and make a note of anything you did to try to prevent it. Keep discs labeled in the order that they are removed from your system.
Regardless of the cause for RAID failure, it is critical to call a trained RAID recovery technician to recover your RAID drive to avoid permanent data corruption. If you takematters into your own hands, you could overwrite parity data, making RAID recovery more difficult.
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