The Synology storage spaces that are network attached use some unique tools to categorize the entire storage space. These tools are mainly disk groups and volumes. The last option is used to store necessary files as the volumes are nothing but the fundamental storage space. On the other hand, the disk groups mainly symbolize the combination of hard drives that work as the single RAID array.
The Synology drives come with proprietary RAID configuration to make sure safe and comfortable volume deployment and 24/7 access to the important data. The Synology Hybrid RAID or SHR is a type of unique system, which is designed for the greatest data storage expansion or RAID management.
Logical configuration of RAID:
The method of RAID recovery mainly involves the recovery of the logical configuration of RAID that includes the parameters mentioned below:
- The quantity of member disks
- RAID types
- Disk order
- Size of the block in case applicable
- Begin offset for data mentioned on the available member disks
The configuration of logical RAID is generally obtainable either in the RAID configuration and monitoring software or in RAID controller BIOS. This method is complete for you in case you become successful in determining all the parameters mentioned above. The process of Synology RAID recovery mainly aims to restructure the missing parameters of RAID configuration like as parity position, block size, data and disks order and the rest.
How to prepare the environment for recovering RAID?
The biggest issue in recovering RAID is the capacity of the data and the length of the arrays that you need to sort out. There are two more things that grow along with the lengths:
- The recovery time and
- The total figure of SATA ports needed
In case you are fortunate, therefore you would require as much disk space for free as that of the size of the total files that you are planning to recover. Even in case of the worst scenario, you may need 3 times more disk space to simultaneously store things like:
- Recovered files
- Original images of disks
- Destriped picture of the array
Therefore, for the purpose of recovering the RAID of 12TB, there would be a requirement of 3×12 TB of disk space. Even in case you are using 3TB disks, it would require 14 disks in total. Another requirement is that 8 or 10 among those 14 must be accessible in a simultaneous manner.
No desktop motherboard will allow connecting 10 disks at a time. In this situation, you can attempt to directly connect six disks to the motherboard and therefore you can connect the enduring four through USB. But this process will kill the speed. Another method is to connect six disks to a single motherboard and therefore the remaining four to another and therefore use a network. But even in this method, the Gigabit Ethernet never offers reasonable speed. So, in this situation, the best possible alternative is to get one more PCI-E to SATA controller or RAID card.
