To recover RAID Data from a server or a multiple drive RAID array the case is initially treated much like any other hard drive recovery. Our first step is to create exact images or mirrors of all the storage devices. In the process we may discover one or more defective hard drives which will need to be repaired if possible.

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Once all the images have been secured, we analyze the entire set of RAID drives to determine the original RAID level, stripe size, block size, and striping order. By reviewing the parity across the entire RAID array we can identify the integrity or degradation of any RAID stripe or slice. We then assess any damage in relation to the original installation and attempt to segregate or repair the effects of that damage.

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Then, using specialized RAID utilities, we attempt to mount the RAID volumes virtually and repair any damaged file system structures that may be preventing us from accessing the data. In cases where the damage is more severe we may choose to de-stripe the RAID to another storage device. De-striping disassembles the data from multiple drives onto a single hard drive. Either way, Memofix should then be able to access the damaged volumes and use our standard recovery techniques to recover RAID data. To recover RAID data we generally do not need your RAID box or controller.

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In the cases of a multiple drive RAID array with parity or redundancy built in, there is another option to recover RAID data if one of the drives becomes inaccessible or corrupted. We can simply use the data from the remaining good drives to recreate the data off the one inaccessible drive. However, a good RAID implementation should have already informed you of any drive failure and seamlessly continued to operate by recreating the missing data on the fly. In most instance RAID arrays we see for recovery are in much worse shape.