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RAID 10 Recovery – E-commerce Platform Controller Failure

We are thrilled to share a recent success story showcasing our expertise in data recovery. Our commitment to excellence and advanced technology allowed us to successfully recover critical data for one of our valued clients.

Client Information:

  • Industry: E-commerce/Retail Technology
  • Location: Atlanta, Georgia
  • Array Config: RAID 10 Array (8x 2TB Enterprise SAS SSDs)
  • Controller: LSI MegaRAID 9380-8e
  • Total Capacity:8TB (4 mirrored pairs, striped)
  • Data Type: Customer Database, Transaction Logs, Inventory Management, Web Assets
System Specifications:
  • Server Configuration: Dell PowerEdge R740 (2U Rack Server)
  • CPU: Dual Intel Xeon Gold 6248 (20 cores each, 2.5GHz)
  • RAM: 256GB DDR4-2933 ECC Registered
  • Operating System: Ubuntu Server 20.04.3 LTS
  • Controller: LSI MegaRAID 9380-8e with 2GB Cache
Initial Problem Assessment:
A rapidly growing e-commerce platform experienced a critical system failure during their peak holiday shopping season when their primary database server’s RAID controller suffered a catastrophic failure. The timing could not have been worse, as the failure occurred on Black Friday morning, potentially threatening millions of dollars in holiday sales revenue.
The RAID 10 array contained the company’s entire operational database, including real-time inventory management, customer account information, order processing systems, and transaction logs. The failure occurred just hours before the anticipated peak shopping period, when the RAID controller became completely unresponsive and all drives appeared offline to the operating system.
The affected systems included:
  • Primary customer database (2.3 million active customers)
  • Real-time inventory management system
  • Order processing and fulfillment database
  • Customer service and support ticket system
  • Web application assets and configuration data
  • Financial transaction logs and audit trails

Technical Analysis:

Our emergency e-commerce recovery team was activated immediately upon receiving the client’s call. Through remote diagnostic sessions and detailed consultation with the client’s IT team, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the failure scenario that threatened the busiest shopping day of the year:
System Configuration Analysis:
  • RAID Level: 10 (1+0) with 4 mirrored pairs, striped
  • Drive Configuration:
    • Pair 1: Drives 0 & 4 (mirrored)
    • Pair 2: Drives 1 & 5 (mirrored)
    • Pair 3: Drives 2 & 6 (mirrored)
    • Pair 4: Drives 3 & 7 (mirrored)
  • Stripe Size: 128KB
  • File System: EXT4 with LVM
  • Database: MySQL 8.0 with InnoDB storage engine
Controller Failure Analysis:
  • Primary Issue: LSI MegaRAID 9380-8e controller complete failure
  • Symptoms: No drive detection, controller not responding to management commands
  • LED Status: All drive activity LEDs dark, controller status LED red
  • Hardware Diagnosis: Controller ASIC chip failure, likely due to thermal stress
  • RAID Metadata: Stored on controller, potentially inaccessible

Drive Status Assessment: All eight drives appeared physically healthy with no mechanical issues detected:

  • Drives 0-7: All drives spinning normally, no error indicators
  • SMART Data: All drives showing healthy status when tested individually
  • Physical Inspection: No signs of damage, overheating, or mechanical failure
  • Individual Testing: Each drive accessible when connected to alternative controllers
The critical challenge was that RAID 10 metadata and configuration information was stored on the failed controller, making it impossible for the system to recognize the array structure even though all drives were functional.
Recovery Methodology:
Phase 1: Emergency Server Pickup and Analysis
Given the time-critical nature of the e-commerce environment and the client’s local proximity, we implemented an expedited server pickup strategy:
  1. Emergency Dispatch: TheRAIDSpecialist technician dispatched immediately to client facility
  2. Server Pickup: Complete server unit transported to our secure facility within 3 hours
  3. Initial Assessment: Server received and immediately assessed in our controlled environment
  4. Drive Extraction: All eight drives carefully removed and individually tested on specialized hardware
Phase 2: RAID Configuration Analysis and Reconstruction

With the server at our facility, we focused on reconstructing the RAID 10 configuration:

  1. Drive Order Analysis: We analyzed the drives using proprietary tools to determine the original RAID 10 pairing and stripe order
  2. Metadata Recovery: Extracted RAID metadata from drive sectors using specialized recovery equipment
  3. Configuration Recreation: Recreated the RAID 10 configuration in our controlled environment using replacement hardware
  4. Validation Testing: Performed extensive testing to ensure the configuration matched the original
Phase 3: File System and Database Recovery
With the RAID array reconstructed in our facility, we focused on restoring the file system and database:
  1. File System Check: Performed comprehensive EXT4 file system consistency checks
  2. LVM Recovery: Reconstructed the Logical Volume Manager configuration
  3. Database Validation: Validated MySQL database integrity and consistency using specialized database recovery tools
  4. System Restoration: Restored complete system configuration on replacement server hardware

Recovery Results

  • Complete Data Recovery: 100% (8TB of 8TB total capacity)
  • Database Integrity: 100% of database records intact
  • Transaction Logs: Complete audit trail preserved
  • System Configuration: All application configurations restored
  • Business Impact: 12 hrs downtime

Client Impact:

Business Impact Mitigation:
  • Sales Recovery: Platform operational for evening Black Friday traffic
  • Revenue Protection: Estimated $11.8 million in Black Friday sales preserved
  • Customer Impact: Downtime during morning hours but operational for peak evening shopping
  • Reputation Management: Rapid recovery minimized negative customer impact

E-commerce Specific Challenges

This recovery presented unique challenges specific to e-commerce environments:
Time Sensitivity:
  1. Peak Season Timing: Failure occurred during the most critical shopping day of the year
  2. Revenue Impact: Every hour of downtime represented millions in lost sales
  3. Customer Expectations: High availability expectations during promotional periods
  4. Competitive Pressure: Customers would quickly move to competitor sites
Data Criticality:
  1. Real-time Inventory: Accurate inventory levels required for order fulfillment
  2. Customer Accounts: Customer login and account information essential for shopping experience
  3. Shopping Carts: Active shopping cart data needed to prevent customer frustration
  4. Payment Processing: Transaction processing capabilities required for sales completion
Operational Complexity:
  1. Multi-system Dependencies: E-commerce platforms involve multiple interconnected systems
  2. Third-party Integrations: Payment processors, shipping systems, and inventory feeds
  3. Load Balancing: Multiple servers requiring synchronized data
  4. Caching Systems: Complex caching layers requiring careful invalidation

Lost Data on Your Storage Device? Act Immediately!

If your are experiencing data loss, DO NOT attempt to force-rebuild RAID, reinitialize drives, or operate the system, as this can lead to irreversible data loss. Power down the device(s) immediately and keep the drives in their original slots/order. Contact our experts.

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