DATA RECOVERY

Data loss can hit anyone hard. That is why it is crucial to have experts you can trust to get back what you have lost. The RAID Specialist is here to help.

Our experienced team has dealt with thousands of different data loss scenarios. From the traditional RAID configurations to the specialized solutions offered by leading brands, we have the expertise to handle even the most unique and challenging recovery cases.

Our commitment to our clients means that we never charge extra for expedited service. We aim to deliver your data in the shortest time possible, and if your data cannot be recovered, there is no charge.

We also understand that every second counts, which is why we offer FREE overnight shipping and no-cost evaluations, with a formal quote within two hours for cases involving up to 10 disks without physical damage. Our competitive pricing starts at $500 for RAID services on disks up to 1 TB, and we pride ourselves on being upfront and economical.

Below, we explore the different RAID levels or proprietary systems we can help you with. No matter the issue, the RAID Specialist is ready to solve it. There is no challenge too big for us!

RAID levels

what are they, and how do they work?

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology for data storage. It combines several hard drives (HD) or solid-state disks (SSD) into one single logical unit, which means they work together as one.

Its primary purpose is to improve performance, reliability, and storage capacity. RAID servers are widely used in enterprise environments and in critical data servers, but small businesses and homes can also benefit from devices like these.

There are several RAID types, offering different arrangements and capacities, depending on the complexity of the storage protection and availability you might need.

The RAID level that is used in a particular application depends on the specific requirements of the application. For example, RAID 0 is a good choice for applications that require high performance, but do not require data redundancy or fault tolerance. RAID 1 is a good choice for applications that require data redundancy, but do not require high performance. RAID 5 and RAID 6 are good choices for applications that require both data redundancy and fault tolerance.

How RAID Works

by Dave’s Garage

JBOD – Disk Concatenation

JBOD stands for “Just a Bunch Of Disks,” and it refers to a storage configuration where multiple hard disk drives are connected to a computer or storage controller without being configured into a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) array. In a JBOD setup, each disk operates independently, and the operating system or file system views them as separate, individual drives. This setup doesn’t allow any fault tolerance. If one single disk crashes, the whole data will be inacessible.

RAID 0 – Striping

RAID 0, known as “striping,” is primarily designed to improve system performance. In this arrangement, data is divided into blocks and written to two or more disks simultaneously. There is no data redundancy, which means that if one of the disks fails, all data can be lost. However, RAID 0 offers high read and write speeds, making it suitable for applications that require high bandwidth, such as video editing.

RAID 1 – Mirroring

RAID 1, also known as “mirroring,” offers high reliability. In this arrangement, data is duplicated on two or more disks. If a disk fails, data can be recovered from the mirror. This makes it a solid choice for environments where data integrity is critical, such as databases and mail servers. However, the effective storage capacity is halved due to data duplication.

RAID 1E – RAID1 Enhanced

RAID 1E, or RAID 1 Enhanced, is a RAID level that enhances the traditional mirroring concept of RAID 1 (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). In RAID 1, data is mirrored across pairs of drives, providing redundancy and fault tolerance. RAID 1E extends this mirroring concept to work with more than two drives, creating a more efficient use of storage capacity while maintaining redundancy.

RAID 5 – Parity Striping

RAID 5 combines elements of striping and parity. Data is divided into blocks and distributed across multiple disks, with parity being calculated and stored on different disks. This provides a balance between performance and redundancy. If a disk fails, the data can be reconstructed from the parity information. RAID 5 is widely used in file servers and is an effective option for improving performance and fault tolerance.

RAID 5E – RAID5 Enhanced

RAID 5E is a variation of RAID 5, introducing an integrated hot spare drive for enhanced fault tolerance. The “E” denotes “extended,” signifying an expansion of RAID 5 capabilities. In this configuration, data is striped across multiple drives, and parity information is distributed for redundancy. The added hot spare drive actively participates in input/output operations, providing increased resilience to drive failures. This variant optimizes data protection and system reliability by facilitating quick recovery in the event of a drive failure, ensuring continuous operation in RAID environments.

RAID 5EE – RAID5 Enhanced Edition

RAID 5EE is an extension of RAID 5, incorporating an additional layer of fault tolerance. The “EE” signifies “Enhanced Edition,” introducing dual distributed parity for increased data protection. This configuration uses striping and dual parity to guard against multiple drive failures. Like RAID 5, data is distributed across drives with parity information for redundancy. However, RAID 5EE provides extra resilience by employing two parity blocks. This advanced redundancy enhances system reliability and data integrity, especially in environments where a higher level of fault tolerance is crucial for preventing data loss and maintaining continuous operations.

RAID 6 – Double Parity Striping

RAID 6 is an extension of RAID 5 that provides an additional layer of redundancy. In this arrangement, two sets of parity information are used, which allows the system to continue to operate even after the simultaneous failure of two disks. RAID 6 is suitable for environments where availability and fault tolerance are critical, such as high-performance database servers.

RAID 10 – Mirroring and Striping Combination

RAID 10, also known as RAID 1+0, is a combination of RAID 1 and RAID 0. In this arrangement, the data is first mirrored (RAID 1) and then the mirrored sets are combined using striping (RAID 0). This offers high performance and high reliability. However, the effective storage capacity is halved due to data duplication.

RAID 50 / RAID 60

These RAID levels are extensions of RAID 5 and RAID 6, respectively, using striping on a set of redundant disks. RAID 50 combines multiple RAID 5 sets with striping, while RAID 60 does the same with RAID 6 sets. This provides a balance between performance and fault tolerance in high-performance environments.

Proprietary solutions

The RAID Specialist also excels in recovering data from systems using proprietary RAID configurations. These specialized solutions, offered by brands like HP, Dell, and Synology, come with customized features for enhanced performance and data protection. Our team is well-versed in navigating the complexities of these unique configurations, ensuring that your data is managed and recovered with precision and reliability. Get to know the proprietary solutions we work with:

  • RAIDz (RAIDz1, RAIDz2, RAIDz3) – Former Sun Solaris ZFS, now Oracle ZFS
  • HP EVA, P4300/P4500, MSA 2040/2050, Nimble, 3PAR Series
  • DELL EMC PowerEdge/PowerVault/VxRail/Compellent
  • IBM Power Systems, System x, BladeCenter, TS7700, V3500/3700/v5000/v7000
  • Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650, SR665, DE4000, DE6000
  • Fujitsu RX2540 M5, RX2520 M5
  • Huawei OceanStor 9000, TaiShan 200
  • NetApp AFF, FAS
  • Microsoft Storage Spaces
  • Drobo BeyondRAID
  • Synology Hybrid RAID (SHR)
  • Citrix XenServer
  • VMware VMFS
  • Hyper-V

Complex Cases

With the continual increase in disk capacity, a key challenge lies in ensuring data protection and facilitating data reconstruction. While faster rebuild algorithms offer potential benefits, they often lead to highly complex recovery procedures, frequently requiring custom-built solutions.

Our team possesses the expertise and resources to tackle the most complex systems utilizing diverse proprietary RAID technologies.

data recovery specialist Roswell, GA

The RAID Specialist can help you no matter what kind of equipment you have!