Initial Cause of Data Loss

We received a Lenovo System X3100 M5 server equipped with four Toshiba 3.5" 2TB hard disk drives (HDDs). The server had gone offline and was completely inaccessible, and multiple attempts to restart it were unsuccessful. The server was believed to be configured in RAID 5, and one of the virtual disks appeared to have failed, preventing normal operation.

Diagnosis and Recovery Process

Our recovery team detailedly assessed the server and the hard drives. After a thorough diagnosis, we confirmed that the HDDs were suffering from hardware issues:

• One drive was utterly unreadable.
• Two drives showed signs of deteriorating health, which could further complicate recovery efforts.
• Only one drive was in good physical condition.

To recover the data, our team needed to clone data from at least two of the three problematic drives to reconstruct the RAID array. Cloning helps create a copy of the data without causing further damage to the failing drives. Once the cloning process was complete, we successfully rebuilt the RAID 5 configuration and were able to extract the data.

Data Recovery Outcome

Our engineers restored the RAID 5 array and recovered the client's data, preserving the original file structure. After the recovery, we held an online data verification session, during which the client could confirm the integrity and completeness of the recovered files. The client expressed satisfaction and relief at the successful outcome. We then transferred the recovered data to a new hard drive we purchased for backup purposes.

Recommendations

RAID 5 configurations are designed with redundancy, allowing the system to continue functioning even when a single drive fails by relying on parity data distributed across the remaining drives. However, once a drive fails, it is critical to replace it as soon as possible to maintain the integrity of the RAID array. If more than one drive fails, the risk of data loss increases significantly, and professional data recovery services should be consulted immediately.

If you encounter issues with your RAID system, refrain from attempting DIY solutions, as they may exacerbate the problem. Instead, seek out expert data recovery assistance.

If you require any help with data recovery, please contact us. Our experienced team can assist you with your RAID or server-related issues.

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