RAID 10 data recovery is possible in many cases, but if two disks from the same mirrored pair fail, recovery can be a very difficult task.
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We highly recommend speaking to a RAID 10 data recovery expert as soon as you realise you have lost data, as the first steps you take after data loss usually have a significant bearing on the success of the recovery. We are happy to recommend a qualified expert.
RAID 10 data recovery
Read on to learn more about RAID 10, and what options there are for recovery after a RAID data loss. We also cover RAID 10 data recovery price information, as well as RAID 10 recovery software and some general best practice for data recovery.
What is RAID 10?
A redundant array of inexpensive disks, more commonly known as RAID, is a storage configuration designed to enable efficiency and scalability, usually with a good degree of redundancy. This is particularly important if the data is of high value, or downtime / restoration delays would prove expensive or otherwise challenging.
Generally there are considered to be two types of RAID, namely software RAID and hardware RAID. Software RAID uses the operating system to organise the data over the disks, whereas hardware RAID utilises a dedicated RAID controller to perform this task.
RAID 10 specifically adopts two different types of RAID configuration, combining the concepts of both RAID 1 data recovery and RAID 0. This is also called a nested RAID level.
Firstly, the data is mirrored in two RAID 1 arrays, which provides excellent redundancy due to the fact that all data is copied to two separate disks. The downside of this, as with all RAID 1 arrays, is that it is a more expensive hardware setup as disk space is effectively doubled.
Secondly the two RAID 1 arrays are striped in a RAID 0 array, which leads to fast data access, but were it simply RAID 0 alone, it would offer very little by way of redundancy.
RAID 10 could therefore be viewed as a resilient and fast configuration, with excellent fault tolerance, but one which is expensive due to the number of disks needed to store the data.
Is data recovery from RAID 10 possible?
This really depends on what led to the data loss in the first place, and importantly, what steps were taken to attempt a recovery in the initial phases.
As already discussed, RAID 10 arrays have a good level of redundancy through mirroring, but there are a lot of things that can still go wrong with this data configuration, including human error, software malfunction and, of course, hardware issues.
As with most data recoveries where a hardware failure is the cause (perhaps two or more member disks have failed at the same time), the equipment will need to be sent to a Class 100 clean room (or similar dust-free environment or workbench) for some measure of repair. The same can be said for eletromechanical failures.
The goal of the data recovery expert at this stage is to get the equipment functioning and reading again, in order that an image (or sector copy) of the raw data can be extracted as completely as possible. Usually, devices are only temporarily repaired to facilitate this, it is unusual to ever reuse a hard drive after a physical failure.
The image of the data is then passed to a data recovery software expert who will use (often bespoke or custom) tools to recreate and / or repair the data structures and return the best possible percentage of files back to the customer in a usable format.
Where the RAID controller has failed, or the damage is limited to software corruption or malfunction, then the success rate can be a little higher as the need to overcome hard drive physical hurdles first is removed.
The sooner an expert is engaged however the better, as rarely do DIY efforts to understand and fix RAID arrays help, more often than not they put the data at further risk.
Many common RAID types and manufacturers have data recovery tools available:
|
Exchange |
SAN |
|
|
G-RAID |
VM |
|
|
PowerEdge by Dell |
ProLiant by HP |
SQL Server |
|
NETGEAR |
Most file systems |
Most operating systems |
What can I expect to pay for RAID 10 data recovery?
There can be a very wide range of fees charged for RAID 10 data recovery, as there are so many different factors influencing the cost, including:
The nature and severity of any physical or electromechanical damage
The extent of any logical damage to the data structures, and the percent of the image available
The timeframe that the data needs to be recovered within
The availability of commercial or already-developed RAID 10 data recovery software tools to rebuild the RAID
The location of the disk drives and their physical or legal accessibility
That said, the table below shows some likely parameters based on our experience of handling RAID 10 data recovery cases over the years, which should give you a rough idea of what to expect. But ultimately only you can determine the value of your data and decide whether or not to use a professional data recovery company.
|
Industry estimate* |
Standard turn time |
24/7 emergency |
|
Consultation |
Free-$500 |
Free-$1,000 |
|
Evaluation |
$500-$2,000 |
$1,000-$10,000 |
|
RAID 10 recovery |
$1,500-$20,000 |
$5,000-$40,000 |
|
R&D charge |
$2,500+ |
$5,000+ |
|
On-site charge |
$1,000-$2,500 / day |
$2,500-$5,000 / day |
*Fees will vary from one company to another, but make sure you factor in more than just price when selecting a data recovery expert. There are many companies ill-equipped to perform RAID 10 data recovery, and they could even make the situation worse. Often $1 = €1 = £1 regionally. All RAIFD arrays are generally prices similarly, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10.
In summary, the initial phone consultation is almost always free, and a valuable step in determining whether or not a professional recovery effort is viable and cost effective.
After that you can expect to pay for an evaluation, and this will likely take several days. At the end of this stage you'll have a much better idea as to the cost of a recovery proper, and you can choose to proceed or not.
The recovery itself will likely be the single most expensive stage of the procedure, and will be more expensive still if additional development of tools is required, or the work needs to be done on your site rather than at a data recovery lab.
That said, the costs of RAID 10 data recovery are frequently less that the costs of data recreation (if that is even possible), or the reputational and / or operational costs of not recovering the data at all.
Can I use RAID 10 data recovery software?
There are many RAID 10 data recovery software tools available on the market, including the popular products from EaseUS, RecoverHDD, Diskinternals and ReclaiMe, but as with all attempts at DIY recovery, there are many things that can go wrong.
Ideally RAID 10 data recovery software would only be used on a copy of your data, as many times changes are impossible to roll back, and in some cases you will overwrite data yet to be recovered when using these tools.
It is also very important to look (or listen) for signs of physical damage to your RAID array, as attempting to use software to solve a physical issue is not only the wrong tool for the job, but will likely be further destructive to your hardware and therefore data.
So before you attempt recovery yourself - with software or without - ask yourself whether or not it is worth the risk? At the very least we recommend you speak to a RAID 10 data recovery expert before doing anything. This is almost always free and will give you a much clearer idea of your options (and risks) before you start.
If you would like to see which RAID 10 data recovery software tool we recommend for you, just click the button below:
How do I increase my chances of data recovery from RAID 10?
It is important not to underestimate how difficult it can be to restore from a RAID 10 configuration, even though these are (on paper) resilient systems. There are lots of RAID data recovery experts out there willing to advise on best practice, and we highly recommend speaking to one local to you before doing anything else.
Click below for a free initial consultation, it might be the difference between a successful data recovery or complete disaster:
If you do attempt to recover data yourself, make sure you do this on a copy of the data or with rollback measures. Equally, don't install RAID 10 data recovery software directly onto any system that has suffered a data loss.
If you decide to engage a data recovery professional, here are some things to look out for:
Do they have a class 100 clean room environment to handle any physical issues with your disks?
Ask to see their security / confidentiality credentials, in addition to customer testimonials.
Do they have an R&D team capable of working with key RAID 10 device and software manufacturers?
Check for a good range of independent reviews, and not just the ones from the review aggregator sites.
Will they commit to a transparent pricing structure, and not hold your equipment or data to ransom?
Realistically it is never possible to guarantee recovery after a RAID 10 array failure, but hopefully the information contained here will help you understand your options and improve your chances of success.
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