RAID Server Data Recovery

by: jameswalsh
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RAID technology is considered highly fault-tolerant. But RAID systems of hard drives and controller cards are prone to head crashes, natural disasters, virus attacks and component corruption.

What is a Web Server?

It is defined as a server-based product that returns files to clients when requested. These files are typically returned in the form of Web pages to a client Internet browser. There are different types of web servers such as the virtual web server, personal web server and the apache web server.

A web server is a computer including software package providing a specific kind of service to client software running on other computers. It is a program that uses the client/ server model and the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), serving the files which form Web pages to Web users.

Web Servers Explained: All machines on the Internet fall under two basic categories of clients and servers. Machines that provide services to other machines are identified as servers. The machines that are used to connect to those services are called clients. When a user connects to Yahoo! at www.yahoo.com to read a page, Yahoo! is actually providing a machine for use on the Internet, to service user request. In other words, Yahoo! is providing a server.

The user machine becomes the client. It is possible and common for a machine to be both a server and a client at the same time. A server machine may provide one or more services on the Internet. The server could have software running on it that allows it to act as a Web server, an e-mail server and an FTP server.

Common Web Servers

Personal Web Server (PWS): Personal web server can be defined as Microsoft's version of a web server program for individual PC users. It is used to share Web pages and other files from the hard drive. PWS is described as a scaled-down version of Microsoft's robust Web server called the Internet Information Server i.e. the IIS. PWS can be used with a full-time Internet connection to serve Web pages for a Web site with limited traffic.

Active Server: The active server is a technology that enables the construction of dynamic and interactive web pages. It uses server-side scripting to produce web pages that are not affected by the type of browser the web site visitor is using.

Causes of Server Data Loss: RAIDs are amongst the most complex media devices to recover data from. The data configurations are complex such as striped, volume and spanned. Human error accounts for more than 35% of data loss in RAID systems.

Accidental deletion of files

Accidental deletion of partitions

Accidental reformatting of drives

Accidental replacement of media components

Actuator failure

Natural disasters of fire and flood leading to data loss

Data theft, employee sabotage and hacking

Directory corruption

RAID incorrect configuration

Electro static discharge or ESD leading to a power spike causing burnout and failure

Virus attacks and worm damage

Human error of physical movement, mishandling and poor maintenance

Controller malfunction

Locked databases preventing access

Forgotten or lost password

Server Data Recovery: Losing valuable data and experiencing extended downtime costs organisations thousands or even millions of pounds. Server data recovery entails recovery of lost data from file servers, application servers, web servers, direct-attached RAID, network-attached storage and large SAN storage area network systems. Server data recovery follows a multiple approach to be used on any type of storage system, configuration and situation.

Any server make, model or brand

All types of RAID configurations

Any operating system i.e. Windows, Linux, UNIX

All causes of data loss i.e. data loss resulting from natural disasters, power loss or surge, logical or mechanical failures and viruses

The Process:

The drives in the RAID are numbered

Complete forensically sound images of each of the drives are taken. This includes the redundant drives.

Data reconfiguration into a ‘virtual RAID’ on a multi terabyte server is done

File listing of recovered files is done

The RAID system is taken to the clean room and opened

The recovered data is copied onto a new drive in accordance with client demand

Technology: Technicians are clean room trained. Precision technology and a regulated environment offer full data protection confidentiality. Usually, all professional data recovery companies engaging in server data recovery have ISO 9001:2000 Quality Assurance.

The technology used can resolve combinations of logical and physical problems. These include disk crash, controller failures, SQL and Exchange corruption. The damages also cover tape overwrite or EOD errors, accidental file deletion, operating re-installations, drive read errors, hardware upgrade failures and restore failures.

About the Author

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. For more information on computer crime and Computer Forensics see http://www.fieldsassociates.co.uk

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