RAID Labs

1. Delivery

It is necessary to deliver the disk array to our laboratory for any operations to be performed. You can take advantage of our pick-up service, which is free of charge, bring your array personally or deliver it to us any other way.

Always be careful when handling the disks. Use protection against shocks and static electricity. Pack the disk in a plastic box from the manufacturer, bubble wrap or plastic foam, along with an antistatic bag.

The disks are usually all we need to perform diagnostics and recover data. To speed up the entire process, we recommend providing the original or target media, to which the recovered data will be copied to (other disk array, hard disk etc.).

2. Diagnostics

The process of revising the possibility of recovering data is always the first step. We discover why the data is inaccessible, suggest further procedures for most effective data recovery incl. the recovery of the original system and estimate the time and costs (price).

3. Analysis

Each disk array is unique in terms of configuration, its storage and status, particularly regarding the carious types and natures of possible defects. Precise and thorough analysis is a needful foundation for any further operations with the disk array. All technical and logical parameters of the disk array, the original configuration and all parameters necessary for the subsequent disk array reconstruction are determined throughout this analysis.

4. Working copy

In order to ensure the highest possible success rate for recovering data from disk arrays, we make backup copies of all hard disks before initiating the recovery process.

If the disk array status and configuration used requires the data recovery of each disk first, for example, HW damage caused on all disks, the damaged disks are initially sent to the specialized laboratory, where images of the disks are created on healthy disks.

This step ensures both the functional copy of any disk at any time during the recovery process and a backup of the original, untouched contents of the hard disks in case it is necessary to return to the original state.

5. Reconstruction

Creating a virtual image of the array is not only the most effective way, but also the only way, since each manufacturer uses (occasionally even on the same series) various, proprietary and therefore undocumented methods for saving and describing the configuration of disk arrays. A virtual image of the array is de facto a copy of the entire array, the way the system sees it, onto another type of media.

If the final image is inconsistent, meaning the software also experienced a failure during an accident (on either application or driver level), it is necessary to repair the file system on the acquired image. Though this step is usually difficult just as the disk array reconstruction itself, we do it free of charge.

All data saved in the array can be accessed according to the procedure described above. Our long-term practice and constant perfecting and adapting to complex mathematical-logical methods and routines has helped us achieve an almost one hundred percent rate of success, which has awakened interest in our data recovery services from specialized companies not only from the Czech Republic but also throughout Europe.

6. Copy

As soon as we have a functional (consistent) virtual image of the array, we can access the data meaning we can also copy them. If you are only interested in recovering a segment of data, most file systems enable individual file copying to the hard drive, flash disk or CD / DVD you provide. The standard copying method is “binary,” i.e. transferring the image from the reconstructed disk array to the original array (if possible), or to almost any type of media or new disk array. In some cases, we can also repair the original array; i.e. for example, replace the non-functional or damaged hard drives with new ones.

Our endeavor is for customers to obtain a copy of their data without the original system noticing an accident ever occurred after being turned on, meaning reinstallation, configuration, settings and all related additional expenses are unnecessary.  

7. Pick-up

We can send the reconstructed disk array back to your address (at our expense), however, due to usually larger dimensions and sensitive data, we recommend picking the disk array up personally at our company’s headquarters.