QNAP RAID 5 failure occurs because of member disk failure, malfunctioning RAID controller, and various other reasons. When this happens, the complete RAID array is marked as ‘degraded’ in QTS – the OS of QNAP NAS devices. In such situations, you need to rebuild the RAID array bring it. However, the rebuilding process sometimes fails. This situation typically arises due to interruption in the rebuilding process or other factors. In this article, we will explain the probable reasons that can cause the RAID 5 rebuild failure issue and mention the workarounds to rebuild a RAID 5 array and recover the data.
Why NAS-based RAID 5 Array Rebuild Fails?
There could be numerous reasons for the RAID 5 rebuild process failure. Some of them are listed below:
- Faulty or incompatible replacement drive
- Multiple drives failure
- URE during the rebuild process
- Backplane issues (problematic PCB)
- Issues with the hardware, like NAS enclosure, RAID controllers, drive connecters, etc.
- Buggy firmware or OS update
- Sudden power outage interrupting the RAID rebuild process
- Incorrect disk order of the member drives
- Drive status marked as “not member” in QTS
What to do when the QNAP NAS-based RAID 5 Rebuild Fails?
Before you start rebuilding the RAID 5 array, it is suggested to perform a preliminary check to identify the cause of failure. You can do so by launching the QTS (QNAP NAS operating system) and going to Storage & Snapshots > Storage > Disks/VJBOD. Here, you will see the disk status as either ‘Warning’ or ‘Error’.
A disk with a ‘Warning’ status indicates minor issues with it. It could also mean the physical degradation of the disk has begun. In such a scenario, back up your data immediately. You may run a Bad Block scan on the drive to probe the underlying issue.
A disk marked as ‘Error’ means there are bad sectors or I/O errors. In this case, the complete RAID group is marked as ‘degraded’. So, you need to replace the faulty disk with a new one and then rebuild the RAID.
However, before rebuilding the failed RAID 5 array, it is strongly suggested to first recover the data from it. You can use a powerful NAS data recovery software, like Stellar Toolkit for Data Recovery to recover data from failed QNAP NAS-based RAID 5.
This powerful DIY NAS data recovery software offers an easy and safe way to recover data from the failed QNAP NAS RAID 5 array. It can also recover data lost in a variety of situations, like:
- Accidental deletion
- Volume formatting
- Member drive failure
The tool virtually rebuilds the RAID array using the parameters from the member drives. It utilizes intelligent algorithms to scan the RAID array for recoverable files and folders and accurately recovers them.
Here are some highlights of this software:
- Quick and simple DIY NAS/RAID recovery tool
- Recovers data from NAS devices of all major brands – QNAP, ASUSTOR, and Synology.
- Recovers data from inaccessible or degraded RAID-based NAS
- Supports file recovery from virtual drives, including VMDK, VDI, VHD, & VHDX
- Recovers data from RAID 0, 5, and 6
- Supports file recovery from individual storage drives, like HDDs, SSDs, flash drives, etc.
- Recovers data from NTFS, FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, APFS, HFS, HFS+, Ext4, Ext3, and Ext2 formatted storage media
Workarounds to Rebuild the Failed QNAP NAS RAID 5
After you have successfully recovered your data from the failed QNAP NAS RAID 5 array, you can try to rebuild the RAID using one of the following workarounds:
Workaround 1: Set the Replacement New Disk as a Spare
After identifying the problematic member drive in your QNAP NAS, replace or hot swap it with a spare or replacement drive. The OS will automatically detect the hot spare and initiate the RAID rebuild process.
If the OS (QTS) is unable to recognize the spare drive and restart the RAID 5 rebuild process, go to Storage/Snapshots and set the replacement drive as hot spare or spare drive. The rebuild process should automatically begin. Here is the step-by-step process:
- Launch a web browser and log in to your NAS.
- Click on Storage & Snapshots and go to Storage > Storage/Snapshots.
- Select the Storage Pool or Static Volume and click on the Manage button.
- Select the degraded RAID 5 array and click on Manage.
- Next, click on Configure Spare Disk.
- Select the new drive and click on Apply.
After this, the hot spare will automatically replace the faulty drive and restart the RAID rebuild process.
Workaround 2: Replace the New Drive
You may face an atypical situation where the system can detect the replacement drive, but its status is marked as either ‘not member’ or ‘unplugged’ when checked in the storage pool management. This situation arises when QTS fails to recognize the replacement drive. If you are in a similar situation, then replace the replacement drive.
Note: In case the RAID 5 rebuild process doesn’t auto-start after installing the new replacement drive, you can go to Storage & Snapshots > Manage > Rebuild.
Conclusion
Rebuilding RAID array is a risky process as any interruption, like power outage, subsequent drive failure, etc., can stall the process and cause data loss. Hence, if your QNAP NAS-based RAID 5 has gone into the “degraded” state, prioritize recovering data from it. Then rebuild it. For recovering data, use a professional NAS data recovery tool that lets you create a virtual image of the RAID and recover the data without any hiccups.
Source: www.betechwise.com
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