RAID 6 Data Storage
Standard RAID (redundant array of independent disks) levels comprise a basic set of RAID configurations that employ either striping, mirroring, or parity to create large reliable data stores from multiple general-purpose computer hard disk drives (HDDs).
RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5 but the parity data is written to two drives rather than one. That means it requires at least 4 drives and can withstand 2 drives dying simultaneously thus adding another layer of redundancy and reliability.
Like RAID 5, RAID 6 uses parity instead of mirroring for data redundancy. In the case of RAID 6 is utilises two parity stripes on each disk. It allows for two disk failures within the RAID set before any data is lost. This configuration offers very high fault- and drive-failure tolerance and is most often used for environments that need long data retention periods such as archiving.
Because RAID 6 requires each set of parities to be calculated separately, this slows write performance. Implementing RAID 6 is also more expensive because of the two extra disks required for parity. Although RAID 6 is able to overcome a 2 concurrent drive failures, once failed, they need to be rebuilt or replaced immediately. Like Raid 5, if another disk happens to fail or a RAID controller malfunctions, then data recovery is the only option to prevent permanent loss of data.
RAID 6 Failures
While the RAID 6 configuration can provide better protection against and recovery from hardware defects or defective sectors/read errors (hard errors), it does not provide any protection against data loss due to catastrophic failures (fire, water), multiple disc failures, user error, software malfunction, or malware infection. For valuable data, RAID is only one building block of a larger data loss prevention and recovery scheme – it cannot replace a backup plan.
RAID 6 HARDWARE FAILURES
- Corrupted RAID 6 configuration
- Lightning, flood or fire damage
- Drive physical abuse
- RAID 6 hard disk drive (HDD) overheat
- Intermittent drive failure
- Media surface contamination
- Multiple drive failure
- Power spike
- Power supply burnout or failure
- RAID 6 controller failure
- RAID 6 corruption
- RAID 6 drive incompatibility
- RAID 6 array failed
- Vibration damage
- Damaged connector
- Manufacturer defect
- Power circuit malfunction
HUMAN ERROR
- Unintended or accidental deletion of files or records
- Reformatting of drives/array
- Reformatting of partitions
- Incorrect replacement of media components
- Mistakenly overwritten database files
- Employee sabotage
- Lost/forgotten password
- Overwritten files
- Overwritten RAID 6 config files
- Overwritten RAID 6 settings
- RAID 6 incorrect setup
- RAID 6 user error
RAID 6 SOFTWARE ISSUES
- Backup failures
- Computer virus or worm
- Corrupt files/data
- Damaged files or folders
- Directory corruption
- Firmware corruption
- Re-partition
- Server registry configuration error
- Missing partitions
- RAID 6 configuration error
- Reformatting
APPLICATION FAILURE
- Applications that are unable to run or load files
- Corrupted database data or other files
- Locked databases preventing access
- Deleted tables
RAID 6 Data Recovery
In a Raid 6 array, concurrent hard drive failures are rare but can happen. A loss of power or sudden power surge can cause multiple drives to crash at the same time. The IT department can try to run some RAID 6 data recovery software. However, even the best RAID 6 data recovery programs cannot fix most problems that cause RAID 6 data loss in the first place. Data recovery software isn’t likely to help in severe case and DIY data recovery utilities can even make things worse and virtually impossible for even the best RAID 6 data recovery companies.
Our advise is simple. If you have encountered a RAID 6 failure resulting in potential data loss, give DriveSavers a call. Raid 6 data recovery is what we do! We are experts in the field with an extraordinary success rate backed by over 30 years as the leader in data recovery.
Our certified RAID 6 data recovery engineers have the in-depth knowledge and technical expertise that comes from over 30 years of data recovery experience, allowing us to achieve the highest success rate in the industry. DriveSavers Enterprise Systems Group specialises in recovering data from all operating systems and all types of high-capacity devices including redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), network attached storage (NAS), storage area networks (SAN) and multi-disk servers. We routinely rescue lost databases, ERP accounting systems, mail servers and other mission-critical data for organisations of all sizes.
Because RAID devices are constructed with unique components and configurations depending on the manufacturer, it is imperative that our data recovery engineers have in-depth knowledge of the various proprietary metadata structures and hardware.
Technical alliances with RAID controller manufacturers have enabled our engineers to develop proprietary techniques, tools and technologies that aid in data recovery from RAID devices based on solid-state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs) and more complex hybrid and tiered storage environments. All major Raid 6 manufacturers authorize our data recovery services so working with DriveSavers will not void your original warranty.
Extreme damage and data loss can result if any particulate matter enters an HDD. DriveSavers Certified ISO Class 5 Cleanroom is the most advanced data recovery Cleanroom in the industry. This dust-free, static-free, temperature– and humidity-controlled environment maximizes our data recovery successes on all storage devices by protecting the platters and electronic components on the drives from “killer particles” while they are open and vulnerable to damage.
RAID SERVER MAKES & MEDIA
- All HP ProLiant, LeftHand and 3PAR Series
- All Dell PowerEdge, PowerVault, EqualLogic, and Compellent Series
- IBM xSeries, Power Series (AIX, Linux) and storage subsystems
- Supermicro server and storage subsystems
- All Intel and AMD product lines
- SAN– and NAS-based RAIDs and standalone storage systems
- EMC and NetApp product lines