DNS-323 RAID 1 died and folders missing

[phoenix76]

Hi everyone

I desperate ****uation here ......

The second drive in my 2 bay DNS-323 RAID1 configured NAS konked out... I could still access the stuff from the first drive but after a while, the folders can no longer be seen, everything cannot be accessed.

The NAS is still reporting 400GB+ of space occupied on the first drive but it is not showing up any content.

Any hope of recovering the image in the first drive?

 

[Entry Level PC]

If it's RAID1 then both HDD would have the same data.

 

[Asure7]

Both hdds die one after the other in a short time ?

If not, try putting the 1st hdd in an external casing.
Boot from a Linux live CD (e.g. Ubuntu), or install EXT-3 driver (Ext2 IFS For Windows) if you are using windows.
See if you can access the files.

 

[HeeroYuy84]

u sounds like raid 1 not doing its job?

 

[blong]

These kinds of scenarios very scary one.

 

[iCuteCube]

I wouldn't suggest you to do anything now.
From the way you speak, i guess you are not that "technical" to solve this issues and i believe the data is very important to you.

I STRONGLY recommend you bring the whole DNS323 to D-Link center. Information is below.

Monday - Friday (9am to 6pm)
D-Link International Pte Ltd
1 International Busines Park
The Synergy #03-12
Singapore 609917
Service Center Hotline (65) 6501 4200 [press 2]

 

[phoenix76]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions ~!

It does seem like the DNS-323 is not a very good RAID controller - it gets confused whether to include or exclude the 2nd drive and hence switches between RAID and JBOD and Standard when it is trying to resync drive 2 with drive 1 - I suspect that sometimes it uses the file allocation table or equivalent on the 2nd drive instead of the 1st one and hence nothing can be seen.

There is nothing physically wrong with drive 2 (plugging into a PC can see the drive) and hence it has to do with the DNS-323 hardware or its firmware - it is not the first time it cannot sync properly with drive 2.

I pulled out drive 2 totally and now I can see the files properly in drive 1. Will be heading to SLS to get a new NAS tonight and copy everything to the new NAS. Will dump the DNS-323 - seems like it is a really cheap and not very reliable option for a RAID1 NAS.

Between QNAP 212 and Buffalo Duo Pro, which is recommended? Looking at a 3TB RAID1 solution around $500 - $600 with drives (but no more D-Link!)

 

[Asure7]

DNS-323 is a v old model already, and many used that w/o much problems leh...

Maybe need firmware update, or too old thus controller failing ? Maybe even just loose sata connector

 

[phoenix76]

DNS-323 is a v old model already, and many used that w/o much problems leh...

Maybe need firmware update, or too old thus controller failing ? Maybe even just loose sata connector

Haha maybe I just got a bad unit... mine is also about 5 years old... two months after I bought it, it tells me drive 2 failed, so I changed the drive and found that the swapped out drive is totally ok... Now the problem seem to be repeating on a more serious scale.

Already at firmware 1.10.. and never touched the unit physically so wonder how SATA connector can get loose

 

[iCuteCube]

Haha maybe I just got a bad unit... mine is also about 5 years old... two months after I bought it, it tells me drive 2 failed, so I changed the drive and found that the swapped out drive is totally ok... Now the problem seem to be repeating on a more serious scale.

Already at firmware 1.10.. and never touched the unit physically so wonder how SATA connector can get loose

Wait for IT show, hoot the Synology 212J , it is similar to DNS-323, but performance and stability wise generally much better. You will get what you will be paying for

 

[phoenix76]

Wait for IT show, hoot the Synology 212J , it is similar to DNS-323, but performance and stability wise generally much better. You will get what you will be paying for

Very good suggestion but unfortunately I don't think I wanna risk waiting. Ended up getting a Buffalo Link Station Duo 6TB and RAID1'ed it to 3TBx2 from Media Pro

File copying from old NAS to new NAS is slow though both on gigabit conn ... more than a day for 400+GB (still copying now). Guess the old NAS is just slow.

 

[albertlee]

TS, do consider "donating" the old DNS-323 if you decided to dump it.

 

[phoenix76]

TS, do consider "donating" the old DNS-323 if you decided to dump it.

Will look at it after copying everything out and see if it is salvageable or donatable or not. 2nd bay may be totally unusable.

 

[Asure7]

if i remember correctly, buffaloe does not use Ext-3 filesystem.. it should be using XFS. So you won't be able to take out the hdd and read it under windows with the ext2fs driver.
Will have to boot from linux if such scenario happen again (touch wood).

 

[valueair]

Buffalo use XFS, I have to use Linux Live to access my Hdd.
Cannot access or read it under windows with the ext2fs driver.

 

[phoenix76]

if i remember correctly, buffaloe does not use Ext-3 filesystem.. it should be using XFS. So you won't be able to take out the hdd and read it under windows with the ext2fs driver.
Will have to boot from linux if such scenario happen again (touch wood).

Yeah it uses XFS. Boot from ubuntu CD loh...