Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

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cybertronics
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Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 3:41 pm

Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by cybertronics » Sun May 23, 2021 4:00 pm

Hi all, perhaps this question was already posted in the past, but could not find anything using the search option. If so, I apologize.

I have a QNAP where I have deleted the a folder by mistake, and used the option to permanently delete the files.

After I made the mistake, I tried running the linux version on my Qnap and used the Mac/PC version to connect to the Qnap by network and scan the disks.

I found the following:
i see a disk using /share/CachedevX ( also see it as DiskX )
I see the same disk with 5 partitions, one using an LVM volume with the correct name.
I see the same disk sys-mdadm-X

I already scanned the LVM volume for about 80% ( I cannot due a complete scan, because program hangs ).
After the scan, I do the "show files". I wait until the scan is finished, which only takes about 3 hours. it stopes at 1.7 TB mark, but the disk itself is 8 TB. the folder I'm searching for is not visible in the list. when using the hex editor further down on the hdd, I can see some of the files and folders saved there.

is there some network limitation or is there something going on with LVM volumes, that I cannot see the deleted folders?
is there a way to have the indexed data but also only the region of the hdd, the data is saved on?

If I only scan the region of the HDD where the data is saved, I can only recover RAW files, which I preferably do not want.

Does anyone have a suggestion what I could do?

Thank you in advance!

Alt
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Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by Alt » Mon May 24, 2021 6:07 am

I don't quite understand the hardware setup you're using to recover files. How do you scan the QNAP device over network? You need to run R-Studio Agent on the remote computer to be able to get the necessary level of data access. I don't think it's possible for the QNAP device.

You need to get the disk out of the QNAP device, connect them to the computer with R-Studio and then perform the necessary data recovery operations.

cybertronics
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 3:41 pm

Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by cybertronics » Mon May 24, 2021 7:07 am

It is possible to run R-Studio Agent on a QNAP. At least in my case.

Alt
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Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by Alt » Mon May 24, 2021 7:15 am

I'm not sure that R-Studio Agent produces adequate results in this case.

cybertronics
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 3:41 pm

Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by cybertronics » Mon May 24, 2021 8:56 am

Best case is to directly to a computer?

Will try that. Thanks

cybertronics
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 3:41 pm

Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by cybertronics » Mon May 24, 2021 3:16 pm

I have connected the HDD to a regular computer and ran R-Studio on it.

Disk was visible including the LVM with he EXT4 partition. I did not do a full scan yet, but i pressed the "Show Files" button.

After about 2 hours, process was "completed" with only showing 1,7 TB of files ( like it did with the network R-Studio Agent method ). I know it should be more, since;

A) the folder that has been deleted does not show.
B) the deleted folder alone should be about 1.5 TB worth of data.

any other suggestions?

I used R-studio in the past for Fat and NTFS partitions and never had this problem, but it is first time I use it for an LVM and EXT4 partition.

using the scan information, I know where the data is saved on the HDD ( which region ), but since the "index" is in the first couple of sectors ( correct me if I'm wrong ), I could only use RAW file recovery if I would use the region recovery.

Alt
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Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by Alt » Wed May 26, 2021 1:49 pm

When Linux deletes files it really deletes them. I mean it destroys all information about the files in file system's records. So, searching for raw files is the only option.

R-Studio doesn't simply "open" a disk. It thoroughly parses all file records and thus that requires a long time to complete.

cybertronics
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun May 23, 2021 3:41 pm

Re: Recover QNAP data LVM MDADM EXT4 Volume files.

Post by cybertronics » Wed May 26, 2021 3:30 pm

Thanks for the feedback. in this case I will do a raw file recovery.

luckily I only need about 3 files from the whole folder I deleted.

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