What To Do In RAID Data Recovery Situations

The double barrel of data storage power that a RAID server boasts has ensured that for 9 out of 10 IT administrators, there is no such thing as "RAID data recovery". Thanks to a superb combination of speedy access to data spanned over several drives, as well as the important redundancy factor, RAID servers are the top choice of experienced IT administrators wanting to get the most robust storage solution available. It continues to be the data storage platform for key mission-critical technologies such as Exchange servers and Oracle databases.

The real danger of the RAID solution lies in its appearance of robustness, however. Until now, it is definitely the best, and most configurable technology the data storage industry has to offer. On the other hand, look at the basic DNA of the RAID server and what have we got? Essentially, a RAID solution is simply a bunch of hard drives linked to each other - with each hard disk merely a mechanical device, different although at its core still the same type of structure as a hard disk from 20 years ago. As of this writing, there is no serious non-mechanical hard drive available (solid state drives make the attempt, of course, but remain very prone to wear, trading one form of engineering problem for another), which means - surprise, surprise - RAID servers are destined to break down.

So what then is a prepared administrator to do? Planning is always the best concept, obviously, and is not as difficult as it may seem. Consider these ideas when planning for RAID array breakdown:

What Are You Responsible For? - Having a full knowledge of precisely what your duties as an administrator entail is key, knowing which systems and what applications you're dealing with before an emergency is a definite ace up your sleeve. Knowing your products now means less to question when an emergency strikes.

Collect Asset Details - Having a complete knowledgebase of the systems you are in charge of is key to creating a recovery or disaster plan. If you are managing PC assets, know the manufacturer sites where you can obtain support or check out recent problems that have affected systems. If you are using RAID servers, be familiar with the manufacturers of not only the platforms themselves, but of the RAID controller cards. Again, collecting knowledge in case of a RAID data recovery occurrence is going to make that process cheaper, and much easier to catch.

Have An External Service Ready - If you haven't had a problem that has necessitated hard drive or RAID data recovery, pretend you do! Now... who are you going to call? Not sure? You shouldn't be. Understanding which are the best RAID repair shops in the industry is a slice of knowledge you need to know. Not only that, but is there a company that provides 24 hour service in case of major crash? It's much simpler to investigate now, than it will be when you find yourself in full RAID data recovery panic.

Despite what the huge majority of hardware salespeople may claim about RAID and other storage technologies, none of them are completely invulnerable. Knowing now what to do when you need RAID data recovery is a great idea, and will ensure calm in the event of a disaster.

Ryan Davis Alexander is a professional data recovery technician, and webmaster with http://www.raiddatarecovery.net. Check out a number of hard drive recovery and system tricks, as well as determine if you need professional hard drive data recovery today.