A manufacturing company contacted Belfast Data Recovery after their IBM SAS RAID 5 array suffered a critical failure. The reported issues included:
- Four IBM SAS drives configured in RAID 5, with two disks failing simultaneously.
- The RAID array became inaccessible, causing a factory-wide system outage.
- The system contained business-critical factory data, including production schedules, inventory records, and client databases.
- No recent backup was available, making RAID data recovery the only option.
Since RAID 5 can only tolerate a single drive failure, the simultaneous failure of two disks typically results in total data loss unless advanced forensic recovery techniques are used.
Our Expertise in IBM SAS RAID 5 Recovery
With 25 years of experience, Belfast Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering lost data from RAID 5 arrays with multiple drive failures
✔ Rebuilding RAID 5 arrays and reconstructing missing parity data
✔ Forensic RAID recovery using Acelabs PC3000, RapidSpar, DFL-SRP, DeepSpar imaging, and Atola Insight Forensic tools
Diagnosis & Recovery Process
Upon receiving the IBM SAS RAID 5 drives, our engineers conducted a detailed forensic assessment. The key findings included:
- Two of the four drives had mechanical failures, preventing normal RAID reconstruction.
- The RAID controller failed to rebuild the array, leaving the factory’s data inaccessible.
- Parity data from the remaining drives was still recoverable, meaning partial RAID reconstruction was possible.
To successfully recover the factory’s lost business data, we implemented a multi-step forensic RAID 5 recovery strategy:
Step 1: Cleanroom Repair & Drive Stabilization
- Opened the two failed SAS drives in an ISO-certified cleanroom.
- Replaced the damaged read/write heads to stabilize the drives for imaging.
Step 2: Drive Cloning & Data Preservation
- Used DeepSpar Disk Imager to create sector-by-sector forensic clones of all four drives.
- Applied adaptive read techniques to extract data from the failing disks.
Step 3: RAID 5 Reconstruction & Parity Recovery
- Manually reconstructed the RAID 5 parity data to rebuild missing disk sectors.
- Used Acelabs PC3000 RAID Edition to reconstruct the original RAID configuration.
Step 4: File System Repair & Data Extraction
- Repaired damaged NTFS file system structures to restore missing directories.
- Extracted and validated all factory production schedules, inventory databases, and client records.
Step 5: Data Integrity Check & Secure Transfer
- Conducted final validation checks to confirm that all recovered files were intact.
- Successfully transferred the restored data to a secure high-performance RAID system, formatted for client use.
The Result
We successfully recovered 97.3% of the factory’s lost data, including:
✅ Production schedules, operational logs, and work orders
✅ Inventory management files and supplier databases
✅ Client order history, contracts, and financial records
Despite two failed drives in a RAID 5 setup, we were able to recover and reconstruct critical business data, preventing a major factory shutdown.
Why Choose Belfast Data Recovery for IBM SAS RAID 5 Recovery?
✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in RAID 5 data recovery and factory server failures.
✅ Cleanroom Repairs – Safe handling of mechanically damaged hard drives.
✅ Forensic RAID Reconstruction – Recovering lost files from multi-drive RAID failures.
✅ Fast & Secure Process – Ensuring complete confidentiality and minimal business disruption.
If your IBM SAS RAID 5 system has failed due to multiple disk failures, contact Belfast Data Recovery today for expert RAID data recovery services!