Successful server recoveries: Preventing further damage when a server goes down
Despite the industry improvements in backup systems or storage array systems, server failures are a common occurrence that can leave a business paralyzed. Whether the failure is hardware-related, software-related, the result of human error or due to a natural disaster, the number of data loss events is increasing as businesses rely on their corporate server structure and document storage volumes.
How to increase the chances of a successful recovery:
• Use a volume defragmenter regularly: A defragmenter moves the pieces of each file or folder to one location on the volume, so that each occupies a single, contiguous space on the disk drive. This helps improve the quality of recovery, making files and folders easier for data recovery specialists to locate. Do not run defragmenter utilities on suspected bad drives – if drives are bad, this could have damaging effects
• Perform a valid backup before making hardware or software changes
• If a drive is making unusual mechanical noises, turn it off immediately and get assistance from your data recovery company
• Before removing drives, label the drives with their original position and RAID array
• Never restore data to the server that has lost the data – always restore to a separate server or alternate location
• In Microsoft Exchange or SQL failures, never try to repair the original information store or database files – make a copy and perform recovery operations on the copy
• When replacing drives on RAID systems, never replace a failed drive with a drive that was part of a previous RAID system – always zero out the replacement drive before using
• In a power loss situation with a RAID array, if the file system looks suspicious, is uncountable or the data is inaccessible after power is restored, do not run volume repair utilities. Do not run volume repair utilities on suspected bad drive