A RAID controller controls all the data on your array of hard disk drives, so that they work as a single unit. By arranging the data on multiple physical hard drives – known as ‘redundancy’ – it can protect your data and offer enhanced performance and storage capacity. But what happens in the event of a RAID controller failure?
RAID controllers are either hardware-based or software-based; hardware-based controllers are normally PCI cards, while software-based controllers are hosted on the CPU and provide similar functionality, although their performance is often limited. If your RAID controller fails, your data may or may not be accessible, even if there is no damage to the hard drive’s magnetic platters – it all depends on the level of RAID.
For example, RAID 0 or ‘striping’ distributes data equally across all disks in the array, meaning that even if one disk fails, your data is lost. RAID 5, on the other hand, offers block level striping with what’s known as distributed parity. This means that one disk in the array can fail and the inherent ‘redundancy’ will automatically recover all the data within the controller. However, if more than one disk in the array fails, you’ll need to consult a professional RAID data recovery specialist. If all of the drives in the array are in full working order, it is likely to be a failed RAID controller. It’s normally easy to tell if there’s an issue with one or more of the hard drives themselves, either by listening to see if they’re spinning properly, or checking the diagnostic lights.
The RAID controller distributes your data. In the event of a failure, the data remains unaltered, but can’t be interpreted. To get your data back, the data parameters need to be calculated, which can often be a very time-consuming job, involving a lot of cryptanalysis. Our RAID data recovery team will perform a free diagnostic test on your failed RAID system, regardless of the level, and provide you with a no-obligation quote to complete the work.
