Case Study

Data Recovery for Insurance Company: RAID 5 System Affected by Physical Damage

A RAID 5 failure led to the loss of 35 TB of critical data, including documents, Oracle databases, and media files, prompting the need for a swift recovery to restore business operations.

Published On : Mar 12, 2025

Overview:

This case study documents the process followed by Stellar’s data recovery experts to rebuild and recover data from a backward-dynamic RAID 5 server with two failed drives.

Client Background:

Our client, a market leader in health, motor, travel, and home insurance in India, faced critical data loss situation after two of the hard disks in their 64 TB RAID 5 NAS storage system were severely damaged. This resulted in the loss of approximately 35 TB of essential data, in the form of MS Office documents, Oracle databases, application files, audio files, and images. The client relies heavily on its storage systems to manage critical business functions and urgently needed a solution to recover the data and restore normal operations.

Problem Statement:

The RAID 5 configuration, designed to provide redundancy and better parity, was disrupted due to physical damage to two hard drives. This made the data recovery process complex, and necessitated rebuilding the server while handling the XFS file system to recover critical files without compromising their integrity. The organization needed to recover 35 TB data to ensure minimal downtime and resume normal business operations.

System Specifications:

RAID Configuration: Backward-dynamic RAID 5 with 8 x 8 TB HDDs
Device Type: NAS Server
File System: XFS
Issue: Physical damage to 2 HDDs; 35 TB data at stake
Affected File types: MS Office documents, application files, Oracle databases, .png and audio files, etc.

Stellar’s Approach to Data Recovery

We recognized the critical nature of the client's data, and undertook our recovery process with utmost precision and care. The following steps highlight the meticulous approach we adopted:

1. Diagnosis & Assessment:

Stellar's experts conducted a thorough evaluation of the RAID 5 configuration and the XFS file system.
A complete diagnosis was made to assess the extent of the damage and identify the best RAID data recovery approach.

2. Cloning Affected Drives:

The team worked 24/7 to perform sector-by-sector cloning of the affected drives, ensuring that no data was lost in the recovery process.

3. Rebuilding the RAID 5 Array:

The experts carefully reconstructed the RAID 5 array, restoring the data striping and parity to regain access to the critical data.

4. Data Recovery:

Following the rebuild, the team successfully recovered 35 TB of vital business data, including MS Office documents, Oracle databases, application files, and other critical business files.

5. Testing & Verification:

Stellar's team performed thorough testing of the recovered data to ensure that all files were intact, accessible, and usable.

Outcomes:

The recovery process was a success, with all data retrieved and restored accurately, demonstrating Stellar Data Recovery’s expertise:

Through Stellar’s expert recovery process, the insurance company successfully recovered 100% of the lost data without further complications. The data recovery was completed swiftly, minimizing downtime and ensuring a smooth return to normal business operations. The company was able to continue its operations with all critical data intact, and they were provided with additional preventive tips to safeguard their data against future issues.

Check Out More of Our Success Stories for RAID:

Preventive Tips

1. Regular Data Backups:

Follow the 3–2–1 backup rule—three copies of data, two on different media, and one offsite.

2. Use RAID Configuration Wisely:

Ensure redundancy and regular health checks to avoid sudden failures.

3. Monitor Drive Health:

Regularly check the health of the drives to detect early signs of failure.

4. Network Security:

Protect the system from potential cyber threats by using robust security protocols.

Business Need

One of the biggest insurance companies in India needed to recover 35 TB of critical data following physical damage to two drives in their backward-dynamic RAID 5 system, which included Oracle databases, MS Office documents, applications, and other essential business files.

Solution Approach

The Stellar Data Recovery team:

1. Diagnosed the damage to the RAID 5 array and XFS file system.

2. Repaired the physically damaged HDDs in a Class 100 Cleanroom lab.

3. Cloned the NAS drives and rebuilt the RAID 5 array before attempting data recovery.

4. Recovered 35 TB of critical data and verified its integrity for full access and usability.

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