"missing" Raid Drive

So, last night, I was trying to make out some invoices - but couldn`t find the RAID drive in win 7 network.

It let me log in to the control panel through the IP address - but status was given as "not ready"!!!!

After trying in vain to find a way in; I looked online, and found that it can occasionally happen, and needs the RAID name to be changed. This forces a reboot, and it comes back OK.

So I went back to the login at the IP addy of the RAID drive - but it tells me my password or username is incorrect - when I know it isn`t.

Walk away in disgust.

This morning, do a physical shutdown & restart from the front panel - and now I can`t find its IP addy - I`m looking at "connected devices" in the router screen; AND running network scanner - neither of them are finding the RAID drive - though it should have TWO seperate IP addresses.

Any thoughts?

LaCie 4 drive, in a raid 5 config

Give you the model in a moment. Next thought is to put it next to the lappie, and physically connect them

edit:

its an INNS04-4200-LAC

Also calls itself an SS4000 -E

Plugged straight into the lappie - which studied it, and decided it was an "unidentified network".

When I interogated further, with network diagnostics, it said the network doesn`t have a valid IP address !!!!!

Erm - now what??

percussive maintenance?

Just looked online; and trying a reset on the back panel  ray   ray   ray

( Thanks Andy - Don`t think hard drives like that much.........)

Still can`t find its address - but the network active light works from the front panel..........

Think its fixed.

First had to reset back panel; then do restart from front panel; then run net searcher to find its address.

F*£$

So I`ve found it - its reporting a "not ready" condition on all storage folders - found an online KB that says changing the name resolves the fault................

No, it bloody doesn`t!!!!!!!

I just run a FNAS set up as raid 1

Much much simpler and I can log on directly if there is an issue

Right.

It appears the drive box doesn`t want to do things with the drives.

Does this mean I need another box?

If so, does it have to be the same type? Are all RAID5 formats the same? IYKWIM?

Thank you.

First you need the data off the drives before you do anything I would suggest.

Unless you don't need the data.

Raid5 needs at least 3 drives, how many does it have?

How big was the device, I can let you "borrow" a couple of GB of storage for a while here, I have 7GB free at the moment on a RAID6, Synology DS2413+, Canoe may have some space also, depends on how much you need and for how long?

Oh crap.

Believing RAID to be safe - I`ve got the ONLY copies of about 30,000 photos, 5000 music tracks, and ALL the business data on there - it HAS to come off somehow.

Now- reading this:

 https://www.lacie.com/support/support_manifest.htm?id=10160&article=1168

Suggests that its a physical hardware thing; rather than software - ie disk based? Or am I wrong?

However; their "solution" makes ****** all difference in this case.

If it can`t be solved,and all the data is gone for ever, I`m going to go find a bus to hide under - while its moving - after destroying anything vaguely computer related I can find

So, it's a 4 disk RAID, full of 4 disks?

not quite RAID or as high tech... but i simply copy everything to a separate HDD every so often... everything arranged so its easy to copy what i want

Definitely contact Lacie, you may even want to consider a data recovery solution, it is tax deductible, as it is business data.

This is the scenario I was in a few years ago when I lost my laptop disk, hence why I am not building robust data protection.

I happens to all sizes of business at one time or another.

It is just devastating when it happens to micro enterprises such as us.

Also, we are the ones who struggle to justify expense on robust back up solutions!...

Keep in touch, the saving grace is it is Linux based, but, I don't know if it is a SW or HW RAID controller.

Andy™ said:

not quite RAID or as high tech... but i simply copy everything to a separate HDD every so often... everything arranged so its easy to copy what i want

Click to expand...

That is "OK" ish, Andy, however, that does not give you any backup if both disks fail. They can.

Sidewinder said:

That is "OK" ish, Andy, however, that does not give you any backup if both disks fail. They can.

Click to expand...

there are 2 backup drives - alternate between them. very much doubt they would all fail. at worst, data is 2 weeks old, although all business data is synced to a USB flash drive whenever i do any office work, so always a current version of everything on USB drive, and whatever computer i last used / synced with (mostly done that way because i need access to business files from office & home)

when i get round to it, was going to fit another drive in PC and set as RAID 1

Andy, if you are going to RAID 1 to need 2 identical drives, buy them both at the same time. Better chance they are the.same then, I've had conflicts in past with adding an 'identical' drive that actually wasn't.....

RAID1 is only fault tolerant for a single disk failure, and is can still have corrupt data.

Seriously guys, IF you are SERIOUSLY relying on electronic data to run your business then you NEED robust data backup, either paid for off site, but, beware of data protection issues, and other possible "hacks", or sort out your own, I learned the hard way, and just, & I MEAN just got away with it, not exactly sure what I lost, but suffice to say, I've not yet needed it enough to worry.

steptoe said:

Andy, if you are going to RAID 1 to need 2 identical drives, buy them both at the same time. Better chance they are the.same then, I've had conflicts in past with adding an 'identical' drive that actually wasn't.....

Click to expand...

Now that is a double edged sword.

IF, there is a batch manufacturing defect in the disks, then it is more likely to show up in a disk pair bought at the same time, rather than that bought at different times/from different places...

steptoe said:

Andy, if you are going to RAID 1 to need 2 identical drives, buy them both at the same time. Better chance they are the.same then, I've had conflicts in past with adding an 'identical' drive that actually wasn't.....

Click to expand...

i did have RAID 1 a while back, but i specifically used different manufacturers on HDD. purely because if they was a faulty design, they were more likely to fail at or near the same time