DataVolume Usage: Failed (WD ShareSpace 4TB RAID 5)

[afRAID]

I'm getting a permission denied error when I try to run mdadm -D /dev/md2

Has anyone tried putting their four drives into a PC and attempting to recover the array from a Linux Live CD? I was contemplating that after getting this permissions issue, but I'm afraid to try it in fear of corrupting my data.

[Timbo]

I tried pulling out 1 drive at a time and restarting the NAS to see if there was a problem with a single drive that would then allow the data to be accessed - but that did not help at all.

I finally had to go through a data recovery service to recover my RAID.  They seem to have recovered everything - but a few scattered files that were new within a few hours of the RAID failing with the DataVolume doesn't exist message.  This doesn't make much sense to me because there were some new files before and after the ones that are missing - that actually do exist in the recovered version...  Because of the few recent files that I know did not get recovered - I'm a little concerned that I might find some older data that is corrupt or not all there... 

This occurred apparently in conjunction with my firmware upgrade to 2.2.91 - that also appears to have failed (since I do not have the SSH option available). 

All I have to say is - GOOD BYE WESTERN DIGITAL!  This experience with their support staff has been miserable.  I've had enough.  Maybe I will say hello to Synology....

[Dug46]

I have been struggling with Volume group lvmr, I followed the solution provided by fibreiv (many thanks!) got it to work and then after copying off a large amount of data there was nothing visible again.  So I figured something happened when I wasnt paying attention.  So I did a controlled shutdown and reboot of the NAS figuring I would need to start over again.  But now I cant get the dang vgcreate to work.  It appears that the lvmr is there, but its not available for lvcreate to work with.

Has anybody else had this new wrinkle come up, and more importantly know how to get around it?

SYSOUT posted below:

~ $ mdadm --assemble /dev/md2 /dev/sda4 /dev/sdb4 /dev/sdc4 /dev/sdd4
mdadm: /dev/md2 assembled from 2 drives and 1 spare - not enough to start the array.
~ $ mdadm --assemble --force /dev/md2 /dev/sda4 /dev/sdb4 /dev/sdc4 /dev/sdd4
mdadm: forcing event count in /dev/sdc4(2) from 1545120 upto 1545122
mdadm: clearing FAULTY flag for device 2 in /dev/md2 for /dev/sdc4
mdadm: /dev/md2 has been started with 3 drives (out of 4) and 1 spare.
~ $ pvcreate /dev/md2
  Can't initialize physical volume "/dev/md2" of volume group "lvmr2" without -ff
~ $ pvcreate -ff /dev/md2
Really INITIALIZE physical volume "/dev/md2" of volume group "lvmr2" [y/n]? y
  WARNING: Forcing physical volume creation on /dev/md2 of volume group "lvmr2"
  Physical volume "/dev/md2" successfully created
~ $ vgcreate lvmr /dev/md2
  /dev/lvmr: already exists in filesystem
~ $ lvcreate -l 714329 lvmr -n lvm0
  Volume group "lvmr" doesn't exist

[tived]

Is there any options for those not familiar with Linux, or is this a good time to learn.

I am really trying to see the humor in this as I have just replaced a failed drive with a new drive. Then waiting two days to get it to finish recover, only to find that it has failed, yet all four disks are showing up as good, but the raid 5 has failed.

It just can't be happening?

Hen

[GuiGuy]

---

tived wrote:

It just can't be happening?

Hen

---

My reading of the matter is that you cannot rebuild the RAID5 array with data recobvery because the OS is written across the array.  Maybe WD would care to give a definitive answer or denial?

[brit503]

afRAID, my Sharespace logged me in as an admin user instead of root. You can see this if you type

id

at the prompt. It will show you the uid=98 (admin) gid=1000(jewab)  

(or something similar)

To get to root I had to type:

su -

and type the password "welc0me" 

when you get another prompt, type id again and you should see uid=0 (root) gid=0(root)

I was able to use all these commands people are suggesting after I was logged in as root.

[Amitn4321]

How did you solve this problem can you pls provide step by step information with startup commands?

My WDSharespace 4TB  RAID 5 also got crashed and not getting any support from WD.

I have important data in it which needs to be recovered urgently. Pl help

I will be very thankful to you all for any solution or atleast temp fix which could get my data back.

[Nesvic]

Maybe you should try contacting WD's Technical Support about this. You can do so either by phone or email.

To Contact WD for Technical Support
http://support.wdc.com/contact/index.asp?lang=en

[theruck]

if anynone has this problem you can contact me and i will try my best to help you recover your data

[rofo2010]

Update : I eventually resorted to a data recovery service having reached my personal limits with ssh/linux volume management/time/risk tolerance.

The first one ("cheap") said they couldnt do it (after charging an evaluation fee and wasting about a month) - "data is corrupted"

The second managed a complete recovery of the data (hurrah!), although they also cleaned me out of a hefty chunk of cash. Still, I can recommend them for the desperate (in Australia).

So, I have my data back (and backed up), but the Sharespace is now completely incommunicado. Unable to connect via ssh, ftp, http etc. even the WD Discovery doesnt see it. Its not even picked up on my router table.

Reset button doesnt work, can't even restart it without removing the power lead. Green LEDs for power and LAN, but amber for three drives installed.

So I suspect the OS is now defunct. How can I rebuild the OS using just 2 of the old drives (or 3, at a pinch)? I aint gonna use all four because that would put my data in jeopardy again.

Any suggestions? Maybe completely wipe and reformat the 3 drives, reinstall in the sharespace and cross my fingers? Isnt the OS installed on the drives, though - so reformatting them would lose it. But how did it get to the drives in the first place?

All help much appreciated.