Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
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Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
This article outlines general tips for preventing data loss, the causes of different types of data loss (including laptop, database, server, and tape data), and the formats and manufacturers supported by Seagate Recovery Services (SRS).
What Is Data Loss?
Data loss is usually defined by one or more of the following:
The inability to access data from a previously working computer system or backup
Accidental file deletion or overwriting of data control structures
Files that are corrupted or inaccessible due to abnormal device operation or damage
Data loss can occur due to system or human error, adverse environmental conditions, and device failure:
Human causes include intentional or accidental file deletion or overwriting.
Data loss can also result from virus damage, software bugs, or failed upgrades.
Physical causes often include power loss or surges, overheating, electrostatic discharge, and physical damage to storage devices or media.
General Data-Loss Prevention Tips
Software and Hardware
Document your systems and store original software copies safely.
Regularly back up your files, then test and verify that your backup is a complete copy of the original. External drives are ideal for this purpose.
Ensure a complete, verified backup is available before upgrading software or hardware.
If using Microsoft Windows XP, create System Restore Points before making significant system changes.
Develop a contingency plan and practice data restoration. The plan should include:
Locating all available backups, including dates and types.
Listing and locating all original software packages and updates since installation.
Preparing an alternate computer.
Implement firewalls and virus protection.
Remove unused files and applications. Use a disc defragmenter, typically part of the operating system utilities.
Environment
Maintain stable environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, cleanliness) and handle devices properly to avoid static discharge and accidental drops.
Secure systems physically from intruders.
Prepare for physical disasters, including using off-site backup storage.
The following sections describe data recovery types and supported formats and manufacturers. RAID data recovery, digital photo recovery, and VMware workstation data loss are addressed in separate articles under "Related Links."
Laptop Data Recovery
Laptops and notebooks, due to their portability and exposure to environmental factors like heat, water, and dust, are more prone to data loss than office desktops. Their mobility makes them key candidates for data loss.
Data loss can result from mechanical and electrical failures, software corruption, and human error. Common symptoms include:
Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
Dropped notebook that won't turn on
Inaccessible drives and partitions
Applications unable to run or load data
Corrupted data
Virus attacks
Hard disk component failure
Hard disk crashes
Damage from fire or liquids
Media surface contamination and damage
Accidental reformatting of partitions
Accidental data deletion
Laptop Disk Drives Supported
The hard disk drive in your laptop may not be from the same manufacturer as the laptop itself. Seagate Recovery Services recovers data from all notebook and laptop brands, models, and interfaces, covering hard disk drives from manufacturers like Western Digital, Seagate, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Hitachi, and Samsung.
Database Recovery
Mission-critical data is often stored in databases like SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, Exchange Server, and Access on networked fileservers. Relational and object-oriented database management technologies are vital to modern IT systems, supporting essential corporate applications.
Individual media in database servers experience similar failure points as disk drives in personal computers and workstations. Experienced administrators know that databases are vulnerable without a comprehensive, tested backup plan.
Unfortunately, devices can become corrupt beyond routine recovery methods:
Backup files not recognized by the database engine
Database locked as 'suspect,' preventing access
Deleted or dropped tables
Accidentally deleted records
Corrupted database files and devices
Damaged individual data pages
Accidentally overwritten database files and devices
vSolutions for Data Loss and Recovery
Seagate Recovery Services specializes in recovering inaccessible data from complex database configurations.
Database Types Supported
Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, 7.0, 2000, 2005, 2008
Oracle Lite, 8.x & 9.x, 10x, 11x
Sybase SQL Server
Sybase SQL Anywhere
Interbase
MySQL
PostgreSQL Standard Databases
Microsoft Access
SRS also recovers inaccessible data for all xbase products like dBase, FoxPro, Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, and email systems using the UNIX mbox format, such as Eudora and Netscape.
Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
Server Data Recovery-Solutions for Data Loss and Recovery
Servers are crucial to modern businesses, storing data essential for daily operations. Despite protective measures, unpredictable events can still cause data loss. Media stored in servers face the same failure points as drives in personal computers and workstations. The complexity of modern server storage systems adds to data loss situations, such as:
Server storage system configuration corruption (lost config, re-initialized RAID, misplaced drives, etc.)
Intermittent drive failure causing storage, file system, and application-level corruption
Multiple drive failure.
As servers are used for mission-critical operations, clients need quick and secure data recovery. SRS offers priority handling, on-site data recovery, critical 24/7 service, remote data recovery, and customized solutions. Our aim is to recover client data swiftly and conveniently.
SRS supports most current server operating systems, including Microsoft, Apple, various UNIX and Linux versions, AIX, Netware, and more.
Virtual Technologies
Seagate Recovery Services offers comprehensive data recovery for virtual environments, including VMware (ESX/ESXi and vSphere), Microsoft (Hyper-V), and other hypervisor systems.
The virtual environment introduces additional abstraction levels, increasing recovery complexity with failure points at the Hypervisor and VM levels:
FIGURE 1: Virtual vs. Physical Failures
We offer data recovery services for the following situations:
Virtual Disk container corruption – comprehensive support for VMDK and VHD containers, including chained and sparse containers, snapshots, missing or damaged base files, snapshots or chain links, and corrupted container metadata.
Corrupted guest file systems within these Virtual Disk containers.
Corrupted or reformatted VMFS volumes (VMFS versions 2, 3, and 5) and other hypervisor-level file systems.
Deleted Virtual Disk container files from VMFS volumes and other hypervisor-level file systems.
Tape Data Recovery
Tape backup systems for servers and personal computers, such as mm DAT, Travan, Exabyte 8mm, LTO, and various QIC formats, are essential for data protection. However, tape failures can be catastrophic, as these tapes are often the sole data repository. Customers may no longer have the original tape hardware or software to restore from legacy systems.
Fire, smoke, water, and even dropping the tape cartridge can damage the media, leading to data loss. Internal mechanism failures, exposure to extreme temperatures, and logical read/write errors on a tape’s file can also cause data loss. Tapes are designed to last for storing archives, but improper storage or exceeding the media's lifespan can result in degradation and data loss.
Common causes of tape failure include:
Tape drive failure causing corrupted tape headers
Stretched or snapped tape media
Fire and water damage, media surface contamination, and damage
Accidental reformatting or erasure of tape
Accidental overwriting of headers
Tape backup software corruption
Media degradation due to age or improper storage
Legacy tapes where tape drive or software is no longer available
Formats and Manufacturers Supported
Popular backup software, such as EMC, Networker, CA BrightStore (ArcServe), and UNIX tar and cpio utilities (and many more), use different internal formats. SRS programmers are expertly trained to understand and extract data from any type of tape media, regardless of format. SRS recovers data from these tape media formats and manufacturers, among others:
DLT III, DLT IV, DLT-1, VS80, VS160, and Super DLT tape
LTO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
4mm DAT format DDS, DDS-2, DDS-3, and DDS- DAT-72, DAT-160, DAT-320
Exabyte 8mm 112m and 160m tapes & Mammoth 1 (Exabyte 8900), Mammoth 2
Sony IT and AIT-2, AIT-3, AIT-4, AIT-5, and SAIT
Travan TR-1, TR-3, TR-4, and TR-5 tapes
QIC tapes
QIC Mini-Cartridges
Tandberg SLR tapes
ADR and ADR2 tapes
9 track 800/1600/6250 bpi
Next track
IBM 3480/3490/3592 tapes
Tape Backup and File Formats
Microsoft Tape Format (MTF) applications like NT Backup and Symantec (Seagate/Veritas), BackupExec for Windows, Backup Exec for NetWare
System Independent Data Format (SIDF) applications such as Novell's Sbackup and Palindrome's Backup Director
IBM Tivoli TSM
Computer Associates, Brightstore (Arcserve)
Previos/Stac Replica Backup for NT, NetWare
EMC (Legato) NetWorker (all platforms)
Symantec (Veritas) NetBackup, unix tar, cpio, fbackup, fsdump, and ufsdump archives
Compaq/DEC VMS Backup
Commvault Galaxy/Simpana
Other Articles on Data Recovery Services Below
If you need prices on data recovery prices follow the links below. Each State has different prices.
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