With the increase of file sizes over the years, and the preponderance of data being generated by the average end user a simple external RAID market was born. Into that market stepped an unlikely challenger; LaCie storage devices. Using simple RAID technology mounted on a single chip the end user now has access to terabytes worth of storage where only gigabytes existed before. This article outlines the pitfalls of the LaCie RAID Recovery and the avenues you can take to prevent data loss.
Encased with no air flow
In a LaCie Big Disk there can be as many as four drives locked in a small 3x8x6 enclosure with virtually no air flow. There are on occasion times when the enclosure has a small fan the size of a quarter that is used to cool the hard drives. This is not enough air flow and the drives can heat up to the point where they swell. This can cause poor read write performance that can in fact cause data corruption. In order to offset the poor heat handling make sure the enclosure is in a well ventilated area and the temperature of the room is kept fairly cool. In addition, pet hair can clog any air flow and their proximity to the device should be limited.
Vibration, shuttering
The LaCie has a USB cable that is fairly short in length. That being said, the device is usually set up close to the user. This mounting close to the user opens up the possibility that the device will either be knocked over, or dropped onto the floor.
Such an occurrence, a very high percentage of the time, makes it necessary to seek professional LaCie RAID Recovery services not unlike those at DTI Data Recovery.
If your LaCie is dropped, or knocked over then a call to DTI Data before you do anything else should be made. In order to minimize vibration place the device as far from the keyboard or mouse as possible. Store the device in a place that has minimal traffic. Use a passive USB hub to give yourself some flexibility as to where you place the device.
RAID Setup and Configuration
The LaCie comes from the factory set up as a RAID 0. This configuration, although optimal for size and speed, offers no real avenue for a recovery when one drive fails. The RAID 5 configuration although slightly slower, and with less storage space, offers the user a higher probability of data recovery when a drive is lost in the array. To help ensure that your data is protected set your LaCie RAID 0 to RAID 5 by following the instructions from the device.
The LaCie Big Disk is a standard RAID device that has offered the end user many years high end storage. Make sure that in using this device you give yourself the greatest chance of data safety by following the points I have offered.
