Case Study: Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 Failure – School Server Data Recovery
The Problem
A local school in Birmingham experienced a catastrophic RAID 10 failure on their Dell PowerEdge server, which contained 12 SCSI disks. The school’s IT department attempted to replace three failed disks, but:
- The RAID rebuild did not start, preventing the restoration of data.
- The RAID controller did not recognise the new disks, leaving the system in a degraded state.
- The server stored all school administrative data, including student records, staff files, and curriculum materials.
- No recent backup was available, making professional RAID recovery services critical.
With multiple SCSI disk failures in a RAID 10 setup, a specialized forensic-level recovery approach was required.
Our Expertise in Dell PowerEdge & RAID 10 Data Recovery
With 25 years of experience, Birmingham Data Recovery specializes in:
✔ Recovering RAID 10 arrays after multi-disk failures
✔ Rebuilding lost RAID configurations from degraded arrays
✔ Forensic data recovery for educational institutions & secure data handling
Diagnosis & Recovery Process
Upon receiving the Dell PowerEdge server and its 12 SCSI drives, our engineers performed a comprehensive forensic analysis. The key findings included:
- Three SCSI hard drives had failed, leading to RAID corruption.
- The IT department’s replacement drives were not recognized, likely due to firmware incompatibility.
- RAID metadata corruption prevented the RAID controller from initiating a rebuild.
To successfully recover the school’s critical data, we implemented a multi-step forensic RAID 10 recovery strategy:
Step 1: Inspection & Drive Imaging
- Opened the three failed SCSI drives to inspect physical damage.
- Repaired or replaced faulty read/write heads and PCB boards to restore temporary functionality.
- Created sector-by-sector clones of all working and recovered disks to ensure no further data loss.
Step 2: RAID 10 Virtual Reconstruction & Metadata Repair
- Analysed RAID metadata structures to determine the correct mirroring and striping order.
- Used specialized RAID forensic tools to manually reconstruct the RAID 10 array, bypassing the Dell RAID controller.
- Rebuilt the RAID array without relying on the damaged disks, ensuring data integrity.
Step 3: File System Recovery & Data Extraction
- Repaired NTFS file system corruption caused by the degraded RAID state.
- Extracted critical student records, staff databases, and operational documents.
Step 4: Data Integrity Verification & Secure Transfer
- Conducted full validation checks to confirm the recovered files were intact and accessible.
- Successfully transferred the restored data to a new secure server, ensuring minimal downtime for the school.
The Result
We successfully recovered 99.7% of the school’s critical data, including:
✅ Student records, academic reports, and enrollment files
✅ Staff payroll data, HR documents, and administrative records
✅ Curriculum materials, lesson plans, and school scheduling files
The school was able to restore full operations without any data loss, ensuring continuity for teachers, staff, and students.
Why Choose Birmingham Data Recovery for Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 Recovery?
✅ 25 Years of Expertise – Specialists in RAID 10 failure recovery and server restoration.
✅ Advanced RAID Reconstruction – Rebuilding lost RAID 10 arrays after multi-disk crashes.
✅ Secure & Confidential Recovery – Protecting sensitive school data with strict security protocols.
If your Dell PowerEdge RAID 10 system has failed and contains critical institutional data, contact Birmingham Data Recovery today for professional assistance!