SSD and Thumb Drive Data Recovery

SSD and Thumb Drive Data Recovery

USB thumb and SSD drives are among the top convenient devices to transfer data from one location to another. Often, individuals and businesses alike use these small devices to store their valuable data. But just like other microelectronic devices, these devices are susceptible to failure and damage. The common causes of SSD data loss include computer viruses, software corruption, natural disasters and power surges, among others.

SSD drives are becoming a popular choice as compared to the traditional hard drives. This is because they offer an improved read/write performance and they consume less energy. In addition, they are cheap and offer efficient heat dissipation. Because of their reliability and hardiness, many high-end laptop manufacturers and I.T companies are integrating them into their consumer products and business solutions.

In the event that you lose your data, experts can help you overcome the challenges associated with solid state drive SSD recovery. SSD data recovery, however, is more complex than the traditional data recovery. This is because, unlike hard drives, SSD contains high-level encryption protocols that increase the security of stored data.

In addition, the solid-state technology uses a NAND-based flash memory which, in other words, is a non-volatile type of memory. This allows the disk to store data for a

long duration without wearing off or getting lost. In fact, the data storage integrity of a typical SSD can be maintained for over 200 years— well beyond your lifespan.

Just like SSD, USB thumb drives use NAND storage technology which makes use of controller chips making data recovery a complicated procedure. On its part, the thumb drive recovery process may take anywhere between a few minutes to days depending on the nature of damage at hand.

Unfortunately, SSD failures are sometimes unrecoverable. Thus, to get the best out of the recovery exercise, it is recommended finding a certified solid state drive SSD recovery expert. This is because, as earlier indicated, SSD features a different data storage mechanism from the traditional spinning HDD. As a result, these data recovery projects require lots of expertise to guarantee a successful and complete recovery.

You should, therefore, focus on hiring experts who are capable of offering a higher success rate while increasing the integrity of the data recovered.  Likewise, when your USB thumb drive gets damaged, hire pros to handle your thumb drive recovery and rescue your unreadable device. Failing to adhere to this may dim your hopes of ever seeing your data again.

Nevertheless, there are challenges that may be encountered while attempting solid state drive SSD recovery that include error correction code variables, address line complexity, and proprietary data organization.

Why Tape Storage Is Still Relevant

Why Tape Storage Is Still Relevant

Tape nowadays seems to be outdated as a backup device especially with the introduction of more efficient ways such as cloud backup and hard drives. These devices are more efficient and have larger storing capacity. Nonetheless, some organizations are still using tape to restore data. Though we know that it is no longer fashionable like other forms of storage, in this article we look at whether the tape is still a viable form of storage. Tapes are presently being used in some areas for backup and archiving.

Is Tape Backup Still popular in 2017?

Tapes are likely to survive extinction due to the massive accumulation of volumes of data in modern data centers. Unlike people’s expectation, tapes are no longer huge and do not run through a complex computation. The latest tape’s drive uses cartridges which can hold data of up to 15TB.


Tape storage is facing challenges from the advancement in data center industry. Storage devices that are flash-based have developed new tiers that have higher IOPS and low latency. Hard drive manufacturers have also responded to the rapid changes in the industry by increasing the storage density of rotating media which have lowered the cost of gigabytes. Cloud storage such as Amazon Glacier is commonly being used by most business because it offers offsite backup which has a lower cost per gigabytes and it is easy to transfer data through the internet. Hence, this has led to the replacement of tape drives as the backup system.

However, this does not mean that tape storage is becoming irrelevant. The new tape is still being used in finance or legal sectors that require data that have not been tampered with, and it is possible to prove that the data has not been altered by using the Write-once-read-many (WORM).

Many organizations will still be using tapes for some time. Even though the disk is cheap, the organization needs to protect their investment and hence will not just throw away their tape libraries.

Unlike spinning disk, the tape is cheaper to maintain. Though the drive is cheap, it has a higher ongoing operational cost due to the constant requirement of power for spinning.

Most businesses have shifted to cloud storage which has led to an increase in the volume of customer’s data this has created a problem for the cloud service provider; they are continually looking for more storage capacity to meet customer’s needs. This process has led them to use the tape as the optimal solution.

Some of the important advantage of tape over other forms of storage is the low price points compared to other media storage. It also has a potential longevity of about several decades if it is maintained and kept at low temperature and humidity. Companies can use them as an additional backup which is a secure offsite backup. Small business can use tape because it is cheaper and requires lesser workforce.

A business with a small IT department could opt for tape as a storage option because it is easier t get a Quikstation which they can use as a library.

Local laws that demand that data should remain in their country of origin has helped the tape to stay relevant because another form of storage such as the cloud service does not offer a way in which data can be stored and remain in the country of origin. Once they comply with this law it might cause extinction in the tape as a storage medium.

Pros and Cons of tape storage

Some of the fundamental advantages of tape are its durability and affordability. The storage capacity of their cartridges is as much as that of HDDs. However, some of the challenges of using tape as a medium of storage are the increased delay while trying to transfer a file from tapes. Hence, the cloud services and hard disks offer a better transfer solution than the tape. The fact that buying a cassette after you have the equipment to record and run data is cheaper has helped the tape to survive through the recent advancement.

Presently tape is still a relevant form of storage especially in a legal organization which is a mandatory requirement and also due to its durability which many organization has to retain because of protecting their investment.

A perfect guide to the best tape recovery strategies

A perfect guide to the best tape recovery strategies

Using tapes for data storage is one of the most reliable methods of storing data that go back to many decades. The tapes don’t just provide the best and the most robust way to store data, but they are also one of the cheapest options around, when it comes to storing a large amount of data. Though open reel tapes have vanished a long time back, these days, tape cartridges such as IBM 3590, LTO Ultrium and DLT are used in the data storage industry. The most common process that used for data storage is called Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM). In this type of storage model, you can store almost infinite amount of data by using the tapes.

However, it would not be wrong to say that tapes can also face disasters and can also go through some serious damage. In those cases, no amount of insurance money can replace the damage and may even lead to serious financial losses for a business organization. What magnifies the impact of damage in case of tape is its functionality. In tapes, the drive has to pass through each part of the tape, and in case it is damaged, it affects the numerous places in the recording. Whatever may be the case, tapes are still the most robust way for long-term storage of data. Fortunately, there are many tape recovery companies that specialise in DLT Tape Recovery and LTO Tape Recovery. They are capable of providing you the best recovery solutions. According to the surveys, the success rate of recovery, in case of tapes, is much more than in any other form of storage medium.

So what are the most common types of damages that the tapes can go through? Let’s have a look:

  • Data corruption: This type of damage often results from the improper handling of the tapes, such as operational errors, etc.
  • Physical disasters: Most common and often the most serious form tape damage. They can result from the broken or expired tapes, or floods and fires.
  • Unreliable upgrades: There are many instances when software upgrades result in data corruption and make the tapes unable to read by the servers.

How the tape data Recovery works?

Although the tapes are the most preferred way to store data for long-term storage, there are instances when the stored data can become inaccessible. In those cases, only a reputable data recovery company can assist you. The reputable data recovery companies can recover data from any kind of corrupted tape cartridges such as AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape), LTO (Linear Tape Open), and DLT (Digital Linear Tape), among others.

In DLT Tape Recovery and LTO Tape Recovery, the data recovery experts often create a copy of the tape before starting out the actual process of recovery. This step helps them to prevent accidental deletion of data, in case any error occurs during the recovery process. Though the data recovery experts are capable to recover almost all the data, there are cases when the damage is much more than anticipated, and data becomes quite difficult to recover. In those serious issues, when LTO Tape Recovery becomes almost impossible, the backup systems play the most important role in recovering the data. The automated backup systems can backup all the data automatically, though you have to set the backup tape regularly; having said that, most of the organisations realise the need of a backup system only after they face these types of tape damages. Fortunately, till then we have data recovery companies to recover our precious data.

A Review of DROBO NAS Storage

A Review of DROBO NAS Storage

Drobo is an expansive external drive which can hold up to terabytes of data. Drobo 5N is among the most famous network-attached storage products. It was intended to address the issues of performance and affordability. It also holds a little impression which is perfect for desk placement. It is easy to utilize and therefore suitable for beginners. Drobo 5N is proficient and very simple to use. Its primary application is to help share information.

Features of Drobo NAS storage

  • Dimensions is of 5.9 x 7.3 x 10.3 inches which is (150.3 x 185.4 x 262.3 mm)
  • Weight: (3.86 kg) without drives or some other external part.
  • CPU
  • Marvell Armada XP Quad-Core. The processor is a low power which has a 2 gigabytes system memory. Its operating system is Linux based and rests in a DOM from Apacer which is NAND streak based. Henceforth, the files that help to run the system are not in your storage array.
  • System Memory
  • 4x Sk Hynix 4Gb which is 2GB altogether
  • Drive Bays
  • 5 Tray-less
  • Cache Bay
  • 1x mSATA. This port takes into consideration quicker access to files which help in preventing reformatting.


It is versatile with a weight of 3.9kg without hard drives and other external parts. It is little in size and won’t take up a large part of space in your office.

It is easily expandable due to its ability to allow simple replacement of an old disk drive with new one.

It has a set of LED indicators that flash or make an action in case the drive is running low on space, or there is an issue with a specific drive. It prevents harm to your whole investment due to a malfunctioning disk.

It has a single port at the back of the system which is gigabit Ethernet while the other port is for the external power supply that sustains the system.

In case of power outage, the internal battery will flush any cached information to your storage system. The internal battery guarantees that your data is transferred to a safe storage place before shutting down. The rechargeable battery does not require any replacement ever in the entire life of the system.

It has five trays-less drive bays which are 3.5″ and accepts your drives with no mounting, for example, a Carrier.

It has a mSATA port that enables the user to install a solid-state drive through Drobo’s Data-Aware Tiering that allows for fast IO caching.

The viability of the drive will be dictated by your workload since it only caches workloads at a different rate.

It has a double redundancy which may reduce the available capacity; however, it gives the ability to withstand information loss in case the drive fails.

It is easily recognized by The Drobos Dashboard which allows configuration and setup of the gadget. The dashboard enables you to control and customize the 5N.

The Drobo 5N has security as a feature of the gadget. It can search and recognize any information that is corrupted. It protects your data all the times, and you will never again need to do the manual checks for any corrupted data.

It is compatible with most types of drives in regards to brands, models, and capacities. Regardless of whether it is an SSD or HDD drive, it will work with 5N.

The Drobo Apps platform offers several useful solutions and can be utilized to expand the performance of the 5N.


The Drobo 5N is sold at favorite online retailers for $489.99. The 5N diskless model is priced at $549 at Drobo stores. The stores allow clients to configure the system using the pre-installed plate. It additionally offers a choice in various capacities. At Drobo’s online prices, a 5N with five 2 TB drives runs US$1,099.The same gadget on Amazon goes at $490 and extra five 2 TB NAS hard drives for $98.95 each, which is under $1,000.


In The United States, the allowed warranty is one year which translates to 2 years in the European Union. Moreover, the user can enjoy 24/7 customer care telephone support which goes on for 90 days after purchasing the device. You can buy an additional warranty from DroboCare. One year warranty cost for about$129 while the increment is $279 three years.

Drobo 5N is well designed, easy to install and relatively quick. It is very affordable, flexible and expandable.

Best NAS Storage For 2018

Best NAS Storage For 2018

Imagine going to work in your office and then realize that the computer you use is out of order. All the data on the computer’s hard disk is gone, and a meeting is waiting for you. It becomes a big problem. How about a data’ storage system that has been centralized and can be accessed from any other computer connected to the same network, it is one of the great things NAS can do.

NAS means Network Attached Storage. Most of the computer’s storage in the past was handled by disks or drives connected directly to the computer. In the recent times, especially with organizations information handling, accessibility is vital. Therefore, shared data needs to be centralized to enhance reliability, security, accessing the data efficiently and faster. Network Attached Storage is a technique where different users who have permissions access stored data on a storage device on a specific network. NAS comes as either pre-populated or diskless. Pre-populated NAS is formatted for a particular use through RAID (redundant array of independent disks) configuration, while the diskless is not usually formatted. There are different types of RAID levels. RAID is a way of protecting data by storing same information on multiple hard disks.

NAS is a stand-alone unit managed through browser used to configure the Network Attached storage device. NAS uses different file storage protocols to support different operating system users in the office or prominent organizations. Protocols supported by NAS storage device operate at the same time and simultaneously. Commonly approved protocols include; NFS used by Linux operating system users, AFP for Apple Macintosh Computers users and SMB for Microsoft based operating system users. NAS supports several networks to allow communication between devices. The networks include HTTP, FTP NFS among many others.

With so many types of NAS in the market, the right one to buy is the question that most users ask themselves. Whether you choose a diskless or pre-populated NAS storage, you will still need to buy the BEST NAS STORAGE FOR 2018. Manufacturers of diskless NAS recommend specific drives models to use with their product. If purchasing new drives, consider the manufacturer’s approval. Do the same to the older one that you might have for purposes of compatibility. It is always good to stick to the manufactures recommendations.

Depending on the intended use, NAS can be used in various ways. It can be used as a media-streaming device. However for it to work it requires hardware or software to enable it to play most media files. Can also be used as connectors and controls, NAS has o more than one USB ports that are used to connect to external storage devices and a printer. Once the drive is connected, it is used by all the connected users. The ports do not only allow for connection but also enables copying of data from the external flash drive to a pre-designed location in the NAS. Handy remote access features also have the ability of NAS; this is where the NAS drives allow accessibility of particular file in your NAS by sending web links to people that may need that information. The functionality serves you as well as you can also connect and download files, stream movies from home NAS to wherever you may be through the internet.

Below are some of the NAS drives to consider in 2018;

  • QNAP’s TS-251NAS dual-drive: best read/write performance has a functional RAID recovery can be used to media stream from anywhere, excellent visualizations abilities, and above all it is affordable.
  • Seagate Personal Cloud (3TB): Have several drives, it is a pre-populated type, has a competitive speed thus does a good job when media streaming, prices are pocket-friendly and can automatically integrate with another online cloud site.
  • • Synology DiskStation DS1517: five-bay network-attached storage, designed for use in small and medium enterprises. The five-bay feature enables several RAID configurations can support and synchronize numerous apps, and it is user-friendly though might be expensive.
  • Promise Apollo: is a 4-terabyte helpful most for personal use such as automatic back up for videos and snapshots you take with your smartphone as well as downloads
  • QNAP TS-253B: a two-bay NAS device. Most profitable to small-to-medium enterprises. It is easy to use, has several apps such as multimedia, security, backup, and data management apps. It also has excellent input and outputs ports, but it is diskless.

When selecting NAS device, be knowledgeable about the intended use. For disk-less NAS, follow the manufactures recommendation. For the one that comes with storage devices check the features such as ease of use, remote accessibility, the apps it can manage and ability to synchronize.