IBM RAID 5 servers are widely used in business environments due to their fault tolerance and high-performance storage capabilities. However, if a RAID 5 configuration is accidentally reset or misconfigured, the RAID controller may fail to recognise the array, leading to data inaccessibility and potential business disruptions.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical business data from an IBM RAID 5 server with 8 Seagate SAS hard drives, after an accidental RAID configuration reset prevented data access for a 110-user business.
As Oxford Data Recovery, with 25 years of forensic data recovery experience, we used RAID metadata reconstruction and parity analysis techniques to restore lost business data.
The Challenge: RAID 5 Configuration Reset Preventing Data Access
A large business with 110 employees contacted us after their IBM RAID 5 server became inaccessible, with the following issues:
- The RAID controller settings had been accidentally reset, wiping out the RAID configuration.
- All 8 Seagate SAS hard drives were functional but unreadable as a RAID array.
- No physical drive failure was detected, but the RAID volume was missing.
- The server contained business-critical data, including financial records, employee files, and client databases.
Since reconfiguring the RAID incorrectly could overwrite existing data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the IBM RAID 5 server arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and disk-level diagnostic. Our findings:
- RAID metadata was lost due to the accidental reset, preventing the array from being recognized.
- The parity data was still intact, meaning RAID 5 reconstruction was possible.
- No mechanical failure – All 8 Seagate SAS drives were in good working condition, ensuring a high probability of full data recovery.
Since IBM RAID controllers do not store RAID configuration settings on the drives themselves, we needed to manually rebuild the RAID structure without relying on the original controller.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID 5 Drives
To prevent further data corruption, we:
- Removed all 8 drives from the IBM server and created forensic clones.
- Used sector-by-sector imaging tools to preserve existing RAID data.
2. Manually Reconstructing the RAID 5 Array
Since the RAID configuration was lost, we:
- Analysed RAID striping patterns and parity distribution to determine the original configuration.
- Manually rebuilt the RAID 5 array using specialized forensic recovery tools.
- Bypassed the original RAID controller to extract files from the logical volume.
3. Extracting & Verifying Business-Critical Data
Once the RAID array was successfully reconstructed, we:
- Recovered financial reports, employee data, and business transaction records.
- Repaired damaged databases and reconstructed missing file structures.
- Transferred all recovered data to a secure external RAID storage device.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 5 reconstruction and metadata repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the company’s critical business data, including:
✅ Employee records, payroll data, and HR files
✅ Client databases, invoices, and financial reports
✅ Project files, contracts, and operational documents
The company was able to resume full business operations without any loss of crucial data, avoiding downtime for its 110 employees.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful recoveries, we are the leading RAID data recovery specialists in Oxford and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ IBM RAID 5 metadata repair & configuration recovery
✔ RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10 reconstruction
✔ Enterprise database and financial record restoration
✔ Secure & confidential business data retrieval
If your RAID 5 system has lost its configuration, is failing to mount, or is preventing data access, stop further attempts and contact us immediately for expert data recovery.