Recovery without reviving production
The failed server, operating system, volume, and controller do not have to become operational before recovery begins.
ADR's RAID recovery service
Your RAID is down. We can get started now.
The server does not need to boot. The volume does not need to mount. The failed array does not need to be brought online.
ADR helps your team preserve and identify every member, move the drives outside the failed controller's control, and create a protected recovery environment at your location when the case permits it.
Tell us what the controller reports and what has already been attempted. You do not need to diagnose the RAID before calling.
Failed server stays offlineNo forced boot or mount
Members accessed independentlyOutside the failed controller
Sources remain protectedImage first when required
Recovery to separate storageNever back to the failed array
The recovery environment changes
The failed controller comes out of the recovery path.
Each source member is identified and accessed independently. Protected images preserve the best available state; validated reconstruction and recovered data go to separate destination storage.
Source members · read only
01020304
Identified outside the failed controllerProtected imagesPreserve each readable member
Validated reconstructionOrder · offset · stripe · parity
Separate destinationVerified recovered data
No recovery data is written back to the original members or failed array.
A different starting point
Stop fighting the failed server.
When the controller no longer presents the virtual disk, trying to revive the production system can change the evidence recovery depends on. ADR approaches the problem differently: the failed server is not the recovery environment.
ADR accesses the member drives independently, protects the original sources, and reconstructs the array outside the failed controller.
Review RAID failures and supported systems →The ADR recovery sequence
Stop. Label. Connect. Recover.
Each step protects the state that exists now and removes the failed production equipment from the critical recovery path.
- 1
Stop writes
ADR reviews the failure sequence and stops rebuilds, initialization, imports, recreation, repair tools, and other actions that could change the remaining evidence.
- 2
Identify every member
Record the controller brand and model, server or NAS brand and model, device type, number and capacity of the drives, and RAID level if known. If possible, photograph the enclosure, label each drive, record its original bay, and preserve controller screens and errors.
- 3
Connect members independently
Under ADR direction, each drive is made individually accessible outside the failed array using a suitable controlled recovery environment.
- 4
Protect the sources
ADR verifies sources and destinations, prevents automatic assembly and writes, assesses member health, and creates protected images when required.
- 5
Reconstruct and validate
ADR determines member order, offsets, stripe geometry, parity behavior, and the defensible array state before recovering data.
- 6
Recover and verify
Priority files, databases, virtual machines, and application data are recovered to separate storage and checked before delivery.
A documented RAID outcome
The array failed—and the available backup was lost in the same event.
“ADR worked around the clock to stitch the data back together. I was amazed when ADR said the data had been recovered—and more amazed when I verified it myself.”Matt W., IT Services Manager · Historical client accountExcerpt edited for length and clarity. Recovery results and timelines vary by case.
Keep physical custody
The drives can remain in your hands.
In most cases, ADR can direct diagnosis, protection, imaging, reconstruction, and verification while the member drives remain at your location.
Customer-controlled access
Your staff provides controlled physical access and follows an approved handling plan. ADR remains responsible for the technical recovery decisions.
Replacement work can begin
Your IT team can replace the failed server and build a clean new array while ADR recovers the data to separate destination storage.
Recover and rebuild in parallel
The failed server no longer controls the recovery schedule.
Your IT team can correct the hardware problem and create a clean replacement environment while ADR reconstructs the failed storage. Once priority data is verified on separate destination storage, it can be transferred into the new live system.
Selective physical escalation
Ship only what cannot be handled safely where it is.
Should a member require firmware, electronics, mechanical, cleanroom, or specialist work before a trustworthy image can be produced, ADR evaluates that need before recommending shipment.
When the physical problem is limited to one member, it may be possible to send only that component rather than the complete array.
When a RAID member requires laboratory work →What ADR needs to begin
Start with what you know.
You do not need to determine the RAID geometry, diagnose a failed member, or make the server boot before calling.
System and array
Server, NAS, enclosure, controller, RAID level if known, number of members, drive type, operating system, hypervisor, and workload.
Present condition
Every status or error shown, which members are online or missing, and whether any drive clicks, disappears, or reports read errors.
Failure history
What happened first and every rebuild, replacement, import, force-online action, scan, repair, or power cycle already attempted.
Business and custody needs
Priority data and applications, operational impact, onsite requirements, available technical contact, and separate destination capacity.
Direct answers
Questions before recovery begins.
Does the failed server have to boot?
No. ADR's recovery environment is separate from the failed production environment.
Do we force the array online first?
No. Do not import, initialize, recreate, rebuild, or force members online merely to provide access.
Can we connect the drives to another computer?
Possibly, but only under an approved plan that covers labeling, power, connections, source protection, and separate destination storage.
Is this do-it-yourself recovery?
No. Your staff provides controlled physical access. ADR directs the technical process and approves recovery decisions.
Does every case remain onsite?
No. Member condition, interfaces, security, personnel, and destination capacity determine whether onsite work is safe.
Where is recovered data written?
To separate approved destination storage, never back to the failed source members or failed array.
Stop before another write changes the array
We can begin with the system exactly as it is now.
Tell an ADR technician what failed, what the controller reports, and what has already been attempted. We will help preserve the member state and determine the fastest safe way to begin.