RAID 50 Data Recovery
RAID 50 stripes data across two or more RAID 5 sets. It is used in larger servers and storage arrays that need more capacity and speed than a single RAID 5 group can provide.
Each RAID 5 group can lose one drive. If any group loses two, the whole array fails. Recovery involves rebuilding each RAID 5 group and then the RAID 0 stripe across them.
Common RAID 50 Failures
- Two drive failures in the same RAID 5 sub-array
- Controller failure on a large storage server
- Incorrect drive replacement causing a failed rebuild
- Metadata corruption after a firmware update
- Accidental deletion of the virtual disk
How We Recover a RAID 50 Array
RAID 50 is recovered in two layers. We first identify how many RAID 5 groups exist and which disks belong to each, then rebuild every group individually using its own parity – each group can lose one disk. Finally we determine the stripe size used across the groups and assemble the RAID 0 layer on top, producing the complete volume.
Before You Do Anything
If your array has failed: do not force a rebuild, re-initialise the array, run CHKDSK/fsck, or swap drives between slots. Label every disk with its slot number, shut the system down cleanly if you can, and call us on 020 7064 4996. Most unrecoverable RAID cases we see were made worse by a rebuild attempted on the wrong disk.
See RAID & server data recovery for the servers, controllers and NAS systems we support.
Frequently asked questions
Do you recover RAID 60 as well?
Yes – RAID 60 (striped RAID 6 groups) is recovered using the same approach with dual parity in each group.
Free assessment, no obligation. Call 020 7064 4996 or use the form on this page – an engineer will tell you what can be recovered and what it will cost. Book online · Pricing · Locations