Dell PowerEdge servers are commonly used in enterprise environments for high-performance computing and virtualisation. RAID 5 configurations provide redundancy and fault tolerance, but when parity miscalculations occur, they can lead to corrupt or missing files, inaccessible virtual machines, and system failures.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical business data and virtual VHD systems from a Dell PowerEdge RAID 5 array with 12 x 250GB SAS disks, after parity issues caused file corruption and missing data for a large multinational airline company.
As Leeds Data Recovery, with 25 years of RAID and enterprise data recovery experience, we used RAID parity reconstruction, virtual machine recovery, and forensic data extraction techniques to restore lost airline business data.
The Challenge: Missing or Corrupt Files in a Dell PowerEdge RAID 5 Array
A multinational airline company contacted us after experiencing severe data loss across multiple departments, with the following issues:
- RAID 5 array was online, but certain files and folders were missing or unreadable.
- Nine virtualized systems (VMs) were corrupted or failing to boot.
- Some virtual machines contained essential airline scheduling and customer data.
- Parity miscalculations were detected, affecting stored files.
Since attempting to rebuild a RAID 5 array with parity errors can overwrite valid data, an immediate professional recovery solution was required.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the Dell PowerEdge RAID 5 array (12 x 250GB SAS drives) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and virtual system diagnostic. Our findings:
- Parity inconsistencies across multiple disks – Leading to incorrect file reconstruction.
- Corrupt Virtual Machine Disk (VMDK/VHD) files – Preventing access to stored applications and databases.
- RAID metadata inconsistencies – Making some partitions unreadable.
Since parity-based errors affect RAID rebuilds, we prioritised manual RAID reconstruction and VM recovery to prevent further data corruption.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All 12 RAID 5 Drives
To preserve data integrity, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of all SAS drives.
- Used advanced imaging tools to bypass degraded areas and extract readable sectors.
2. Manually Reconstructing the RAID 5 Array
Since RAID metadata was corrupt, we:
- Rebuilt the RAID 5 array outside the original Dell PowerEdge controller.
- Repaired parity inconsistencies using forensic RAID recovery tools.
- Restored missing directory structures and critical airline scheduling files.
3. Virtual Machine Extraction & Repair
Since the nine virtual machines were corrupted, we:
- Extracted and reconstructed damaged VMDK, VHD, and QCOW2 disk images.
- Repaired filesystem inconsistencies to restore VM bootability.
- Validated each virtual system to ensure full functionality.
4. Verifying & Restoring Airline Business Data
Once the RAID array and VMs were rebuilt, we:
- Checked all recovered airline operational files, databases, and customer records.
- Restored missing virtual machines, including employee scheduling and booking systems.
- Transferred the fully recovered data to a secure enterprise RAID storage system.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 5 parity reconstruction and virtual machine repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the airline company’s lost data, including:
✅ Airline scheduling software and booking system records
✅ Customer databases and operational financial data
✅ Fully restored nine virtualized environments (VMware, Hyper-V, Citrix)
The company was able to resume global operations without losing critical business data, avoiding massive downtime and financial loss.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are the leading RAID 5 and Dell PowerEdge data recovery specialists in Leeds and the UK. Our expertise includes:
✔ RAID 5 parity reconstruction & metadata repair
✔ Enterprise virtual machine (VMware, Hyper-V, Citrix) recovery
✔ Dell PowerEdge RAID failure troubleshooting & data extraction
✔ Secure & confidential airline & corporate data retrieval
If your RAID 5 array is showing corrupt files, missing data, or parity errors, stop further recovery attempts and contact us for professional RAID data recovery.