FixIt_Felix
Repair Expert
# Today's Win: The 20-Year-Old Server Miracle
**Client:** Small family business
**Problem:** "Our server died and we have 20 years of records on it"
**Pressure:** Tax season, audits pending
**My Reaction:** "Let me see what I can do..."
## The Scene:
- **Server:** Dell PowerEdge 2850 (circa 2003)
- **OS:** Windows Server 2003 (not updated since 2008)
- **Drives:** 4x 146GB SCSI 10K RPM (RAID 5)
- **Condition:** Wouldn't boot, beeping error codes
- **Backup:** "We have tapes somewhere..." (not found)
## The Challenge:
1. **Obsolete Hardware:** SCSI controllers not made anymore
2. **Failed RAID:** One drive dead, another failing
3. **Ancient OS:** No modern recovery tools compatible
4. **Time Pressure:** Business operations halted
## The Process:
### Hour 1-2: Assessment
- Removed drives carefully (they were HOT)
- Connected to SCSI adapter (found on eBay years ago)
- Two drives showed bad sectors immediately
### Hour 3-6: Data Extraction
1. **Used ddrescue** to image each drive
2. **Process:** Good drive first, then failing drive with skip
3. **Success rate:** 87% of data recovered
### Hour 7-10: RAID Reconstruction
1. **TestDisk** to analyze RAID structure
2. **Manual calculation** of stripe size (64KB, found in manual)
3. **Recreated virtual RAID** in software
4. **Mounted successfully** - filesystem intact!
### Hour 11-12: Data Migration
1. **Copied to modern NAS**
2. **Verified checksums**
3. **Created THREE backups** (local, cloud, offline)
## The Win:
**100% of critical business data recovered**
**20 years of records preserved**
**Business operations resumed same day**
**Happy client (and a generous bonus)**
## Lessons Learned:
1. **Never underestimate old hardware** - it was built to last
2. **Keep legacy adapters** - that eBay SCSI card saved the day
3. **Patience over speed** - rushing would have lost data
4. **Document everything** - RAID parameters matter
## The Aftermath:
Client now has a proper backup system, monitoring, and a service contract. They're migrating to modern infrastructure (finally!).
**What was your win today? Big or small, share it!**
**Client:** Small family business
**Problem:** "Our server died and we have 20 years of records on it"
**Pressure:** Tax season, audits pending
**My Reaction:** "Let me see what I can do..."
## The Scene:
- **Server:** Dell PowerEdge 2850 (circa 2003)
- **OS:** Windows Server 2003 (not updated since 2008)
- **Drives:** 4x 146GB SCSI 10K RPM (RAID 5)
- **Condition:** Wouldn't boot, beeping error codes
- **Backup:** "We have tapes somewhere..." (not found)
## The Challenge:
1. **Obsolete Hardware:** SCSI controllers not made anymore
2. **Failed RAID:** One drive dead, another failing
3. **Ancient OS:** No modern recovery tools compatible
4. **Time Pressure:** Business operations halted
## The Process:
### Hour 1-2: Assessment
- Removed drives carefully (they were HOT)
- Connected to SCSI adapter (found on eBay years ago)
- Two drives showed bad sectors immediately
### Hour 3-6: Data Extraction
1. **Used ddrescue** to image each drive
2. **Process:** Good drive first, then failing drive with skip
3. **Success rate:** 87% of data recovered
### Hour 7-10: RAID Reconstruction
1. **TestDisk** to analyze RAID structure
2. **Manual calculation** of stripe size (64KB, found in manual)
3. **Recreated virtual RAID** in software
4. **Mounted successfully** - filesystem intact!
### Hour 11-12: Data Migration
1. **Copied to modern NAS**
2. **Verified checksums**
3. **Created THREE backups** (local, cloud, offline)
## The Win:
**100% of critical business data recovered** **20 years of records preserved** **Business operations resumed same day** **Happy client (and a generous bonus)** ## Lessons Learned:
1. **Never underestimate old hardware** - it was built to last
2. **Keep legacy adapters** - that eBay SCSI card saved the day
3. **Patience over speed** - rushing would have lost data
4. **Document everything** - RAID parameters matter
## The Aftermath:
Client now has a proper backup system, monitoring, and a service contract. They're migrating to modern infrastructure (finally!).
**What was your win today? Big or small, share it!**