IBM servers with RAID 5 configurations are widely used in business environments, including travel agencies, for secure and efficient data management. However, when multiple drives fail and RAID rebuild attempts are unsuccessful, it can lead to data inaccessibility, corruption, or total loss.
This case study details how we successfully recovered critical booking data for a travel agency from an IBM server with 8 disks in a RAID 5 setup, after multiple drive failures and failed rebuild attempts.
As Glasgow Data Recovery, Scotland’s oldest and best data recovery company, we have 25 years of experience using advanced RAID reconstruction, virtual machine recovery, and forensic-level data extraction techniques to restore lost files.
The Challenge: IBM Server RAID 5 Failing After Multiple Drive Failures
A Glasgow-based travel agency contacted us after their IBM RAID 5 server stopped functioning, with the following issues:
- Multiple disks failed, leaving the RAID in a degraded state.
- Attempts to replace failed drives and rebuild the RAID were unsuccessful.
- The system contained five virtual machines hosting critical booking data.
- The IBM server was no longer accessible, affecting business operations.
Since RAID 5 can tolerate only one drive failure, multiple drive failures require expert-level recovery to prevent permanent data loss.
Diagnosis & Evaluation
When the IBM RAID 5 server (8-disk setup) arrived at our cleanroom facility, we conducted a full RAID and file system diagnostic. Our findings:
- Two drives had failed simultaneously, leading to RAID corruption.
- Failed RAID rebuild attempt had overwritten some parity data.
- VMware virtual machine corruption made stored booking data inaccessible.
Since further RAID rebuild attempts could overwrite remaining data, we prioritized RAID reconstruction and virtual system repair.
The Recovery Process
1. Cloning & Imaging All RAID 5 Disks to Prevent Further Data Loss
To preserve the recoverable data, we:
- Created forensic sector-by-sector clones of all eight RAID disks.
- Used specialised tools to extract readable sectors and bypass bad sectors.
2. Manually Rebuilding the RAID 5 Array & Restoring Parity Data
Since RAID metadata was damaged, we:
- Reconstructed the RAID 5 array using proprietary RAID recovery software.
- Restored missing RAID headers and parity data to restore file access.
3. Extracting & Repairing Virtual Machines (VMware Recovery)
Once the RAID 5 structure was successfully rebuilt, we:
- Recovered and repaired five virtual machines (VMs) hosting booking systems.
- Repaired corrupted database files within the virtual environments.
4. Extracting & Verifying Travel Booking Data
Once the VMs were restored, we:
- Recovered all customer booking records, invoices, and itineraries.
- Verified recovered SQL databases and application files.
- Transferred the fully restored data to a secure external backup system.
The Results: 100% Data Recovery Success
Thanks to our RAID 5 reconstruction and VMware virtual machine repair techniques, we successfully recovered 100% of the travel agency’s lost booking data, including:
✅ Five virtual machines (VMs) fully restored
✅ Customer booking records, payment transactions, and itineraries
✅ SQL database recovery and application integrity verification
The travel agency was able to resume operations without losing any customer data, preventing financial and reputational damage.
Why Choose Us?
With 25 years of experience and tens of thousands of successful RAID recoveries, we are Scotland’s leading server and RAID data recovery specialists. Our expertise includes:
✔ IBM RAID 5 multiple drive failure recovery
✔ VMware, Hyper-V, and virtual system data restoration
✔ SQL database repair & travel booking system recovery
✔ Secure & confidential enterprise data recovery services
If your RAID 5 server has experienced multiple drive failures, a failed rebuild, or is preventing access to critical business data, stop using the system immediately and contact us for expert IBM server recovery.