I'm not 100% certain i can find a definitive answer to this question. But part of unraids safety is that if parity fails and unraid array won't work for whatever reason, you can always just mount the single disks and access precious data that way.

 

This appears to be pretty straight forward if you don't encrypt your filesystem, but what if you do? I can't find a straight forward way how to mount a luks xfs encrypted unraid volume in windows and move the data, is it possible?

 

What software is required?

Edited March 3, 20215 yr by je82

This software seem to support luks xfs encrypted volumes: https://www.ufsexplorer.com/ufs-explorer-professional-recovery.php

Does anyone have any experience in mounting a luks xfs encrypted unraid volume using this software or any software like it, is it straight forward just enter the key and it will work or does unraid apply more "strangeness" to the encryption header making an unraid luks xfs encrypted volume different from a regular one done in in something like ubuntu?

Reading more on the subject it appears if your luks xfs header is corrupted you are screwed, there are therefor a good idea to backup your xfs headers as an extra security:

 

Encryption complicates pretty much every recovery scenario.

 

Bottom line, if you encrypt because the data is important, you MUST keep full and current regularly verified backups. All the typical causes of data loss are amplified with encryption.

 

Recover from backup becomes the 1st recovery option.

4 hours ago, jonathanm said:

Encryption complicates pretty much every recovery scenario.

 

Bottom line, if you encrypt because the data is important, you MUST keep full and current regularly verified backups. All the typical causes of data loss are amplified with encryption.

 

Recover from backup becomes the 1st recovery option.

I understand the risks, but to minimize the risks with encryption what are the steps to take?

I guess the best way for me to answer my own questions it to actualy just remove one my array drives and try to mount it, the problem is the software costs nearly 700$, a big price to pay for a test, i will see if the trial version can give me the answer of if the team behind the software can give me a short test period just to make sure i have a solution in case a real disaster was to happen.

 

From what i've learned through reading the forums is:

 

1. Backup your luks xfs encryption headers and store them somewhere safe because if disk corruption would occur in the particular area where the minimal header data is stored the rest of the drive will be just noise and unreadable forever. Info:

2. Always have full off-site backup of your most valuable data.

3. Mounting an luks xfs volume should be possible with the correct software and a non corrupted luks xfs header.

 

Edited March 3, 20215 yr by je82

On 3/3/2021 at 7:11 PM, je82 said:

I guess the best way for me to answer my own questions it to actualy just remove one my array drives and try to mount it, the problem is the software costs nearly 700$, a big price to pay for a test, i will see if the trial version can give me the answer of if the team behind the software can give me a short test period just to make sure i have a solution in case a real disaster was to happen.

 

 

Hi @je82,

 

I as wondering if you ever performed those tests you were mentioning a couple of months ago. Especially, can the software use the backed up LUKS header if the one on the disk were to become corrupt ?

 

Best,

OP