What is SCSI?
SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) is a set of standards for connecting peripheral devices to computers. It was first introduced in the early 1980s as a parallel interface that allowed devices like hard drives, tape drives, CD-ROM drives, scanners and printers to be connected to a computer.[1]
Some key points in the history of SCSI include:
- First SCSI standard introduced in 1986, allowing transfer rates of 5MB/sec.
- Wide SCSI introduced in the 1990s doubled the transfer rate to 10MB/sec.
- Ultra SCSI launched in the late 1990s with transfer rates up to 80MB/sec.
- Ultra320 SCSI in 2001 increased rates to 320MB/sec.
SCSI interfaces were commonly used for connecting hard drives and other peripherals to servers, workstations, and high-end computers. However, SCSI has largely been replaced by interfaces like USB and SATA for most consumer devices. SCSI drives are still used today in some enterprise storage and servers due to their performance and reliability.[2]
Reasons to Transfer Data from SCSI Drive
There are a few key reasons why you may need to transfer data from a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) hard drive:
Upgrade to a Newer Drive – SCSI drives are an older technology and many people upgrade to newer drive interfaces like SATA for faster performance. Transferring the data allows you to continue accessing it on the new drive. [1]
Data Recovery – SCSI drives can fail just like any other hard drive. Transferring the data off a malfunctioning SCSI drive allows you to recover important files before the drive fails completely. [2]
Backup Data – Backing up your SCSI drive to a newer drive or external media provides an extra copy of your data in case the original is lost or damaged. This is especially important for irreplaceable data. [3]
Sources:
[1] https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/scsi/
[2] https://www.salvagedata.com/scsi-drive-recovery-understanding-the-basics/
[3] https://www.cdrinfo.com/sections/faq/SingleQuestion.aspx?QuestionId=1336
Prepare the SCSI Drive
Before transferring data from a SCSI drive, you need to ensure the drive is properly connected, powered on, and detected by your computer’s operating system. This involves a few steps:
First, physically connect the SCSI drive to your computer using the appropriate cable. SCSI drives require a SCSI cable to connect to your computer’s SCSI host adapter. Make sure both ends of the cable are securely attached.
Next, power on the SCSI drive if it has a separate power connection. External SCSI drives will have their own power cable that needs to be plugged in.
You may need to install a SCSI host adapter card and drivers if your computer does not already have a SCSI interface. Most modern computers do not come with built-in SCSI, so a PCI SCSI host adapter card is often required.
After connecting and powering on the SCSI drive, boot your computer and verify that the operating system detects the SCSI drive. This may require formatting or initializing the drive if it’s unallocated space. Once detected, the SCSI drive will show up like any other drive.
If the SCSI drive is not being detected, try different cables, ports, or SCSI cards to troubleshoot the connection. Refer to the drive and SCSI card’s documentation for proper configuration.
With the SCSI drive powered on and visible to your system, you can proceed with transferring the data off of it.
Connect SCSI Drive to Computer
There are two main options for connecting an SCSI drive to a modern computer – using a direct connection with an SCSI adapter card or housing the SCSI drive in an external enclosure and connecting via USB.
A direct connection will require an SCSI adapter card to be installed in your computer. The SCSI drive can then be connected to the adapter card’s internal SCSI port using an appropriate SCSI cable. Proper SCSI termination rules must be followed to prevent signal reflection. An internal SCSI drive will also need to be powered on once connected. This method allows faster transfer speeds compared to USB but requires opening up your computer to install the adapter card.
For an external connection, the SCSI drive can be housed in a specialized external drive enclosure which converts the SCSI interface to USB. The enclosure will provide power to the SCSI drive and allow it to be connected to your computer’s USB port for access. Transfer speeds may be slower compared to a direct internal connection but this method is simpler and does not require any internal hardware changes to your computer. Most modern computers have USB ports available while internal SCSI ports have become rare.
The type of SCSI cabling and number of devices on the bus can impact signal quality and performance. Single-ended SCSI cables transmit signals along one wire per line while differential SCSI cables use two wires per line for better noise rejection. The SCSI bus must also be properly terminated at both ends with resistors to prevent signal reflections. Cabling length limits and total devices connected should be considered when connecting SCSI drives.
Transfer Tools Options
There are a few different tools available for transferring data from a SCSI drive depending on your needs.
Built-in OS tools like Disk Utility on Mac or Disk Management on Windows can recognize connected SCSI drives and copy data from them. These tools provide a basic interface for copying files and folders off the SCSI drive.
Third party data transfer tools like EaseUs ToDo Backup offer more robust features for imaging, cloning, or recovering data from SCSI drives. They can copy full drive images as well as selectively recover individual files.
For advanced users, command line tools like dd can copy data from a SCSI drive to another device. This gives you more control over the transfer process but requires using terminal commands.
Overall, built-in OS utilities offer a simple option for basic file transfers while third party tools provide more flexibility and recovery features. The best approach depends on your specific needs and comfort level using different interfaces.
Transferring the Data
The most reliable way to transfer data from a SCSI drive is by using disk imaging software. Here is a step-by-step process:
- Connect the SCSI drive to your computer using a SCSI adapter or enclosure. Ensure the drive is detected in your operating system.
- Install and open the disk imaging software. Popular free options include Disk Drill and TestDisk.
- In the software, select the SCSI drive as the source disk.
- Choose a destination folder on another drive where you want to save the disk image file.
- Start the disk imaging process. This will create a complete sector-by-sector copy of the SCSI drive.
- Verify the disk image file was created properly in your destination folder once completed.
Potential errors and troubleshooting steps:
- If the SCSI drive is not detected, ensure cables are connected properly and try a different SCSI adapter if available.
- If the disk imaging process is slow or fails, try defragmenting the SCSI drive first using a tool like Diskeeper.
- If the destination drive runs out of space, choose a higher capacity drive as the destination.
- If data transfer is corrupted, attempt the process again at a slower speed.
Following these steps carefully while monitoring for errors allows successful data migration from old SCSI drives.
Verifying Successful Transfer
After moving the data from the SCSI drive, it’s important to verify that all of the expected data was transferred and that the integrity of the copied data is intact. There are a couple ways to validate a successful data transfer from a SCSI drive:
To check the amount of data transferred, compare the total size of the files/folders on the destination drive to the source SCSI drive. The total capacities should match if all data has been moved over successfully. For example, if your SCSI drive contains 50GB of data, then your destination drive should also show approximately 50GB after the transfer.
You can also validate the integrity of the copied data by using a checksum utility. This will analyze the source and destination data and verify that the files are identical. Some useful checksum tools include md5sum or sha1sum. Matching checksums indicate a successful SCSI data transfer.
Performing both a capacity check and checksum validation will ensure the data from the SCSI drive has been completely and accurately copied over to the new storage location.
Long-Term Storage Considerations
After successfully transferring data off of SCSI drives, proper long-term storage is important to maintain the integrity of the data. SCSI drives should be stored in a cool, dry place away from magnets, heat, and direct sunlight which can cause degradation over time.
For long-term storage, it is also recommended to migrate the data to more modern storage formats. SCSI drives are older technology and more prone to failure over decades of storage compared to newer drive interfaces like SATA or SSD. Migrating to a newer high capacity drive allows consolidating data into fewer drives and takes advantage of improved reliability.
According to this article, modern backup storage using disk, tape, or cloud technology is preferable for long-term data archiving. Tape offers more compact storage than disks and is more cost effective for infrequently accessed data. Cloud storage provides redundant offsite data protection.
Regularly verifying backup integrity and migrating to new media every 5-10 years helps avoid data loss. Consolidating data to fewer newer drives reduces maintenance and improves accessibility of archived information.
Disposing of SCSI Drives
Once all needed data is migrated to a new storage device, those retired SCSI drives will need proper disposal. It’s important to securely wipe the data off the drives before disposal to prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. There are a few options for securely erasing SCSI drives:
Use a secure data wiping tool like DBAN (Darik’s Boot and Nuke) to completely overwrite the drive with random data multiple times. This makes it nearly impossible to recover the original data. DBAN has a version designed for older SCSI drives. Just boot the SCSI drive you want to wipe with DBAN and let it overwrite all data.[1]
Use built-in SCSI drive secure erase commands, if available. Many enterprise SCSI drives have a “Secure Erase” function built into their firmware that overwrites all data. Check your SCSI drive’s documentation to see if this feature is available.
Physically destroy the platters inside the SCSI drives. If you want to be absolutely certain no data can ever be recovered, open up the SCSI drive enclosure and physically destroy the disk platters with a hammer. This will obviously make the drive unusable.
Once the data is securely wiped, it’s best to properly recycle the SCSI drives if possible. Many computer recyclers and IT asset disposal companies will accept old SCSI drives to recover any salvageable materials while ensuring toxic components don’t end up in landfills.[1]
Alternatives to Data Transfer
If you are unable to directly transfer the data from the SCSI drive yourself, there are a couple alternatives to try before abandoning the data completely:
Restoring from backups: If you have backups of the data from the SCSI drive stored elsewhere, you can restore the files and data from those backups. This avoids the need to directly access the SCSI drive. Make sure your backups are stored on modern media that you can easily access.
Data recovery service: As a last resort, you can send the SCSI drive to a data recovery service. They specialize in extracting data from old or damaged drives. This can be an expensive option but may be worth it if the data is irreplaceable.