When a user deletes data from a DDP volume, it goes to the system trash and can be hence easily recovered.
The only requirement for the deleted data to appear in the trash is to connect the DDP volume, when the volume is mounted, its deleted content will automatically appear in the trash.
If a user empties the trash while the DDP volume is mounted, its deleted data will be completely erased and as for any local disk, there is officially no definitive way to retrieve it.
However when a user deletes data by mistake and empties the trash on top of it, the data might remain as the disk blocks are simply freed until it's reused for writing some newer data.
If you didn't backup the data and erased it by mistake, your only option to recover it is to check the corresponding blocks, provided that it's not been already reused.
If you ever encounter such a situation, it is critically important that all users stop writing on the DDP volume and completely disconnect from it. So when you realise the mistake, the soonest you stop using the volume, the best chance you'll have to recover the erased data.
There is no official software for recovering the data, however we advise you to try using "EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard" or "Prosoft Data Rescue" software for Mac.
Before using any data recovery solution, you must first mount the DDP volume as HFS+ instead of the usual AVFS.
This step is very important as AVFS is the proprietary file system used for the DDP and should not be used when using such software.
In order to mount the DDP volumes as HFS+, go the DDP web GUI and follow the procedure below:
- When no client is connected to the DDP volume, go to the "Verify/Repair" page
- Select the volume which you want to recover the data and uncheck the "Visible" checkbox
- Click the "Maintenance on" button
- Click the "AVFS off" button
- Click the "Maintenance off" button
- Check back the "Visible" button
- Go to the "Connect" or "Tableview" page and connect the DDP volume to one Mac
From there you will notice that you cannot connect more than one client at a time, this is because AVFS has been switched off.
You can then try the data recovery software solution of your choice and see what data can be recovered.
You might be able to retrieve all the data you need back, as well as only a part of it or none of it at all, it all depends on how quick users stopped writing data on the volume after you emptied the trash.
After you are done checking the volume, you need to switch on AVFS back so that multiple users can connect to it at the same time.
The procedure is very similar to the previous one:
- When no client is connected to the DDP volume, go to the "Verify/Repair" page
- Select the volume which you are done checking and uncheck the "Visible" checkbox
- Click the "Maintenance on" button
- Click the "AVFS on" button
- Click the "Maintenance off" button
- Check back the "Visible" button
- Go to the "Connect" or "Tableview" page and connect the DDP volume to your clients