How do I clone a drive and create multiple identical copies?
TaskForce is perfectly suited for cloning! Here is how to clone into 4 SATA drives and 1 RAW file simultaneously.
WHen you need to create multiple copies, simply:
What's more, TaskForce has 18 ports in total including IDE and Extension ports in combination with huge overhead capacity to handle many imaging sessions or other operations concurrently. So if you start a 1-to-5 cloning, you still have at least 12 ports left for additional cloning/imaging sessions to run simultaneously. TaskForce is designed to minimize the imaging time.
How do I set up an automated launch of AXIOM after imaging?
You cannot launch a third-party software from TaskForce itself. However, there are automation tools that allow TaskForce to be integrated into a workflow with Magnet AXIOM. For instance, Magnet AUTOMATE. Atola team closely cooperates with Magnet's developers to support and enhance this integration. See how it works.
Another option is a folder monitor/watchdog. Use an app that tracks when a new image file appears in a specific folder. After that, such an app can launch
Magnet AXIOM against the newly created image. There are many watchdog tools on the web. Here's an example.
How can I image a U.2 NVMe drive?
To use a drive with U.2 interface, attach the drive to TaskForce with the help of U.2-to-M.2 adapter and cable:
Connecting to TaskForce:
How do I image to an E01 or a RAW file?
When selecting targets in the slide-out panel, click the Select file tile. It only works if TaskForce is connected to a network and with an accessible network folder.
The panel contains How to connect link that outlines the steps to setup Windows network share. One may also set up a network folder in Linux: we tested this with modern versions of Ubuntu and CentOS.
How can I create an E01 image?
Start an imaging session:
Is there a way to delete an imaging session and start imaging all over again?
When you select source and target drives that were previously used in an imaging session, TaskForce will indicate the progress status of the previous session and you will be allowed to resume it. To start a new imaging session with the same source and target, you will need to delete the previous one:
To disable imaging map deletion, click/tap the imaging session again and select the option in the drop-down menu.
Can I image a RAID array that contains a damaged drive?
RAID assembly module requires good, readable drives to find a configuration. When one of the RAID's drives is damaged, it's best to image the drive first and attempt the reassembly using the image. However, if the configuration is known and no search is required, you can try to mount the RAID even with a malfunctioning device. In this case, specify the configuration manually and proceed with imaging. TaskForce's 5-pass imaging engine copes with RAID arrays with such issues effectively.
If you are dealing with a RAID 5 or RAID 1, TaskForce will use the RAID's redundancy when encountering internal read errors.
Please note that when one of the drives in a RAID 5 array is seriously damaged, you can add a virtual Missing device instead of the damaged device. Next, it is possible to reassemble and image the RAID 5 array from the remaining healthy drives and 1 "stub" device. TaskForce reconstructs data from such arrays on-the-fly in the course of imaging.
Can TaskForce identify a RAID’s configuration if I include drives that are not RAID members (the drives are not marked properly)?
Normally, TaskForce can identify the type of an unknown RAID within a minute. TaskForce reads data from the initial 3M sectors of each drive and searches for the correct relation between the RAID members.
With an odd drive, the module will need more time to identify the configuration.
NB The autodetection module attemps identifying configuration from scratch each time you remove or add a drive. Try removing a drive that seems odd. Normally, RAID members are drives of the same capacity and usually, of the same type, made by the same manufacturer, etc.
How to reach 15 TB/h?
TaskForce was designed as an ultimate multitasking tool with huge overhead capacity. Given that most imaged devices are HDDs, whose data transfer rate is 200 - 220 MB/s at best, it is not frequently that you will be seeing TaskForce reach the limits of its capacity.
Our QA team achieves the speed of 15 TB/hour with this specific setup:
This adds up to 10 imaging sessions at superb overall performance.
However, in most cases, you deal with HDDs as source devices, and they are half as fast as SSDs, which creates a bottleneck.
Another potential performance bottleneck is network bandwidth. To achieve maximum throughput, connect ETH1 port to a network or NAS, and ETH2 port to another network or NAS. It will give you 20Gb/s of throughput. It also depends on your network hardware and setup. To learn about network throughput optimization, please read the official TaskForce manual:
Performance when imaging to a remote USB drive (write cache + exFAT)
There are two ways to boost imaging performance:
Important: When the last imaging session completes, use Eject Removable media icon in the system tray to guarantee cache-flushing of the last portions of written data. Here is an article explaining how it works.
How do I extend my server network with a DHCP-enabled switch
Here is an example of switch that supports static IP setup via simple web admin. To set the IP addresses for each current server network node:
Ubiquiiti EdgeSwitch 16 XG
Four 10Gbit Ethernet ports, twelve 10Gbit SFP ports
To configure a Ubiquiti DHCP server:
After creating your pool, you can change it via Pool configuration tab.
Alternatively, there is a tutorial on Youtube.
To enable 10Gbit with jumbo frames:
There is no DHCP server on our internal lab network. How do I assign a static IP address to TaskForce?
Atola TaskForce demo video includes a basic explanation of the network settings. Here's a Youtube video on that.
How do I set up Windows Server share?
In Control panel:
If the shared folder demands restricted access, please follow this guide.
How do I connect TaskForce to a network domain?
TaskForce does not require a preliminary setup for working in a domain. Instead, your flow would be:
The entered server will remain in the Local Network section list.
Additionally, in Web API, there's a targetFolderDomain parameter of /start-image command that may be of use.
How do I setup Synology DS218?
If you need to get a guest account working, run the next actions:
How do I connect a mouse and a keyboard to the Surface tablet?
Can reports only be exported in PDF, can I export them into RTF format instead?
It should be possible to save a page into RTF. For example, in this Chrome AddOn you can select the reports and click Print, it will generate a single page with all selected reports, which can be exported to .RTF file.
Can all reports listed in the main page be sorted, managed or deleted?
Yes, they can be filtered, sorted, exported and deleted. The quickest way to perform a search is by using the Search field above the reports on the main page. Entering task name (Image, Diagnose, Wipe) and/or device model/serial helps getting a more specific output.
To sort, export, or delete reports, you can go to Reports in the top menu, where all case reports are shown in a table view. SAVE TO helps download the selected reports in a single ZIP file. There is also a DELETE button in the bottom right corner for your needs.
How can I export reports in Standalone mode?
You can use an external USB drive for it. To proceed, it must be formatted as a TaskForce-compatible Storage device.
Here is how you do it:
Once the USB device has been formatted as a Storage, you can use it as a target device to save reports on in Standalone mode:
For information sensitivity reasons, any storage or wireless transmission devices must be removed from forensic imagers. How do I remove or replace the internal storage?
We have foreseen that such requirement may be imposed by some organizations. That's why TaskForce allows the following:
How can I protect my TaskForce from physical damage during transportation?
From September 2020 onwards, all newly assembled units are equipped with a magnetic screen cover that is included in the standard package with the product. This cover helps protect the unit's screen, it is easily attached and removed when necessary. If you need a pelican case to pack the unit with all the cables and extensions, the suitable case model is IM-2700. For instructions on how to obtain a fitted foam, please contact our support.
Where can I purchase additional SAS and SATA cables?
eSATAp cables similar to the ones included in the package with TaskForce can be ordered on Amazon or a different online shopping site (Ebay, AliExpress, etc.) at around $9 each. The SAS/SATA powered cables are not widely available on the market - this custom cable is made per our order.
Is there a battery to keep my TaskForce powered when there is a no electric grid available?
These Cyberpower UPS systems can serve as a reliable battery for Atola imagers, TaskForce and Insight alike:
The flat horizontal UPS design is convenient as it allows putting an Atola imager on top of it. The price range of CyberPower UPS systems is quite vast, and you can choose a suitable model with power ranging from 500VA/300W to 2000VA/2000W.How do I activate my unit in a network-free environment?
There is a single way to perform TaskForce activation or subscription extension: