Loading ...Monitoring hard disk health with smartd under Linux or UNIX operating systems
smartd is SMART Disk Monitoring Daemon for Linux. SMART is acronym for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) system built into many ATA-3 and later ATA, IDE and SCSI-3 hard drives. The purpose of SMART is to monitor the reliability of the hard drive and predict drive failures, and to carry out different types of drive self-tests.
smartd works with following operating systems:
- Linux
- *BSD
- Windows
- Solaris etc
How do I Install smartd?
However, smartd is not installed by default. Following are distribution specific steps to install smartd:
Debian Linux:
# apt-get install smartmontools
Red hat/Fedora Linux:
# rpm –ivh kernel-utils
OR
# up2date kernel-utils
OR if you are using Fedora Linux
# yum kernel-utils
FreeBSD:
# pkg_add -r -v smartmontools
Before configuring hard disk for SMART monitoring make sure your hard disk is SMART capable:
# smartctl -i /dev/hda
Output:
smartctl version 5.34 [i686-pc-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-5 Bruce Allen Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/ === START OF INFORMATION SECTION === Device Model: SAMSUNG SV2002H Serial Number: 0395J1FR904324 Firmware Version: RA100-04 User Capacity: 20,060,651,520 bytes Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show] ATA Version is: 6 ATA Standard is: ATA/ATAPI-6 T13 1410D revision 1 Local Time is: Tue May 2 15:44:09 2006 IST SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability. SMART support is: Enabled You can configure the smartd daemon by editing the file /etc/smartd.conf.
In above output the lines:
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
Indicates that it is SMART capable and it is enabled.
Configure SMARTD
Debian Linux
- Enable smart by editing /etc/default/smartmontools file.
- Smart Configuration file: /etc/smartd.conf
- Start/Stop smart: /etc/init.d/smartmontools start | stop
Red Hat Linux
- Enable smart by editing /etc/smartd.conf file.
- Smart Configuration file: /etc/smartd.conf
- Start/Stop smart: /etc/init.d/smartd start | stop
FreeBSD
- Enable smart by editing /etc/rc.conf file (add line smartd_enable=”YES").
- Smart Configuration file: /etc/smartd.conf
- Start/Stop smart: /usr/local/etc/rc.d/smartd.sh start | stop
Example
You can put following directives in Smart Configuration file:
(a) Send an email to alert@nixcraft.in for /dev/sdb:
/dev/sdb -m alert@nixcraft.in
(b) Read error log:
# smartctl -l error /dev/hdb
(c) Testing hard disk (short or long test):
# smartctl -t short /dev/hdb
# smartctl -t long /dev/hdb
Caution smartd is a monitoring tool not a backup solution. Always perform data backup.
See also:
- More information on the smarttool see official home page.
- Read man page of smartd and smartd.conf for configuration help.
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Tags: acronym, ata_ide, bsd, daemon, debian_linux, drive_failures, hard_drive, hard_drives, operating_systems, reliability, reporting_technology, scsi_3, self_tests, smart_disk, smart_system, Solaris ~ Last updated on: July 4, 2007
Just to add that if you get the “Device does not support SMART” error with the “smartctl -i /dev/hda” command, but hddtemp or another smart based app is working, you might need to add the “-d ata” option
# smartctl -i /dev/sdb
smartctl version 5.36 [i686-pc-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-6 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/
Device: ATA SAMSUNG HD501LJ Version: CR10
Serial number: S0MUJ1QP503708
Device type: disk
Local Time is: Tue Feb 26 13:18:16 2008 EET
Device does not support SMART
# smartctl -i /dev/sdb -d ata
smartctl version 5.36 [i686-pc-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-6 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/
=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Device Model: SAMSUNG HD501LJ
Serial Number: S0MUJ1QP503708
Firmware Version: CR100-10
User Capacity: 500,107,862,016 bytes
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: 8
ATA Standard is: Not recognized. Minor revision code: 0×52
Local Time is: Tue Feb 26 13:20:56 2008 EET
==> WARNING: May need -F samsung or -F samsung2 enabled; see manual for details.
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled