SMART issues, more documentation needed

[uutzinger]

It is not trivial to figure out how to best configure SMART and how the SMART settings and the SMART tests work together.

I work with FreeNAS 8.2 and have following questions/issues:

Problem 1) if one installs SSD instead of harddrive and enables SMART on that SSD then smartd will not start if the SSD has no temperature reporting. Is there SMART extra option one could provide on "View Disks / Edit Disk" panel that would allow enabling SMART for that drive?

Question 2) If one disables SMART in "View Disks / Edit Disk" will self tests scheduled in "Systems / SMART tests" still run on that disk?

Question 3) Does the setting in "Services / SMART Settings / Power Mode" also apply to "Systems / SMART tests"? Or in other words if a drive is in standby mode will the short or long SMART test be skipped if Power Mode settings is "Standby"?

Question 4) a) When I create a self test e.g. at Each selected hour = 23 / Every N day of month = 14 and Day of Week = Friday that will execute the test at Friday 11pm every other week, correct?
Question 4) b) In same example, if I now change Day of the Week = Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su will the self test execute every day in one week and then no day the other week? (Or will it randomly choose a day and then wait 14 days?)
Question 4) c) If I select Each selected day of month = 3,13,23 and Day of week = Fr will the test only execute if Friday coincides with 3rd, 13th or 23rd of that month?

Urs

 

[cyberjock]

I will attempt to answer your questions I've played with SMART alot and I consider it an important part of any server build. Hopefully I'll get this all right since I'm tired.

1. I don't know. I was unaware of the fact that smartd wouldn't start if there was no temperature reporting.
2. If you uncheck the "Enable SMART" this disables all entries in smartd.conf. This means no short/long tests and no 30 minute interval status checks. This is probably my best guess at how to get around the problem from #1.
3. Yes. If you set a long test and tell the server not to run SMART if the drive is asleep it will not wake up to do a long test even if the prescribed time comes and passes.
4a. Yes.
4b. No. The "Every N day of the month" will require that number of days to pass before that test will run again. In your example, when you bootup the server you'll get a test the first night the server is up at 2300 and then not again for 14 days. I believe the 14 days resets if you reboot the server.
4c. Correct.

I like to run long tests twice a month on Sunday mornings so I choose Sunday, Every 13 days of the month, and 0400. I do 13 days because someone thought there was a bug were 14 days might have been 15 days. I don't think there's a problem but the Sunday will make sure I'm still having the test run when I want.

 

[uutzinger]

Thank you for the explanations.

 

[bertrem]

I agree that the interaction of the SMART service settings and the SMART test configuration is confusing at best. This is in part because the underlying interaction between smartd (and smartd.conf) and smartctl is also confusing at best.

Anyhow... smartd -q showtests is your friend. This will show you, after all is said and done, exactly what tests smartd will be running and when.