Let's distinguish between the part that is wearing - RAM - and the alert system for that - ECC/BIOS/IPMI. With an automated alert system, I do not need to do manual testing of the wearing part, as long as I know that the automated alert system exists and functions.
In your brake analogy, the wearing part is the brake system, and the alert system is completely manual. At least on my car it is.
Testing the automated alert system is a fun little side project. I've got some feelers out for a stick of defective ECC. I'll post if I get a bite. Edit: Crucial can't part with defective sticks. Maybe someone on the STH forums feels generous.
If you are really really keen, you can always solder wires to an ECC stick and inject errors, see link further up in this thread.
Edit: More error injection ideas. "Two syringes", wow that sounds scary, see video at
https://www.vusec.net/projects/eccploit/ . And more generally rowhammer, which will work if (big IF) the specific modules in that specific board are susceptible to it.
Edit2: If you thought sticking needles into your DIMM socket was scary, have a look at this:
http://bluesmoke.sourceforge.net/heat_gun.html
Edit3: Masking a pin. Hmm.
http://bluesmoke.sourceforge.net/testing.html . Though maybe Kapton tape instead.
Edit4: Heat lamps! Oh my goodness.
https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~appel/papers/memerr.pdf
So, out of all of those, I think the most reasonable things to try, in order, are:
- Boot from a Linux stick and try rowhammer. Slim chance that the memory is actually susceptible to it and, costs nothing to try
- Mask a pin with Kapton tape. Introduces error, will allow one to verify the alerting system works.
- ..... yeah no I'm not comfortable with any of the others :). Mayyyybe the gooseneck clip-on lamp with a 50W bulb. But, yeah, not sure I am keen enough to go down that road.
So,
@diversity , I can't wait to hear your test results :)