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Monitor HDD Health on CentOS

Last updated on Sep 12,2024 |

under

EOL, Storage & File Management, Storage, Linux

by IPSERVERONE

Warning: CentOS 7 reached its end-of-life (EOL) on June 30, 2024. This means it no longer receives security updates or support from the developers. It is strongly recommended to upgrade to a supported operating system version, such as CentOS Stream 9 or an alternative Linux distribution, to maintain security and stability.

Introduction

Maintaining the health of your server’s hard disk drives (HDDs) is critical for data integrity and server reliability. Hard drive failures can lead to significant data loss, costly downtime, and potential service disruptions. To minimize these risks, HDD health monitoring enables early detection of potential issues, allowing administrators to schedule timely replacements. This guide covers how to check HDD health on a Linux server using SmartMonTools, a powerful tool designed to monitor and manage Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART)-enabled HDDs.

SMART technology provides diagnostic data directly from the hard drive, including error rates, performance metrics, and other parameters, indicating drive reliability and preempting potential hardware issues. This guide is intended for system administrators managing Linux servers, especially those using CentOS or similar distributions, who want to actively monitor HDD health and maintain server performance.

Prerequisites

A Linux server running CentOS 7 or later (preferably a currently supported version).
Root or sudo privileges for installing and running software.
SMART-enabled HDDs installed in the server to ensure compatibility with SmartMonTools.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install SmartMonTools

To begin, install SmartMonTools by running the following command:

yum install smartmontools

Step 2: Identify Hard Disk Names

Use one of the commands below to identify the names of the hard disks on your server. Note the disk names for use in the following steps.

df -h
fdisk -l

Assuming the disk names are /dev/sda and /dev/sdb, replace <HDD name> in the following steps with the appropriate disk name.

Step 3: Verify SMART Capability

Next, check if the HDD is SMART-capable, as only SMART-enabled drives can be monitored for hardware health. Run the following command to verify:

smartctl -i <HDD name>

In the information block returned, look for the line stating SMART support is: Available. If SMART support is not available, the drive cannot be monitored with SmartMonTools.

Step 4: Monitor HDD Health

If the HDD is confirmed as SMART-capable, monitor its health status using:

smartctl -H <HDD name>

The output should show SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED if the HDD is in good condition. If it returns FAILED, it indicates potential failure, and the HDD should be replaced promptly to prevent data loss.

Note: For additional options and detailed smartctl command parameters, type:

smartctl -h

Conclusion

Regular HDD health monitoring is essential for maintaining server performance and data security. Following these steps allows administrators to proactively monitor HDD health, minimizing unexpected failures and potential disruptions. SmartMonTools provides a robust set of tools for SMART-enabled drives, giving valuable insights into hardware performance and reliability.

Should you have any inquiries about the guidelines, please feel free to open a ticket through your portal account or contact us at support@ipserverone.com. We’ll be happy to assist you further.

Article posted on 12 April 2020