5.2.4S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology. This technology is intended to recognize conditions that indicate imminent drive failure and is designed to provide sufficient warning of a failure to allow you to back up the data before an actual failure occurs.

Note. The drive’s firmware monitors specific attributes for degradation over time but can’t predict instanta- neous drive failures.

Each monitored attribute has been selected to monitor a specific set of failure conditions in the operating per- formance of the drive and the thresholds are optimized to minimize “false” and “failed” predictions.

Controlling S.M.A.R.T.

The operating mode of S.M.A.R.T. is controlled by the DEXCPT and PERF bits on the Informational Exceptions Control mode page (1Ch). Use the DEXCPT bit to enable or disable the S.M.A.R.T. feature. Setting the DEX- CPT bit disables all S.M.A.R.T. functions. When enabled, S.M.A.R.T. collects on-line data as the drive performs normal read and write operations. When the PERF bit is set, the drive is considered to be in “On-line Mode Only” and will not perform off-line functions.

You can measure off-line attributes and force the drive to save the data by using the Rezero Unit command. Forcing S.M.A.R.T. resets the timer so that the next scheduled interrupt is in two hours.

You can interrogate the drive through the host to determine the time remaining before the next scheduled mea- surement and data logging process occurs. To accomplish this, issue a Log Sense command to log page 0x3E. This allows you to control when S.M.A.R.T. interruptions occur. Forcing S.M.A.R.T. with the RTZ command resets the timer.

Performance impact

S.M.A.R.T. attribute data is saved to the disc so that the events that caused a predictive failure can be recre- ated. The drive measures and saves parameters once every two hours subject to an idle period on the drive interfaces. The process of measuring off-line attribute data and saving data to the disc is uninterruptable. The maximum on-line only processing delay is summarized below:

Maximum processing delay

 

 

On-line only delay

Fully-enabled delay

 

DEXCPT = 0, PERF = 1

DEXCPT = 0, PERF = 0

S.M.A.R.T. delay times

220 milliseconds

455 milliseconds

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Seagate ST9146802SS, ST973402SS manual 4 S.M.A.R.T, Controlling S.M.A.R.T, Performance impact, Milliseconds

ST973402SS, ST9146802SS specifications

The Seagate ST973402SS and ST9146802SS are high-performance, enterprise-grade hard drives designed to meet the demanding needs of data-intensive applications. These drives are part of Seagate's Savvio and Barracuda product lines, aimed specifically at businesses and institutions requiring reliability, speed, and efficiency in storage solutions.

The ST973402SS is a 73GB, 2.5-inch hard drive, while the ST9146802SS offers a larger capacity of 146GB. Both models utilize a 10,000 RPM spindle speed, which significantly enhances their ability to handle fast data read and write operations. This speed ensures reduced latency and improved overall performance, making them ideal for environments where rapid access to data is crucial.

One of the standout features of these drives is their support for Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface. SAS technology provides a point-to-point connection, which allows for increased data transfer rates compared to traditional SATA drives. The ST973402SS and ST9146802SS are capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 600 MB/s, facilitating efficient data transfers in enterprise systems.

In terms of reliability, both models offer advanced features designed to improve data integrity and durability. They are built to withstand high workloads, with an annualized workload rate of up to 550 TB per year. This makes them well-suited for applications like databases and transactional storage, where sustained performance is required. Additionally, the drives feature Seagate’s PowerFit technology, which optimizes performance while minimizing power consumption.

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The drives are also designed to operate efficiently in terms of thermal management, featuring robust heat dissipation capabilities. This helps to maintain optimal performance levels while prolonging the lifespan of the drives.

Overall, the Seagate ST973402SS and ST9146802SS are robust and reliable hard drives that cater to the needs of enterprise environments, combining high capacity, exceptional speed, advanced security features, and energy efficiency to help businesses maintain and manage large volumes of data effectively. With their proven performance and innovative technologies, these drives are well-equipped to support a wide range of applications in modern data centers.