Testing new HDDs. What should I do?

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SomeGuy133

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So I just got my 10 toshiba HDDs and I have 4 other ones laying around. I have seen on here mentions of burning in drives to see if they are reliable and I wanted to know what that entails.

Also what programs do you guys use to monitor SMART? I heard there were graphing programs that plotted SMART results and tracked changes automatically.

As always, I am on windows so for any program recommendations they need to be on that OS.

Thanks guys for the help!
 
Also what programs do you guys use to monitor SMART?
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I use primarily smartmontools for my burn in testing. Which regardless if the drive will end up in one of my linux servers at work or a windows client all drive reliability testing is done on linux.

A basic procedure (which I execute on multiple drives simultaneously) to start off by looking at the smart raw data. Then do a 4 pass badblocks read / write test (takes 50+ hours on a 4TB drive because of the 4 complete writes and 4 complete reads) looking at the SMART raw data a few times during the test and after. If a drive has a single reported bad block I repeat the test 2 more times. If it has a single bad block in either of these 2 more times time to RMA the drive.

After a drive goes into production on one of my linux servers I monitor temp and 4 or so more parameters using smartmontools executed by nagios (which monitors the health of all of my linux servers).


I am on windows so for any program recommendations they need to be on that OS.
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For that I just use CrystalDiskInfo.
 
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drescherjm said:
I use primarily smartmontools for my burn in testing. Which regardless if the drive will end up in one of my linux servers at work or a windows client all drive reliability testing is done on linux.

A basic procedure (which I execute on multiple drives simultaneously) to start off by looking at the smart raw data. Then do a 4 pass badblocks read / write test (takes 50+ hours on a 4TB drive because of the 4 complete writes and 4 complete reads) looking at the SMART raw data a few times during the test and after. If a drive has a single reported bad block I repeat the test 2 more times. If it has a single bad block in either of these 2 more times time to RMA the drive.

After a drive goes into production on one of my linux servers I monitor temp and 4 or so more parameters using smartmontools executed by nagios (which monitors the health of all of my linux servers).

For that I just use CrystalDiskInfo.
Click to expand...

how can I burn it in using windows? CCleaner wipe disk with wipe cluster tips/cross streams?
 
Normally I suggest a full format (for those who don't use linux) looking at the smart before during and after. However if you have multiple drives that you are going to use for storage you may want a more thorough test.
 
The only real way I know of for burning disks in is using a 4 pass badblocks run. Definitely use smartmontools for SMART monitoring too.
 
http://www.hdsentinel.com/

I used to use badblocks via the PartedMagic bootdisk, but when I realized hdsentinel had surface tests that could accomplish same, I began using that. I'll usually do a full read/write/verify surface test with a new drive.
 
DPI said:
http://www.hdsentinel.com/

I used to use badblocks via the PartedMagic bootdisk, but when I realized hdsentinel had surface tests that could accomplish same, I began using that. I'll usually do a full read/write/verify surface test with a new drive.
Click to expand...

whats the difference in sentinel and smartmontool? Is one more user friendly? One more advance?

one cost money and one doesn't but how dump is the DRM? Can I move it to PC to PC without much effort?
 
Since you asked for a good stress test regimen, here is the actual workflow we follow for new drive tests. We generally order drives a dozen at a time from multiple vendors, and in the case of 11+1 arrays we take 2 of the drives each from 6 separate orders, so as to minimize the chance of linear production line failures. When we receive new drives, we follow the following steps.. First, we have a box setup just for drive verification testing (A Frankensteined older Supermicro with 8 LFF and 8 SFF slots, as well as 12 3TB SAS drives (11+HS in R6) which live in it fulltime). We run DBAN in DoD 5220.22-M mode, which does 7 complete passes (We used to use Gutmann (35 Passes), but found we had better success in breaking it up between coldstarts. Once the 7 passes complete, the box pauses for anywhere between 1 hour and 2 hours, shuts down cold and then starts back up (network connected pdu) and we start the 7 pass regime again.
The drives will continue in this pattern for 3 days.. Start.. DBAN.. Shutdown.. Lather.. Rinse.. Repeat..
Once the drives have survived this initial shakeout, they are placed into a test array (Generally 11 drives in the array and 1 spare). Data is then copied from a test array which is attached to an Areca 1882/HP Expander (The previously mentioned ~27TB Array) to the new array. Data is laid out on the array as follows:

22TB - Currently BluRay Rips (~25-50GB Each)
1TB - 100MB Files
3TB - 1GB Files
.5TB - 1MB Files
Misc - 10,000 Empty Folders, 10,000 Folders With 1k Files

Once the data has completed copy, we pull one drive out of the array and let it rebuild. If all drives pass this, they are ok'd to be moved into production.

As for SMART monitoring, smartmontools for free.
 
yea but is sentinel easier to use and similar features? I plan on teaching my dad how to use this and he doesn't have a lot of time so I need to make this as easy as possible.

Well download HD sentinel and it had that burn in test and tracks smart for me. So it appears to do everything I need and is idiot proof so it'll work for me and my dad. :) Just sucks i got to pay for it but simplicity of a GUI is worth it to save time.

I just need to make sure thier DRM crap isn't a deal breaker.

Anyone know how easy it is to move the key around/reuse it after reinstall?
 
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You likely bought a single license. To move it between machines they might want to sell you additional licensing for every machine. To get around this you can usually use your legit key on multiple systems, especially if you are not connected to the Internet when they are running. Bit harder for them to ply their DRM when the thing never phones home.
 
Drescherjm's protocol is similar to what I do, but if you're on Windows...
Bart's stuff test for write/read/compare/report
HDD Guardian for monitoring sudden SMART anomalies.
 
so i just bought hd sentinel and i am currently running a surface test with 2 passes ~18-19 hours. Is 2 passes enough if no bad or weak sectors come up?
 
The real question is: How much time do you have to fiddlefuck around with such things?

If the data you'll be placing on the drives is backed up, and if the drives will be used in some sort of redundant storage system, why waste your time?
 
because according to others it is recommended to check for bad sectors and weak sectors with brand new drives because brand new drives have slipped throw quality control and if you get a brand new drive with bad sectors already on it thats a bad thing. So the question is how many passes do the job to correctly test a drive. It takes me virtually no time. I just have to simply run the program
 
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