I want to make sure my used HDD doesn't have any problems before I put it in use. I know we can easily view SMART data (like power-on hours) and do a short/long SMART test for basic health check on HDDs. Is there a more thorough integrity test (like doing a dd read/write every sector/block test?). Also, is low-level format available or necessary with modern HDDs?
2x 14TB SAS + LSI 9361-8i and 2x cables 149 USD
- Thread starter BackupProphet
- Start date
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I do one complete sector write/verify read back for all the HDD and SSD i get. No matter if used or new.badblocks - ArchWiki
wiki.archlinux.org
It's better to do a full read pass first so that the disk doesn't have a chance to reallocate sectors.
And then after that, if you do the write and read, and it reallocate the sectors showing no bad sectors, should you still return the hdd knowing that there are always spare sectors?
I use these HDD as write once, read many archival purpose.
Dunno. I guess I'll know when I see it. In general I want reallocated sector count to be zero on refurb drives.
Mines arrived. Packaged very well and sealed in bags like new. But all average 39000 hours or about 4.45 years:
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 38833:20
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 39267:45
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 38835:43
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 39212:12
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 38833:20
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 39267:45
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 38835:43
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 39212:12
I just found out smartctl on SAS drives reports limited SMART data. That is, reallocated sector count is not available.
Code:
smartctl -a /dev/sda
smartctl 7.3 2022-02-28 r5338 [x86_64-linux-6.8.4-3-pve] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-22, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org
=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Vendor: TOSHIBA
Product: MG07SCA14TE
Revision: 0102
Compliance: SPC-4
User Capacity: 14,000,519,643,136 bytes [14.0 TB]
Logical block size: 512 bytes
Physical block size: 4096 bytes
Rotation Rate: 7200 rpm
Form Factor: 3.5 inches
Logical Unit id: 0x50000399584bbd95
Serial number: 49F0A06JFJ7G
Device type: disk
Transport protocol: SAS (SPL-4)
Local Time is: Tue Jun 4 23:48:52 2024 PDT
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled
Temperature Warning: Disabled or Not Supported
=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Health Status: OK
Current Drive Temperature: 34 C
Drive Trip Temperature: 65 C
Accumulated power on time, hours:minutes 38839:05
Manufactured in week 16 of year 2019
Specified cycle count over device lifetime: 50000
Accumulated start-stop cycles: 20
Specified load-unload count over device lifetime: 600000
Accumulated load-unload cycles: 20
Elements in grown defect list: 0
Error counter log:
Errors Corrected by Total Correction Gigabytes Total
ECC rereads/ errors algorithm processed uncorrected
fast | delayed rewrites corrected invocations [10^9 bytes] errors
read: 0 0 0 0 0 8094939.225 0
write: 0 0 0 0 0 53969.275 0
verify: 0 1612 0 0 0 3122224.546 0
Non-medium error count: 0
No Self-tests have been logged
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You're good.
My admittedly limited understanding is the grown defect list can include other things than reallocated sectors, and can possibly group reallocated sectors into one defect. Either way, you're golden.
Just wanted to give some kudos. This seller called me this week to check on the cables that were sent with the drives and card. Said they included the incorrect ones (said they were external). I told him I got what was pictured, and they are what I would have wanted because I'm using backplanes, and he seemed a bit befuddled but happy I didn't want anything exchanged or refunded. Good on them for following up.
The drives also came bundled with a molex to sata power connector for each, which was amusing.
The drives also came bundled with a molex to sata power connector for each, which was amusing.
At $169, it's $6.0357/TB. At the original $149, it was $5.3214/TB. The value add is the controller and cables if you need them. Nice find either way! 
It might be because of the power disable feature which mean your drive won't sprint if you connect it to a regular power cable.
A molex to sata adapter can be a useful trick for that.
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I use transparent tape and cut a tiny piece and tape over the first two pins in the power connector
Also got the message about exchanging the external cables. 1A seller it seems.
so wait, what kind of the cables is the seller saying are supposed to be included?
the SFF-8643 -> SFF-8643 that seem to be pictured or something else?
the SFF-8643 -> SFF-8643 that seem to be pictured or something else?
Doing my burn-in testing. So far so good. Passed initial short and long SMART tests. Below is a short write-up of the burn-in testing:
Do initial burn-in test:
Use tmux for badblocks
Do badblocks (WARNING: DESTRUCTIVE - ALL DATA WILL BE ERASED):
SMART long test again after badblocks
View results
Do initial burn-in test:
Code:
smartctl -t short /dev/sdX
smartctl -t conveyance /dev/sdX
smartctl -t long /dev/sdXDo badblocks (WARNING: DESTRUCTIVE - ALL DATA WILL BE ERASED):
SMART long test again after badblocks
View results
Code:
tmux
badblocks -b 4096 -ws /dev/sdX
smartctl -t long /dev/sdX
smartctl -A /dev/sdX