SMART Technology

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, or SMART abbreviated, is a disk monitoring system. With SMART, hard drive capable of detecting and report various indicators related to the reliability of data, with the aim anticipate the occurrence of damage.

 

SMART Function
 

Basically, the drive may have failed to function on the basis of two class divisions, namely:

- A predictable failure.
Like the mechanical age, with duration of use. SMART monitoring system can detect things like this. Disk can provide status, before experiencing malfunction.

- Failure that can not be predicted. 

Such damage, caused for example damage to electronic components, due to fire, or other physical damage.

Based on existing data, 60% damage to your hard disk can actually predict the time. And this is mostly due to the mechanical age. SMART can warn the user before it happened, and provide the opportunity to perform the necessary preventive measures, such as backing up data.

 

Standards and Implementation
 

SMART pioneered by Compaq. However, almost all hard disk and motherboard manufacturers, is using it. Typically, the motherboard will display a message at BIOS POST report.

However, there are still some compatibility issues for SMART. Some hard disk manufacturers sometimes called SMART compatible products, but sometimes not for all the reporting functions available on SMART. Say to not include temperature sensors, which may be interpreted by the user is expected to refer to the SMART compatible. Disk temperature is one important factor, which also affects its reliability.

Good facilities in the motherboard also SMART monitoring software, may not be able to report all SMART attributes. This can be caused due to the limited use interface. Say when using an external hard drive, with USB or FireWire interface. The same thing can happen to your hard drive with RAID mirroring configuration. Moreover, the monitor software RAID works in the operating system environment. This is because the operating system is not possible to see the individual disk, RAID configurations beyond.

SMART Attributes
 

If the ideal conditions, both hard drives are used, the interface used hard disk, motherboards, and monitors the SMART software is used, it's pretty much attribute information that can be displayed.

Each attribute will list the value between 1 to 253. Smallest value (1) states the value or the worst conditions. Whereas the highest value (253) claimed the best conditions. Each manufacturer has different limits to determine the normal conditions. Usually hard disk are still expressed in normal conditions, if the attribute value is not less than 100. If this is still considered too much trouble, you just see the results of the assessment conclusions Fitness and Performance.