Question smart errors on Raid components

[ouch]

I was getting IO errors on large/long read operations on the hardware raid array in my fileserver. As the (Startech) controller didn't support SMART I had no idea as to the state of the disks, so I pulled it apart and hooked the disks up to the SATA ports on the motherboard.

I'm having issues mounting them, but that's another story, in the meantime I did get SMART working, and reporting. output attached for one disk:

smartctl 6.6 2016-05-31 r4324 [x86_64-linux-4.9.0-9-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-16, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Toshiba 3.5" DT01ACA... Desktop HDD
Device Model:     TOSHIBA DT01ACA200
Serial Number:    45U78AWGS
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000039 fe2c34df2
Firmware Version: MX4OABB0
User Capacity:    2,000,398,934,016 bytes [2.00 TB]
Sector Sizes:     512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physical
Rotation Rate:    7200 rpm
Form Factor:      3.5 inches
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   ATA8-ACS T13/1699-D revision 4
SATA Version is:  SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 6.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is:    Tue Jun 11 07:51:00 2019 BST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status:  (0x85)    Offline data collection activity
                    was aborted by an interrupting command from host.
                    Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.
Self-test execution status:      (   0)    The previous self-test routine completed
                    without error or no self-test has ever
                    been run.
Total time to complete Offline
data collection:         (14822) seconds.
Offline data collection
capabilities:              (0x5b) SMART execute Offline immediate.
                    Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
                    Suspend Offline collection upon new
                    command.
                    Offline surface scan supported.
                    Self-test supported.
                    No Conveyance Self-test supported.
                    Selective Self-test supported.
SMART capabilities:            (0x0003)    Saves SMART data before entering
                    power-saving mode.
                    Supports SMART auto save timer.
Error logging capability:        (0x01)    Error logging supported.
                    General Purpose Logging supported.
Short self-test routine
recommended polling time:      (   1) minutes.
Extended self-test routine
recommended polling time:      ( 247) minutes.
SCT capabilities:            (0x003d)    SCT Status supported.
                    SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
                    SCT Feature Control supported.
                    SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000b   100   100   016    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  2 Throughput_Performance  0x0005   139   139   054    Pre-fail  Offline      -       71
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0007   140   140   024    Pre-fail  Always       -       263 (Average 278)
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0012   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       81
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   100   100   005    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000b   100   100   067    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0005   124   124   020    Pre-fail  Offline      -       33
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0012   096   096   000    Old_age   Always       -       33922
 10 Spin_Retry_Count        0x0013   100   100   060    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
 12 Power_Cycle_Count       0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       81
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       338
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0012   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       338
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0002   206   206   000    Old_age   Always       -       29 (Min/Max 10/48)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0022   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0008   100   100   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x000a   200   200   000    Old_age   Always       -       2

SMART Error Log Version: 1
ATA Error Count: 2
    CR = Command Register [HEX]
    FR = Features Register [HEX]
    SC = Sector Count Register [HEX]
    SN = Sector Number Register [HEX]
    CL = Cylinder Low Register [HEX]
    CH = Cylinder High Register [HEX]
    DH = Device/Head Register [HEX]
    DC = Device Command Register [HEX]
    ER = Error register [HEX]
    ST = Status register [HEX]
Powered_Up_Time is measured from power on, and printed as
DDd+hh:mm:SS.sss where DD=days, hh=hours, mm=minutes,
SS=sec, and sss=millisec. It "wraps" after 49.710 days.

Error 2 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 33859 hours (1410 days + 19 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  84 51 0d 3a d3 f8 0c  Error: ICRC, ABRT at LBA = 0x0cf8d33a = 217633594

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  61 08 68 87 d4 f8 40 00   5d+19:55:48.038  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 28 60 17 d4 f8 40 00   5d+19:55:48.038  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 18 58 a7 d3 f8 40 00   5d+19:55:48.038  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 10 50 37 d3 f8 40 00   5d+19:55:48.038  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  60 20 48 5f 2f 88 40 00   5d+19:55:48.037  READ FPDMA QUEUED

Error 1 occurred at disk power-on lifetime: 26763 hours (1115 days + 3 hours)
  When the command that caused the error occurred, the device was active or idle.

  After command completion occurred, registers were:
  ER ST SC SN CL CH DH
  -- -- -- -- -- -- --
  84 51 3f 30 60 1b 0f  Error: ICRC, ABRT at LBA = 0x0f1b6030 = 253452336

  Commands leading to the command that caused the error were:
  CR FR SC SN CL CH DH DC   Powered_Up_Time  Command/Feature_Name
  -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  ----------------  --------------------
  61 40 50 af 94 1b 40 00   5d+19:20:42.562  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 40 48 6f 8f 1b 40 00   5d+19:20:42.562  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 40 40 2f 8a 1b 40 00   5d+19:20:42.561  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 40 38 ef 84 1b 40 00   5d+19:20:42.561  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED
  61 40 30 af 7f 1b 40 00   5d+19:20:42.557  WRITE FPDMA QUEUED

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Extended offline    Completed without error       00%     33918         -
# 2  Short offline       Completed without error       00%     33914         -

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
 SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing
Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.

The other disk also has 2 errors, I'll admit I didn't copy the output from that this morning.

Are these errors of concern? Could they be caused by the controller or cables? Or given the age (bought in 2015) and the runtime of the disk is at least 1410 days (~3.8 years) do I need to consider these disks are reaching end of life and plan on replacing them? I think the stats look okay, what would the seasoned experts on here suggest?

 

[RealBeast]

The errors are a problem and I expect that the highly likely source is your disk(s), the age is in the range that I usually consider replacement and if still testing good use the old disks for some low priority uses.

If you do not have backup, which of course you should for any important data, do so immediately.

 

[Satan-IR]

RealBeast said what had to be said. Backup important data ASAP if you already haven't.

I'd just like to add that UDMA ATA CRC errors can be caused by cables and loose connections, as you asked. I know this from personal experience too.

I have a 1TB Samsung disk which has been on for 1844 days, although it's older than 5 years. For a while the volume started to come out as 'dirty' in queries and explorer would have glitches when accessing certain folders on it or simply hang. I suspected the controller first. Other drives connected to same controller and without the error made the controller a less likely candidate.

I checked SMART and found the count for the error to be rising. The value for UDMA ATA CRC errors count now stands at 210,059. Yes, six figures! It stopped immediately after straightening the cable a bit and reseating the connector on both drive and motherboard ends. It hasn't had any more error since that time.

Anyhow, I too think it's advisable to think about replacing the drives.

 

[ouch]

Thanks both, I've got a backup on a separate disc in a different box. I'll budget for new discs, but the jury is out as to keeping them raid-ed up given I can't access any of the SMART data when they're plugged into the controller (and the motherboard doesn't do RAID on its own).

 

[RealBeast]

Thanks both, I've got a backup on a separate disc in a different box. I'll budget for new discs, but the jury is out as to keeping them raid-ed up given I can't access any of the SMART data when they're plugged into the controller (and the motherboard doesn't do RAID on its own).

While it really depends on your needs since there are low priced very large drives now, you can pick up a very inexpensive Adaptec 6405/6805 off EBay and the Adaptec software will follow the drive SMART status and send alerts if set up should you wish to keep using a controller card.

If you go that way look for a card that comes with one or two SAS to 4 x SATA fanout cables as they can cost as much as the older cards if bought separately.

 

[fzabkar]

Those two errors occurred approximately 1 year apart. The SMART attributes look clean.