Predicting SSD Failures: Specific S.M.A.R.T. Values
Read about the S.M.A.R.T. values peculiar to SSDs and software to show you the disk wear level. SSD drives don’t have some parameters that are specific to magnetic hard drives. Instead, they have other variables representing overall health of the disk. S.M.A.R.T. tools calculate SSD health by analyzing the following variables: Reallocated Sectors Count, Current Pending Sectors Count, Uncorrectable Sector Count, as well as Percentage of the Rated Lifetime Used (or SSD Life Left, whichever is available).
Wear Leveling Count. This variable is vendor-specific. It decreases with time. When it reaches a certain manufacturer-defined threshold, S.M.A.R.T. reports the drive’s overall health as FAILED.
Erase Fail Count. The number of failed attempts to erase the content of a flash chip. Increase in this number may mean that flash chips are dying prematurely (before reaching their rated number of erase/write cycles).
SSD Life Left. Supported by few manufacturers, this parameter represents calculated lifespan remaining in the disk based on certain equations. When normalized, it reads 100 (100%) for healthy drives to 1 (1%) for dead SSD’s. Sometimes replaced with Percentage of the Rated Lifetime Used.
Percentage of the Rated Lifetime Used. This is the opposite of SSD Time Left. 1 means the drive is 100% healthy, while 100 means that 100% of the drive’s lifetime is used up, and the drive can be used as a small doorstop.
Grown Failing Block Count. Manufacturer-specific value representing the number of reallocation events. A rise in this value represents a problem with the drive.
Generally speaking, lifespan of SSD drives should be easier to predict compared to traditional HDDs as there are no mechanical elements prone to unpredictable wear. With SSD’s, one can simply analyze wear leveling count to figure out how many write cycles are left, or read calculated variables such as SSD Life Left/ Percentage of the Rated Lifetime Used. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy. Early SSD drives were known for abrupt, premature failures with close to zero chance of successful data recovery.
The situation improves with newer models, but sudden, unpredictable failures still happen. SSD drives of all manufacturers (e.g. Sandisk, Transcend, etc.) go out of order unexpectedly: it worked just fine yesterday, but appears to be dead today. Ironically, it may be easier to predict a failure of a mechanical HDD by listening to unusual noises made by the drive or looking at certain other S.M.A.R.T. parameters. Either way, no degree of monitoring and S.M.A.R.T. analysis can replace a good backup policy. Make sure you always have a recent backup, and you may never need a data recovery tool.
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How much longer a 80TBW SSD will last during normal use?
2012-12-05. How about today? :P
At the moment, situation with SSD disks changes for the better every day. SSD drives becoming more reliable and qualitative. We can no longer talk about very short period of their life and unexpected failure.
Good. I hope my few years old SSDs don't die on me unexpectedly.
Can SMART values be used to predict failures in other types of storage devices, such as hard disk drives?
Yes, SMART values can be used to predict failures in other types of storage devices, such as hard disk drives. SMART is an acronym for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, which is a system built into most modern hard disk drives that monitors the internal operations of the drive and provides information about its health and performance. By analyzing the SMART values, it is possible to identify potential problems and anticipate potential hard disk drive failures before they occur.
Are there any SSD manufacturers or models that are more prone to failures than others, and if so, why?
Yes, there are some SSD manufacturers and models that are more prone to failures than others. These include older models that lack features such as error-correcting code (ECC) and wear-leveling algorithms, as well as models that use lower-quality components or have a low storage capacity. In addition, some SSDs may have a higher rate of failure due to firmware issues or user errors.
Are there any potential drawbacks or limitations to using SMART values to predict SSD failures?
Yes, there are some potential drawbacks and limitations to using SMART values to predict SSD failures. First, SMART values are only able to provide an indication of potential problems, not an absolute prediction of failure. Additionally, the accuracy of SMART values can vary depending on the manufacturer, and the values can be affected by external factors such as temperature and power supply. Finally, some SSDs may not support SMART values at all, making it difficult to use them for failure prediction.
Can monitoring SMART values and predicting failures help prevent data loss, or is it only useful for early detection?
Monitoring SMART values and predicting failures can help prevent data loss. By monitoring the SMART values, it is possible to detect potential problems before they cause data loss. This allows administrators to take preventive measures, such as replacing faulty components, to avoid data loss. Additionally, predictive analysis of SMART values can be used to detect and prevent problems before they cause data loss.
How frequently should SMART values be monitored to detect potential failures early?
SMART values should be monitored at least once a month to detect potential failures early. It is also recommended to monitor SMART values before and after any major changes to the system such as software or hardware upgrades.
Read about predicting SSD failures and specific S.M.A.R.T. values. If you do have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our technical support service - we will be happy to help you.