SMART ...

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology SMART.

#apt-get install smartmontools

See HardDrives

#lshw -C disk

or you could figure it out from

#cat /proc/partitions

See if SMART support is available and enabled

#smartctl -i /dev/sdb

If SMART support is available and not enabled

#smartctl -s on /dev/sdb

Print all SMART information that smartctl can find about a disk drive

#smartctl -a /dev/sdb

Print generic SMART capabilities and how much time would take to run Self-tests.

#smartclt -c /dev/sdb

Run a short test.

#smartctl -t short /dev/sdb
smartctl version 5.38 [x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF OFFLINE IMMEDIATE AND SELF-TEST SECTION ===
Sending command: "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode".
Drive command "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode" successful.
Testing has begun.
Please wait 2 minutes for test to complete.

View test statistics

#smartctl -l selftest /dev/sdb
smartctl version 5.38 [x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu] Copyright (C) 2002-8 Bruce Allen
Home page is http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num  Test_Description    Status                  Remaining  LifeTime(hours)  LBA_of_first_error
# 1  Short offline       Completed without error       00%     15033         -

To enable the SMARTmontools Daemon set-uncomment start_smartd=yes in /etc/default/smartmontools

# grep start_smartd /etc/default/smartmontools
start_smartd=yes

Configure smartd in /etc/smartd.conf You could use the directive DEVISCAN to let smartd find disk drives or list the drives you want tested explicitly. The configuration file has many examples that you can adjust to your needs eg.

#DEVICESCAN -m root -M exec /usr/share/smartmontools/smartd-runner
/dev/sda -a m syswatch -M test
/dev/sdb -a m syswatch -M test

# Monitor all attributes except normalized Temperature (usually 194),
# but track Temperature changes >= 4 Celsius, report Temperatures
# >= 45 Celsius and changes in Raw value of Reallocated_Sector_Ct (5).
# Send mail on SMART failures or when Temperature is >= 55 Celsius.
/dev/sda -a -I 194 -W 4,45,55 -R 5 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com
/dev/sdb -a -I 194 -W 4,45,55 -R 5 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com

# A very silent check.  Only report SMART health status if it fails
# But send an email in this case
/dev/sda -H -C 0 -U 0 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com
/dev/sdb -H -C 0 -U 0 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com

# A very silent check.  Only report SMART health status if it fails
# But send an email in this case
/dev/sda -H -C 0 -U 0 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com
/dev/sdb -H -C 0 -U 0 -m syswatch@bot.ipduh.com

/etc/init.d/smartmontools start
Starting S.M.A.R.T. daemon: smartd.

Check

# tail -f /var/log/syslog |grep smartd
Mar  8 11:17:26 looky smartd[8738]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], initial Temperature is 53 Celsius (Min/Max ??/53)
Mar  8 11:17:26 looky smartd[8738]: Device: /dev/sdb [SAT], Temperature 53 Celsius reached limit of 45 Celsius (Min/Max ??/53)
Mar  8 11:17:26 looky smartd[8738]: Device: /dev/sda [SAT], state written to /var/lib/smartmontools/smartd.ST2000DM001_9YN164-Z1E0BMF4.ata.state

SMART ... linux ...