Drive Health Monitoring on Synology: S.M.A.R.T, Tests, and Alerts
Catch problems early with scheduled tests and actionable alerts so you can replace drives before data is at risk.
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Drive health monitoring combines automated tests, attribute tracking, and alerts so you can act before failures impact uptime.
Schedule tests and checks
Use a simple schedule that fits your maintenance windows.
- Weekly short S M A R T tests outside work hours
- Monthly extended S M A R T tests with email alerts enabled
- Quarterly review of logs and attributes
Key S.M.A.R.T attributes to watch
These attributes often change before a failure.
| Attribute | Description | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Reallocated Sector Count (5) | Bad sectors remapped by the drive | Replace if the count grows |
| Reported Uncorrectable Errors (187) | Errors that could not be corrected | Investigate cabling and replace if persistent |
| Command Timeout (188) | Timeouts during operations | Check power and cables, monitor trend |
| Current Pending Sector (197) | Unstable sectors awaiting remap | Run extended test and consider replacement |
| Uncorrectable Sector Count (198) | Sectors that could not be corrected | Replace the drive |
| Temperature | Sustained high temperature reduces life | Improve airflow and keep within vendor guidance |
Alerts and thresholds
Set alerts so you know when to act.
- Enable email notifications for S M A R T failures and bad sector warnings
- Set temperature alerts and adjust fan profiles if supported
- Review test results after each extended test
Replacement guidelines
Replace proactively when risk increases.
- Growing reallocated or pending sector counts
- Repeat uncorrectable errors in logs
- Abnormal noises, overheating, or frequent timeouts
Records and RMA
Good records speed up warranty claims and audits.
- Keep logs, screenshots, and test results
- Record serial numbers and install dates
- Store purchase invoices and warranty terms
FAQs
Quick answers for common monitoring questions.
- Are vendor tools required
- DSM S M A R T tools are sufficient for most sites
- Should I use SSDs for critical data
- Use SSDs where low latency is required and monitor endurance
- Do I need RAID if I have good monitoring
- Yes, monitoring does not replace redundancy and backups
Need technical support or more detailed guidance? Please contact Synology via our Synology Support – Australia page. It includes ticket, Live Chat, warranty and downloads links.
