[smartmontools-support] SMART Attribute Data Structure error - how to repair?

[Hans Lederer]

I've got here three 4 TB HGST HUS724040ALA640 drives. They are mounted
in ICY Box external cases, connected via e-SATA, LUKS-encrypted. They
are used once a week for offline backups and perform fine for years now.

Just today I've noticed that all three of them seem to have invalid
SMART data like below. I'm quite sure that they were normally readable
at beginning.

What might have happened? Surely SMART data is not encrypted by LUKS?
Is there a way to repair/rewrite the SMART data so that they at least
start over fresh?


$ sudo smartctl -iA /dev/sdg

smartctl 6.5 2016-01-24 r4214 [x86_64-linux-3.16.0-4-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-16, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Hitachi/HGST Ultrastar 7K4000
Device Model: HGST HUS724040ALA640
Serial Number: PN2331PAH3ZBRT
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000cca 22bcfe6a7
Firmware Version: MFAOAA70
User Capacity: 4.000.787.030.016 bytes [4,00 TB]
Sector Size: 512 bytes logical/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: 3.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is: Mon Aug 29 14:01:14 2016 CEST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

Warning! SMART Attribute Data Structure error: invalid SMART checksum.
Read SMART Thresholds failed: scsi error aborted command

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 1114
Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME FLAG VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE
UPDATED WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
255 Unknown_Attribute 0x373f 200 016 --- Pre-fail Always
- 69269232549888
78 Unknown_Attribute 0x3350 050 049 --- Old_age
Offline - 72877865976115
84 Unknown_Attribute 0x0652 123 039 --- Old_age Always
- 87193305495667
65 Unknown_Attribute 0x3041 055 071 --- Pre-fail
Offline - 91398117479496
50 Unknown_Attribute 0x3037 052 048 --- Pre-fail Always
- 53056641256500
32 Unknown_Attribute 0x2020 032 032 --- Old_age
Offline - 35322350018592
32 Unknown_Attribute 0x2020 032 032 --- Old_age
Offline - 550026354720
16 Unknown_Attribute 0x3f00 000 016 --- Old_age
Offline - 280379760114684
255 Unknown_Attribute 0x000f 000 007 --- Pre-fail Always
- 131943408599808
120 Unknown_Attribute 0x7800 000 000 --- Old_age
Offline - 0
64 Unknown_Attribute 0xfc00 001 041 --- Old_age
Offline - 56613733165824
105 Unknown_Attribute 0x4174 188 099 --- Old_age
Offline - 4282416967
254 Free_Fall_Sensor 0xfe00 255 000 --- Old_age
Offline - 222101483028480
249 Unknown_Attribute 0x1000 039 000 --- Old_age
Offline - 2000393515008
162 Unknown_Attribute 0xcfcc 043 167 --- Old_age
Offline - 230
241 Total_LBAs_Written 0x200d 250 001 --- Pre-fail
Offline - 7713832566784
4 Start_Stop_Count 0x0607 006 004 --- Pre-fail Always
- 6627185329158
6 Read_Channel_Margin 0x3700 065 065 --- Old_age
Offline - 103246987330
185 Unknown_Attribute 0xff5d 255 000 --- Pre-fail
Offline - 128
255 Unknown_Attribute 0xbf00 207 000 --- Old_age
Offline - 0

[Christian Franke]

Post by Hans Lederer
I've got here three 4 TB HGST HUS724040ALA640 drives. They are mounted
in ICY Box external cases, connected via e-SATA, LUKS-encrypted. They
are used once a week for offline backups and perform fine for years now.
Just today I've noticed that all three of them seem to have invalid
SMART data like below. I'm quite sure that they were normally readable
at beginning.
What might have happened? Surely SMART data is not encrypted by LUKS?

This is likely unrelated to LUKS or the disk itself.

Post by Hans Lederer
Is there a way to repair/rewrite the SMART data so that they at least
start over fresh?

No.

If possible, please try whether the problem persists if an affected
disks is connected to another machine or via another interface (USB,
SATA) to same machine.

Here is a recent report about a similar problem with an external
USB/eSATA case:
https://www.smartmontools.org/ticket/719

Thanks,
Christian


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Hans Lederer]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Christian Franke]

Post by Hans Lederer

Post by Christian Franke
...
If possible, please try whether the problem persists if an affected
disks is connected to another machine or via another interface (USB,
SATA) to same machine.
Here is a recent report about a similar problem with an external
https://www.smartmontools.org/ticket/719

Thank you Christian,
you're right: the bridge chip seems to be the problem, my ICY BOX uses
that same Prolific PL2773 —
• Connecting via the ICY BOX'x e-SATA: SMART unreadable.
...
• Connecting via the ICY BOX'x USB3: SMART perfectly readable and ok.
...
• Connecting the naked drive directly via e-SATA: readable.
...

Thanks for the info. I added a note to the ticket.

What is the model number of this ICY BOX enclosure?


Thanks,
Christian


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Hans Lederer]

Post by Christian Franke
[…]
What is the model number of this ICY BOX enclosure?

Raidsonic ICY BOX IB-351StU3S-B .