User manual

SANtools® S.M.A.R.T. Disk Monitor (SMARTMon-UX)226

3 Getting Help

3.1 About SMARTMon-UX

If this software was bundled on your computer or storage subsystem by your hardware vendor, you must contact them

for technical support. If however, you purchased the software directly from us, you may contact us by sending E-MAIL

to support@santools.com

Our URLs:

Main: http://www.SANtools.com

S.M.A.R.T. Disk Monitor http://www.SANtools.com/smartmon

This online manual http://www.SANtools.com/smart/unix/manual

Please remember that we are not experts on what each error message or warning on a device means. We also

cannot tell you how much life is left in a drive once it records a critical error.

We do report all significant information which will allow you to have a meaningful conversation with your computer

vendor who will assess if the condition warrants a replacement. Sometimes the problem is in your controller, cabling,

or device configuration.

3.2 Contacting Your Supplier

S.M.A.R.T. Disk Monitor provides critical information such as serial and model numbers, as well as diagnostic and

historical data. You can use this information to answer any questions your technical support contact should have

regarding the problem you are seeing. With this information you should have no problems expressing the problems

you are having.

You might also want to consider sending them a copy of the system log file that reports all events, SCSI Sense codes,

and time stamps. In addition, running the program as /etc/smartmon-ux -I -A will provide invaluable mode

page and inquiry page data that an engineer may wish to know about. Sometimes making a change to a mode page

will fix a problem.

For intermittent problems, you might also wish to define a shorter polling period.

Here are some other things to consider when contacting your disk supplier:

· Warranty periods vary depending on the disk's make and model. Your supplier might only offer 90 days,

where the manufacturer offers 5 years.

· If you have an OEM drive, the original manufacturer typically will not repair or replace the drive. You will have

to go to your supplier. For example, HP brands Seagate and IBM disk drives. Seagate and IBM will not

necessarily be able to support you because your disk is a model made for HP only. You will have to contact

HP for support.

· A vast majority of the time, the problem with a disk comes down to operator error. They are improperly

cabled, configured, or terminated. Sometimes the device drivers are improperly installed. Sometimes your

tech support person may be skeptical because the last 100 drives they took back on a RMA turned out to be

just fine. Just relax. We have never had a problem returning a drive if they were under warranty.