Optimizing Hard Drive Reliability – 8 Essential Elements

1. Choose the right drive for the task

If you are using a hard drive in an application for which the drive was not designed, you may be doubling your failure rate, or worse. Hard drives are extremely reliable, but only when they are operated within manufacturer specifications. We can help you determine which drive would be the best fit for your business, given cost, supply, reliability and performance considerations.

2. Choose components and chassis wisely

In order to achieve performance and reliability goals, your system must operate efficiently. There are numerous interaction details at play here, and only when the components are correctly matched and in harmony, does the device realize its potential. HDSTOR can review your design for component mismatches.

3. Implement proper drive handling procedures

Shipping and handling, along with temperature, are the most common reasons for premature hard drive failures or excessive failure rates. If you buy drives in volume, order in pallet quantities, which is usually 320 drives or more per shipment. Implement proper handling procedures; here is our Hard Drive Handling Basics guide.

4. Test your system in the ‘worst-case’ use model

Testing is the only way to get real data prior to suffering failures in the field. How to test, and what the results are telling you, is the key to understanding. HDSTOR has experience in developing test plans, and we can guide you to testing that is meaningful, without over testing.

5. Track your drive failure rates

Are your returns too high? If you aren’t accurately tracking them, there is no way to know. We’ll explain what you should expect them to be, and the simple math and processes you need to track your rates. Accurately communicating your failure rates is a mandatory step in getting assistance should you incur a field issue. Know your rates ahead of the need.

6. Know your systems’ temperature

Maximum reliability and longevity are affecting by many things, not just temperature. But you should know that higher temperatures affect your entire system, not just your hard drives. HDSTOR can advise on testing procedures to qualify your system thermals, and we can help to translate the results into real-world expectations.

7. Get engineering support from your supplier

Your suppliers should be on your side. If you are giving your business to them, and treating them well, they should be making an effort to help you choose the right drives, and then to optimize their reliability. We do this, at no added cost for you due to our streamlined business model.

8. Ask your drive supplier for more information

Wherever you buy drives, ask for more information, or check your supplier’s website for resources or links to get support. Explore our site, we have more valuable information to help you in the HD TECH section of our website.