February 03, 2026 4 min read
New USB drives arrived for my Ceph cluster, and they’re not reporting SMART data. Again. After solving this problem in my October 2025 article , I need to update the configuration with new device IDs and share the lessons learned from running this solution across my entire cluster.
The bottom line: This was absolutely the right decision. SMART monitoring has already caught failing drives before they damaged data, and the performance trade-off is negligible compared to the stability benefits.
The Context: Ceph Storage Reality
My AlteredCarbon cluster runs 69 TiB of Ceph storage across 6 nodes. The Seagate USB drives aren’t just backup storage—they’re critical infrastructure:
Ceph OSDs : Most USB drives serve as Ceph OSDs in the clusterZFS backup volume : One 28TB drive provides CephFS backup via ZFSMedia serving : Jellyfin libraries for the householdDisaster recovery : Off-cluster backup copies
SMART data is table stakes for this setup. When a drive starts failing in a Ceph cluster, you need to know immediately, not when it’s too late.
The Problem: New Drives, Same Issue
Five new Seagate USB drives arrived for cluster expansion, and predictably, none report SMART data:
root@edgar:~# smartctl -d sat -a /dev/sdd
Read Device Identity failed: scsi error unsupported field in scsi command
SMART support is: Ambiguous
A mandatory SMART command failed: exiting.
The original solution from October 2025 covered three methods. After months of production use, GRUB boot parameters proved most reliable across all cluster scenarios.
The Fast-Track Solution
Skip the experimentation—go straight to what works:
Updated Device Coverage
The new drives introduced additional device IDs that need quirks:
# Updated comprehensive configuration
cat > /etc/default/grub.d/usb-quirks.cfg << ' EOF '
# USB Storage Quirks for Seagate SMART Monitoring
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=" $GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX usb_storage.quirks=0bc2:2038:,0bc2:2344:,0bc2:ab83:,0bc2:ab9a:,0bc2:ac25:,0bc2:ac2b:,0bc2:ac35:,0bc2:ac41:"
EOF
# Apply and reboot
proxmox-boot-tool refresh
reboot
Device ID Mapping
Device ID
Model Series
Cluster Nodes
Purchase Date
0bc2:2038Newer models
edgar
Late 2025
0bc2:2344Expansion Portable
kovacs
2024
0bc2:ab83Recent drives
poe
Late 2025
0bc2:ab9aRecent drives
edgar
Late 2025
0bc2:ac25Backup Plus
Various
2024-2025
0bc2:ac2bBUP Portable
poe, kovacs
2024
0bc2:ac35Newer models
edgar
Late 2025
0bc2:ac41One Touch HDD
harlan, kovacs
2024
Verification
# Confirm quirks loaded
cat /sys/module/usb_storage/parameters/quirks
# Test SMART access
smartctl -d sat -H /dev/sdX # Health check
smartctl -d sat -a /dev/sdX # Full report
Why GRUB Works Best
After testing all three methods from the original article , GRUB boot parameters proved superior:
Always applies : Quirks active before any USB detectionSurvives everything : Kernel updates, system changes, rebootsBIOS/UEFI compatible : Works regardless of boot modeCluster-friendly : Easy deployment across multiple nodes
The other methods (runtime quirks, modprobe config) had reliability issues in production.
Real-World Results
After 4+ months running this configuration across all cluster nodes:
Success Stories
Early detection : Caught one drive showing reallocated sectors before failureZero stability issues : No crashes, corruption, or weird USB behaviorComplete monitoring : All storage devices visible in Grafana dashboardsAutomated alerts : Proactive notifications when drives show wear
Yes, disabling UAS reduces USB performance by 10-30%. For Ceph OSDs and backup storage, this trade-off is absolutely worth it:
Before: Fast transfers, blind to drive health
After: Slightly slower transfers, complete visibility
Result: Zero surprise failures, proactive maintenance
The math is simple : a slightly slower ceph cluster beat data loss every time.
Cluster Deployment
For multi-node deployment, use shared storage:
# Store config on CephFS
cp /etc/default/grub.d/usb-quirks.cfg /mnt/pve/cephfs/configs/
# Deploy to all nodes
for node in harlan kovacs poe edgar tanaka quell; do
scp /mnt/pve/cephfs/configs/usb-quirks.cfg root@$node :/etc/default/grub.d/
ssh root@$node "proxmox-boot-tool refresh"
done
# Coordinate reboots (maintain quorum)
# Reboot 2-3 nodes at a time
Troubleshooting
If you’re still getting SMART errors:
# 1. Verify quirks loaded
cat /sys/module/usb_storage/parameters/quirks
# 2. Find your device ID
lsusb | grep -i seagate
# 3. Add missing device ID
echo "0bc2:XXXX:" >> /etc/default/grub.d/usb-quirks.cfg
proxmox-boot-tool refresh
# 4. Try permissive mode
smartctl -d sat -T permissive -a /dev/sdX
Integration with Monitoring
With SMART data available, integrate into your monitoring stack:
# Health check in scripts
if ! smartctl -d sat -H /dev/sdX | grep -q "PASSED" ; then
echo "WARNING: Drive health check failed"
# Send alert, skip backup, etc.
fi
# Export to Prometheus
smartctl -d sat -a /dev/sdX | grep -E "(Temperature|Reallocated|Power_On_Hours)"
Conclusion
The GRUB method provides reliable USB SMART monitoring across Proxmox clusters. After months of production use, this solution has:
Prevented data loss : Early detection of failing drivesImproved stability : Complete storage health visibilitySimplified operations : Consistent monitoring across all nodesProven reliability : Zero issues across 6-node cluster
For Ceph environments, SMART monitoring isn’t optional—it’s essential. This solution ensures you catch drive problems before they become data disasters.
References