Testing drives in a redundant array of independent disks (raid)

A computer system for testing drives in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) array, comprising:

• a processor set;
• a set of one or more computer-readable storage media;
• and
• program instructions, collectively stored in the set of one or more storage media, for causing the processor set to perform the following computer operations:
• select one of the drives for preemptive testing;
• perform a preemptive failure test on the selected drive, by:
• causing the selected drive to enter a predetermined operating state correlated with a testing environment, the predetermined operating state being configured to force the selected drive to experience a preemptive failure,
• monitoring the selected drive for any hardware and/or software errors while in the predetermined operating state, and
• in response to detecting one or more hardware and/or software errors, causing the selected drive to fail the preemptive failure test;
• and
• in response to the selected drive failing the preemptive failure test, replace the selected drive in the RAID array with a repaired version of the selected drive or a replacement disk drive.

A computer implemented method (CIM) for use with a RAID array device including a plurality of disk drives, comprising:

• selecting one of the plurality of disk drives for preemptive testing;
• performing a preemptive failure test on the selected disk drive, by:
• causing the selected disk drive to enter a predetermined operating state correlated with a testing environment, the predetermined operating state being configured to force the selected disk drive to experience a preemptive failure,
• monitoring the selected disk drive for any hardware and/or software errors while in the predetermined operating state, and
• in response to detecting one or more hardware and/or software errors, causing the selected disk drive to fail the preemptive failure test;
• and
• in response to the selected disk drive failing the preemptive failure test, replacing the selected disk drive in the RAID array device with a repaired version of the selected disk drive or a replacement disk drive.