A properly configured SMART monitoring system can warn about disk problems long before complete failure. This lightweight solution based on smartmontools and msmtp is especially useful for standalone servers, home labs, mini-PCs, NAS systems, and small office environments where deploying full-scale monitoring platforms like Zabbix may be unnecessary or impractical.
I documented the entire setup process, including scheduled SMART self-tests, email alerts, TEST/WORK modes, and troubleshooting steps for Ubuntu Server deployments. Short guide here.