1. A method for monitoring and reporting performance data of a data storage device, comprising: obtaining a plurality of quantitative values from feedback and measurement mechanisms in a data storage device of a first model during operation of data storage device; normalizing the quantitative values to device-specific standards for the data storage device by scaling the quantitative values to a set of values which are common to the data storage device and adjusted to a form which is consistent across different data storage devices; generating one or more qualitative values from one or more normalized quantitative values; and evaluating the one or more qualitative values against corresponding baseline performance values established for the first model.