User Manual

Enterprise Self-Encrypting Drive User’s Guide, Rev. B 24
5.0 Firmware download
A firmware download operation is not a normal occurrence in the lifecycle of a drive but is a useful way to update the
drive code during the later stages of drive development when it is being integrated into new customer system
designs. When the system hardware and the drive hardware come together for the first time, compatibility issues may
come to light which are all but impossible to predict without an operational test.
On an SED, a firmware download operation is a serious event which could jeopardize the drive’s security, so download
operations require special attention to ensure that:
1. The code is genuine Seagate code with an appropriate digital signature (see Section 7.0 for a discussion on mes-
saging and signatures).
2. The code has the correct security component and is SED family and model compatible
3. The new code is chronologically compatible with the old code.
Figure 15 shows the structure of the authorized firmware package. It is important to note that the host system will
download the authenticated package to the drive in exactly the same manner as it would download a standard firm-
ware file to a non SED drive. The firmware authentication and checking process is handled by the drive and is totally
transparent to the system.
Figure 15. Authenticated firmware download