Dell EqualLogic PS6210XS EqualLogic Group Manager Administrator s Guide PS Ser - Page 315

Is it safe to discard or return a locked SED? Yes. Any data that you have written to the drive will be locked and inaccessible. When you return a drive to Dell, the only information that remains readable are its operating statistics (S.M.A.R.T. data), its RAID type, and its hardware error logs. Can I add SEDs to a non-SED array, or vice versa? No. Do not mix SEDs and non-SEDs in the same array. If mixed drives are detected while the array is booting, the array will halt until the incorrect drives are removed. If mixed drives are detected while the array is operating, the incorrect drives will be shown as unauthorized. Does a SED system also use RAID? Yes. Each drive in a SED-equipped array is managed by both AutoSED and RAID. The SEDset governs the locking of data, and the RAIDset governs the data itself. Does SED encrypt my volumes? No. SEDs cannot be used to encrypt volumes, in the sense of securing each iSCSI volume with its own key. AutoSED operates at the level of the physical disk drives within an individual member. If I create a new set of backup units, does the new set invalidate the previous set of backup units? No. Generating a new set of backup units does not affect previously created backup sets. Self-Encrypting Drives (SED) Examples 1. SED array is operating normally. Then, a drive is removed (or fails). Security is not compromised. The drive immediately locks itself. Its contents are inaccessible without the SEDset key. The SEDset also resecures itself to exclude the removed drive. Therefore, the drive can be safely repurposed, discarded, or returned to Dell. 2. SED array is operating normally. First, drive #1 is removed (or fails). Later, drive #2 is removed (or fails). Security is not compromised. When drive #1 is removed, the drive locks itself, and the SEDset is resecured to exclude drive #1. When drive #2 is removed, it also locks itself, and the SEDset is resecured again to exclude drive #2. As a result, both drives now exclude each other. Both drives can be safely repurposed, discarded, or returned to Dell. 3. SED array is operating normally. Then, half of the drives are removed one at a time. Security is not compromised. As in Example 2, each drive immediately locks itself upon removal, and the SEDset resecures itself each time. As a result, all the removed drives exclude each other, and cannot be used to construct an intact SEDset despite having enough drives to do so. 4. SED array is operating normally. Then, half of the drives are removed at the same time. Security is compromised. Although the removed drives immediately lock themselves, the adversary now possesses enough drives to construct an intact SEDset, which will unlock itself when booted in an appropriate array. Removal of half of the drives always causes the array to stop functioning and alert the administrator, with one exception. A RAID-10 configuration remains operational if one drive from each mirror pair remains in the array. 5. SED array is powered off. Then, half the drives are removed one at a time. Security is compromised. Because the array is not operating, the SEDset cannot resecure itself. The adversary now possesses enough drives to construct an intact SEDset. 6. Two SED arrays, X and Y, are operating normally. A drive is moved from array X to array Y. About Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) and AutoSED 315