Applies to: All editions; server and virtual environments require Enterprise or Audit
Why the storage path matters
DriveErase communicates through the device path exposed by the operating environment. Every controller, HBA, RAID layer, enclosure, and bridge can change device identity, available commands, error reporting, capacity, and health data.
Common presentation modes
A controller can present:
- An individual physical disk;
- A RAID logical volume;
- A pass-through or HBA-mode disk;
- A vendor-specific storage object;
- A generic bridge identity;
- A multipath device representing several routes to the same storage.
The sanitization scope is limited to the object DriveErase can identify and address.
Firmware passthrough
SATA, NVMe, and SCSI firmware methods require protocol passthrough. A controller can allow normal reads and writes while blocking sanitize, format, security, SMART, or self-test commands.
Use controller documentation and a representative test to establish supported behavior. Do not infer firmware access merely because the disk appears in the device list.
RAID members
Sanitizing a RAID logical volume by overwrite processes the logical range exposed by that volume. It does not prove that every physical member, spare, cache device, journal device, or previously removed member was processed individually.
For physical media retirement:
- Map each asset to its enclosure and bay;
- Break or export the configuration according to the approved controller procedure;
- Expose each drive individually where supported;
- Sanitize and report on each device;
- Retain the controller mapping with the DriveErase evidence.
Multipath and duplicate visibility
Ensure the same storage is not presented through multiple paths as separate targets. Duplicate selection can create inconsistent identity and unsafe behavior. Use the storage team’s multipath controls and select only the intended canonical device path.