How to use SeaTools Enterprise Edition

Tutorial for the use of SeaTools for Enterprise, explaining all of its functions and options including how to low-level format SCSI drives.

Safe Mode
Safe Mode is designed to provide access to diagnostic functions that are not destructive to data on the device. When in Safe Mode the following functions are enabled:

Select Device(s)
The Select Device(s) toolbar button provides access to the device selection screen. The screen consists of three sections, Drive Selection, the device list tree control, and Selected Drive.

The Drive Selection provides some basic instructions and the Rescan Bus push button. Pressing the Rescan Bus button will cause the program to rescan all the SCSI adapters on the system and rebuild the device tree.

The Device List Tree displays all the devices connected to the systems host bus adapter(s). You may select one or more devices by highlighting them on the tree. NOTICE that selecting devices enables the Disc Test toolbar button, and deselecting device(s) disables the Disc Test toolbar button. After making device selection, select an active diagnostic toolbar button. In safe mode Disc Test is the only option, in Advanced Mode, Firmware Download, Drive Preferences, and Formatting are also available.

If you double click on a device the system will display detailed information about that device including, standard inquiry data, drive serial number, as well as firmware and servo revision information.

Disc Test
This page allows the user to perform non-destructive diagnostics on the selected devices. The test choices are determined by the drives that are selected.

Generic Test - The program supports a basic test for non-Seagate drives. The Generic test is non-destructive. It performs reads and seeks to verify basic device functionality. The Generic test also operates in a foreground mode. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

DST (Drive Self Test) - A diagnostic technology within the drive designed to recognize drive fault conditions. DST validates the functionality of the drive in background mode and will suspend self-testing to service any other commands. When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which supports DST functionality. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

Legacy Drive Tests - Legacy tests are designed to emulate the DST (Drive Self Test) test sequence with the distinction of running in foreground mode. When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which does not support DST functionality. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

If any non-Seagate drives are selected the test is limited to Generic Drive Tests. If only Seagate drives are selected you may choose Generic or Seagate Drive Tests. Selecting Seagate Drive Tests will cause the program to run DST tests on any drives which support it and Legacy Drive Tests on any drives which do not.

You may select either a short or a long duration test.

If you have selected a short Seagate test you may select the percent of that test to be performed by use of the slide control.

If you have selected more than one drive you may select whether to test all drives simultaneously or one at a time. If you are testing drives on an active system you may want to select the Sequential option so as to minimize load on the storage system.

Advanced Mode

Advanced mode provides access to Advanced diagnostic functions. Some of these functions, such as Format, cause loss of data. These functions should be used with caution. Be sure to read and follow all program instructions and cautions. Backup all critical data files, if possible, prior to running any Advanced functions. !Note! Some of the functions may be disabled depending on program status or other selections.

Select Device(s)
The Select Device(s) toolbar button provides access to the device selection screen. The screen consists of three sections, Drive Selection, the device list tree control, and Selected Drive.

The Drive Selection provides some basic instructions and the Rescan Bus push button. Pressing the Rescan Bus button will cause the program to rescan all the SCSI adapters on the system and rebuild the device tree.

The Device List Tree displays all the devices connected to the systems host bus adapter(s). You may select one or more devices by highlighting them on the tree. NOTICE that selecting devices enables the Disc Test toolbar button, and deselecting device(s) disables the Disc Test toolbar button. After making device selection select an active diagnostic toolbar button. In safe mode Disc Test is the only option, in Advanced Mode, Firmware Download, Drive Preferences, and Formatting are also available.

If you double click on a device the system will display detailed information about that device including, standard inquiry data, drive serial number, as well as firmware and servo revision information.

Disc Test
This page allows the user to perform non-destructive diagnostics on the selected devices. The test choices are determined by the drives that are selected.

Generic Test - The program supports a basic test for non-Seagate drives. The Generic test is non-destructive. It performs reads and seeks to verify basic device functionality. The Generic test also operates in a foreground mode. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

DST (Drive Self Test) - A diagnostic technology within the drive designed to recognize drive fault conditions. DST validates the functionality of the drive in background mode and will suspend self-testing to service any other commands. When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which supports DST functionality. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

Legacy Drive Tests - Legacy tests are designed to emulate the DST (Drive Self Test) test sequence with the distinction of running in foreground mode. When "Seagate Drive Test" is selected this test is performed for any Seagate drive which does not support DST functionality. Foreground mode tests do not suspend testing to service other commands. If a drive fails testing, follow your system's authorized service procedures.

If any non-Seagate drives are selected the test is limited to Generic Drive Tests. If only Seagate drives are selected you may choose Generic or Seagate Drive Tests. Selecting Seagate Drive Tests will cause the program to run DST tests on any drives which support it and Legacy Drive Tests on any drives which do not.

You may select either a short or a long duration test.

If you have selected a short Seagate test you may select the percent of that test to be performed by use of the slide control.

If you have selected more than one drive you may select whether to test all drives simultaneously or one at a time. If you are testing drives on an active system you may want to select the Sequential option so as to minimize load on the storage system.

Firmware FAQ Page
This page has descriptive information about Firmware downloading. It is intended to help you understand what downloading new firmware to your drive(s) will accomplish and how to do it.

Format Page
Formatting ensures that the medium is formatted so all of the user-addressable data blocks can be accessed. There is no guarantee that the medium has or has not been altered. In addition, the medium may be certified and control structures may be created for the management of the medium and defects.

Data on the device will be irretrievably lost during formatting.

Log Pages
This page provides the ability to view the supported log pages, self-test results, power-on time, and save the grown defect list for your Seagate disk drive.

Use the Save Grown Defect List … button to save the grown defect list to a file named per each device(s) serial number followed by a *.log extension and saved automatically into the SeaTools Enterprise working directory.

Dump Blocks to File Page
This page provides the ability to save a binary data file, consisting of the data between the specified starting and ending block addresses of a disk drive.

Use the browse button to specify the filename and path of the *.bin file to generate. Then either accept the default starting and ending block addresses or specify a custom range. Use the Generate File… button to create the binary data file.

Logfile Functions

Seatools Enterprise Edition creates a detailed log file as it runs. This file contains the results of the system scan as a list of devices and logs each and every operation that is performed on a device as well as the results of that operation. Seagate technical support personnel may request this file as they work with you to resolve issues with your devices. The file may also be used by system administrators to document their system configuration and any diagnostics that are preformed on devices. The file is a simple ASCII file for easy email attachment, printing or other uses.

Menu Choice What it does
New Creates a new, empty log file with the specified name.
Open Opens an existing file into which the log entries are written.
Save As Saves the existing file with a new file name.
View Opens a snapshot of the current log file in a simple file viewer. Note this is a static display of the contents at that point in time and does not display ongoing activity.
Print Prints the currently open log file to the selected printer.
Clear Clears the current log file. Note this will delete all information from the file and it cannot be recovered.


Download SeaTools Enterprise now!