[j-nsp] SSD disks high failure ratio ?

[Alexandre Snarskii]

On Tue, Oct 08, 2013 at 08:17:16AM +0100, Phil Mayers wrote:
> >Does anyone knows what is the 'software solution' that 'has also been
> >developed to correct the affected REs in the field' as said in the KB ?
> >
> 
> Yes, that bit of the PR is annoyingly coy, isn't it?
> 
> JTAC told me:
> 
> """
> So, you need to perform the secure erase of the contents on the SSD to 
> fix this issue.
> This secure erase is done by TAC and I will work with service manager of 
> this account to check how to move forward on this.
> """
> 
> This is just weird; it's not like a secure erase is some kind of 
> super-secret thing - just break into the shell from alternate boot media 
> and run the command - so why not document it for customers to self-perform?

Juniper recovery procedure aka 'software solution':
- upload custom code provided by Juniper to RE
- reflash BIOS using uploaded binary and image 
- reboot with new BIOS (I think it uses somewhat different initialization
procedure for SSD disks)
- "SSD maintenance" with uploaded atacontrol binary ("secure erase").
- SSD re-partition (by standard "request system snapshot partition" means).
- reflashing BIOS again, with different code (rollback, I suppose)
- final reboot.

As far as you do not have neither BIOS codes nor customised atacontrol
binary - you can't just "run command". And BIOS update steps looks like
reason for Juniper to require "only our qualified personnel can do this
maintenance". 

PS: of course, you still can just replace SSD with third-party one,
avoiding Juniper involvement. Not sure if this breaks warranty, though.

-- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. 
But, in practice, there is.