Lab Report for SED HDD Management Using MaxView Storage Manager

Introduction

Self-Encrypting Drives (SEDs) offer hardware-based encryption for data-at-rest, providing enhanced security with minimal impact on performance. This HDD Innovation Lab report explores the management and behaviour of Toshiba enterprise SEDs using the MaxView Storage Manager software in conjunction with the Adaptec SmartRAID Ultra 3258P-16i/e controller. The goal is to evaluate SED functionality, controller-based encryption, and drive behaviour under various security scenarios.

Methodology

All tests were conducted on a Supermicro X13DEI motherboard running Microsoft Windows Server 2025 Standard. The MaxView Storage Manager version used was 5.03.00 (27960), and the RAID/HBA controller was Adaptec SmartRAID Ultra 3258P-16i/e running firmware version 03.01.41.032. The drives were configured and managed via the controller’s SED-based encryption features as documented in Microchip’s official guide.

Download the whole lab report here.