# Barracuda 7200.11: broken firmware is broken software!

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2021-06-08
- Length: 57m
- Episode: 6
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/57a93d18

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company, joined by Rick Altherr, Bill Blum, and others, recount firmware disasters with Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 drives, Western Digital Sparta, and LSI HBAs. They detail how proprietary firmware bugs, such as polarity errors and incorrect fly height calculations, caused massive latency outliers and drive failures, leading to customer distress and vendor gaslighting. The group argues that the lack of source control and transparency in vendor firmware necessitates an open-source firmware ecosystem to allow for debugging and customization at scale.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=0) Introduction: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 and Class Action
- [2:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=125) Sun Storage Product and Seagate SU0D Firmware Bugs
- [16:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=991) Bill Blum and HP Z620s with Seagate Drives
- [19:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=1158) Rick Altherr and Western Digital Sparta Drive Failures
- [27:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=1660) Tom Lyon on Custom Firmware and Rent Seeking
- [32:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=1928) Adam Leventhal’s LSI HBA and Sun ILOM Horror Stories
- [38:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=2282) Post-Sun Career Lessons and Stay Away from Hardware
- [44:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=2679) Storage vs. Networking Failure Models and Open Firmware
- [47:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software#t=2867) STec, Gnutek, and the SEC Complaint Against Manouchehr Moshayedi

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Seagate (company)
- Barracuda 7200.11 (product)
- Western Digital (company)
- Sparta (product)
- LSI (company)
- Sun (company)
- ILOM (product)
- STec (company)
- Gnutek (company)
- EMC (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [342: That Girl's Brain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2020-08-27-342-that-girls-brain) (Embedded.fm)
- [Finding Hardware Flaws with Laura Abbott](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-05-23-finding-hardware-flaws-with-laura-abbott) (The Amp Hour)
- [The Spark Gap - Episode 32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-spark-gap/2015-05-06-the-spark-gap-episode-32) (The Spark Gap)
- [155: Foot-Seeking Bullet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-06-08-155-foot-seeking-bullet) (Embedded.fm)
- [An Interview with Jack Ganssle (2nd)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2020-04-20-an-interview-with-jack-ganssle-2nd) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2021-06-08-barracuda-7200-11-broken-firmware-is-broken-software. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.