one more load-cycle-count problem

[Jeremy Chadwick]

On Tue, Feb 09, 2010 at 02:42:10AM -0800, perryh at pluto.rain.com wrote:
> Jeremy Chadwick <freebsd at jdc.parodius.com> wrote:
> > The DOS utilities submit custom ATA CMDs or data to all WD disks
> > to toggle or adjust these features.  If someone could figure out
> > what the command(s) were, the feature(s) could be implemented into
> > atacontrol(8).  Of course, that would require reverse-engineering
> > of the EXEs ...
> 
> Or use of an ATA analyzer (think wireshark, but for ATA).

1) ...which are guaranteed to be outrageously expensive:

- LeCroy SATAAnalyzer -- price unknown, requires you to mail company
  for quote.  LeCroy bought out Catalyst (known for their STX Series).
- SerialTek BusXpert Micro -- same situation.
- SerialTek BusXpert PRO -- same situation.
- DataTransit BusDoctor + BusDoctor Rx module -- same situation.
- Xgig Bus Doctor 1.5G/3G SATA Protocol Analyser -- same situation.
- Xgig 6G SAS/SATA Analyzer -- same situation.
- Absolute Analysis Investigator SATA Analyser -- same situation.

Usually this means the products are in the multi-thousand USD range,
if not tens of thousands.  Google Shopping turns up very few results,
including one from eBay.  I rest my case:

- DataTransit DrSATA analyser (EOL'd long ago) -- US$1,200
- LeCroy SA005APA-X analyser -- US$4,992
- SerialTek BusXpert Micro -- US$20,521
- SerialTek BusXpert PRO -- US$52,889

2) ...which would still be sufficient grounds for WD to sue (under DMCA)
whoever was responsible for the reverse-engineering efforts.

My advice would be to RE the EXE, simply because the binary requires
that the SATA controller be operating with AHCI disabled, or be in PATA
Emulation mode.  IDA Pro could probably make this task easier, but the
binary runs using a DOS extender (protected mode wrapper; think DOS4GW).
I've had WDTLER generate an exception error on first use but proceed to
work fine during subsequent uses.

Am I willing to do any of this?  Absolutely not -- DMCA violation has
serious repercussions to a person, both professionally and financially.
It's not worth the risk; God bless the United States.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                   jdc at parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                       http://www.parodius.com/ |
| UNIX Systems Administrator                  Mountain View, CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.              PGP: 4BD6C0CB |