Securely erasing data on inoperative storage device

A method for failsafe erasure of a first memory device coupled to a storage device, the storage device comprises a controller to execute operations on the storage device, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the controller, sanitize instructions from a host coupled to the storage device to execute erase operations on the first memory device;
• executing, by the controller, the erase operations on the first memory device in response to the sanitize instructions received from the host;
• detecting that an unrecoverable error occurs when executing the sanitize instructions, aborting the erase operations, and entering an exception handling,
• determining, by the controller, that the storage device has entered an unrecoverable state;
• moving, by the controller, into a restricted firmware mode when the storage device enters into the unrecoverable state;
• when in the restricted firmware mode, loading, by the controller, firmware into a second memory device in the storage device;
• informing the host, by the controller, that the storage device has entered in the restricted firmware mode and that the storage device supports the erase operations in the restricted firmware mode;
• waiting to receive a sanitize instruction from the host;
• and
• upon receiving the sanitize instruction from the host, executing, by the controller, the firmware in the second memory device to resume the erase operations and delete user data and control data in the first memory device.

A system for failsafe erasure of a first memory device coupled to a storage device, the system comprises:

• a host to transmit instructions to one of store user data on the first memory device, read user data from the first memory device, and remove user data from the first memory device;
• and
• a storage device including the first memory device to store user data and control data and a controller, wherein the controller executes erase operations on the first memory device in response to sanitize instructions received from the host, detects that an unrecoverable error occurs when executing the sanitize instructions and aborts the erase operations and enter an exception handling mode, determines that the storage device enters an unrecoverable state, and moves into a restricted firmware mode when the storage device enters into the unrecoverable state, and
• wherein when in the restricted firmware mode, the controller loads firmware into a second memory device in the storage device, informs the host that the storage device has entered in the restricted firmware mode and that the storage device supports an erase operation in the restricted firmware mode, waits to receive a sanitize instruction from the host, and upon receiving the sanitize instruction from the host, the controller executes the firmware in the second memory device to resume the erase operations and delete the user data and the control data stored on the first memory device.