Overview
ISO/IEC 14776-372:2011 - commonly referred to as SCSI Enclosure Services - 2 (SES-2) - is an international standard that defines the commands and parameters used to manage and monitor non‑SCSI elements inside storage enclosures. The standard specifies how to use SCSI diagnostic commands (SEND DIAGNOSTIC and RECEIVE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS) to obtain enclosure configuration information and to set or sense status bits for elements such as power supplies, cooling devices, displays, indicators, individual drives, and other enclosure components.
Key Topics and Technical Requirements
- SCSI enclosure services model: defines access modes (standalone and attached enclosure services processes), subenclosure concepts, and management of indicators and controls.
- Command set: uses SCSI diagnostic commands to query configuration and status; details listed diagnostic pages and command behaviors.
- Diagnostic pages: includes Configuration, Enclosure Control, Enclosure Status, Help Text, String In/Out, Threshold In/Out, Element Descriptor, Additional Element Status, Enclosure Busy, Download Microcode control/status, Subenclosure Nickname control/status, and more.
- Element definitions and formats: standardized descriptors and status/control formats for element types such as device slots, power supplies, cooling elements, temperature sensors, door locks, audible alarms, displays, SCSI ports, SAS expanders, voltage/current sensors, etc.
- Reporting and notification: defines reporting methods - polling, timed completion, CHECK CONDITION status, and asynchronous event notification - plus thresholds and error reporting (sense keys and additional sense codes).
- Mode, log and parameter pages: mode and log parameters specific to enclosure services and management.
- Firmware management: diagnostic pages for download microcode control and status are included for in-field updates.
Practical Applications
- Implementing enclosure management in storage arrays, JBOD/RAID enclosures, and SAN appliances.
- Enabling chassis health monitoring (power, thermal, sensors) for data center infrastructure and predictive maintenance.
- Providing standardized interfaces for BMCs, storage firmware, device drivers, and management software to control LEDs, indicators, locks, and alarms.
- Supporting automated operations: hot-swap control, fault isolation, microcode updates, and event notification to monitoring systems.
Who Should Use This Standard
- Storage system architects and hardware designers
- Firmware and driver developers for SCSI/SAS/NVMe backplanes
- Data center operators and integrators implementing enclosure monitoring
- QA, compliance, and interoperability test teams
Related Standards
- Part of the SCSI family (ISO/IEC 14776 series). Implementers should reference the broader SCSI command set and transport-specific standards when integrating SES-2 with host and protocol layers.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 14776-372, SES-2, SCSI Enclosure Services, enclosure management, SEND DIAGNOSTIC, RECEIVE DIAGNOSTIC RESULTS, diagnostic pages, enclosure monitoring.
Open preview (PDF)Information technology — Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) — Part 372: SCSI Enclosure Services - 2 (SES-2)
