Topic: Positiive SATA experience - so far

[timb]

Hi all,

There has been all sorts of chat about does/doesnt SATA work with SME. I am pleased to report the following combination built at midnight last night (about 9 hours ago) seems to be working very well.

EPOX 8RDA3+ mobo
Western Digital 200 gig SATA drives in raid 1 (software)

This combination took the sme cd and installed as if there was ide drives installed. The sata drives appeared as hde and hdg.

The mirror resync is/was running at about 980k/s falling to 890k/s whilst a windows box copies files over the network from the outgoing server (no I didn't want any trace of the prev server - it has had every rpm installed known to man - and some real problems - fresh start)

The mirror resync is going to take forever - its been about 8 hours as I write with it claiming to need another 3000 minutes - sheesh

A question
Would I have been better off using the hardware sata raid? I didnt cause I like using raidmonitor and at midnight couldnt see how the hardware raid failing could generate an email...

A comment
This EPOX board rocks! It's a shame to see all the hardware that wont be used SPDIF in/out etc  

[cc_skavenger]

Did you try turning on hdparm?  It should make a big difference.  
command something like:
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hde
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hdg


Not sure if these settings are right, but it should be something similar.

[timb]

Did you try turning on hdparm?  It should make a big difference.  
command something like:
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hde
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hdg


Not sure if these settings are right, but it should be something similar.

Sure made a hell of a difference - raid rebuild speed now at about 260k/s

then the resync broke :-{

Damn!

[timb_not logged in]

Did you try turning on hdparm?  It should make a big difference.  
command something like:
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hde
hdparm -c3 -m16 -d1 /dev/hdg


Not sure if these settings are right, but it should be something similar.

Sure made a hell of a difference - raid rebuild speed now at about 260k/s

then the resync broke :-{

Damn!

Actually further reserch has revealed that there are problems with the SiI3112 driver in the kernel code. Turning on dma is inviting crashes. Poor disk transfer rates result
seems like 1M/s where 50 -60Mbs is possible.

It is said that libata will really kick things along.


Looks like its back to ide drives - or the ide-sata converters I have on hand

[Reinhold]

Timb,

I do NOT take neither credit nor responsibility for the advice below...
(however it's info from a Linux kernel list active member who usually is very reliable)

Silicon Image 3112 SATA
----------------------------------------
As some others suggested on the list, the problem with very slow
transfer and timeouts if you try to enable DMA, can be fixed by the
following lines in an appropriate rc file:

  hdparm -X66 -d1 /dev/hda
  echo "max_kb_per_request:15" > /proc/ide/hdX/settings
  (repeat for both drives, e.g. hde and hdg).
-------------------

Regards

Reinhold

[timb_notloggedin]

Reinhold
Yeah I saw this too.... The mirror sync finished last night some time, and I was planning to do some hdparm measurements of performance today.

However, rather alarmingly this morning my nice new server was locked up. Its now very slowly working it's way through fsck. It would seem that the mirror is intact.

Whilst reading around the kernel list there was a mention that the SiI3112 driver could lock at random.....but I thought it was only once you started turning on DMA.

I am now rather concerned about my new baby - and wondering which way to head. I have a couple of those ide to sata converters and I could easily stick them in and get the drives on the ide channels. BUT this will mean no cd if I put both drives on seperate channels (will it physically fit) and
if I am unable to resurect the raid no easy way to reinstall.
It will also mean no 50-60M/s transfers....

What to do?
Try these settings
 hdparm -X66 -d1 /dev/hda
  echo "max_kb_per_request:15" > /proc/ide/hdX/settings
  (repeat for both drives, e.g. hde and hdg).

Then I think it will be ide/sata adaptors first followed by compromise and tears...

Wish I hadnt started this topic with the word "positive experiences"


Thanks for the tip!

Timb,

I do NOT take neither credit nor responsibility for the advice below...
(however it's info from a Linux kernel list active member who usually is very reliable)

Silicon Image 3112 SATA
----------------------------------------
As some others suggested on the list, the problem with very slow
transfer and timeouts if you try to enable DMA, can be fixed by the
following lines in an appropriate rc file:

  hdparm -X66 -d1 /dev/hda
  echo "max_kb_per_request:15" > /proc/ide/hdX/settings
  (repeat for both drives, e.g. hde and hdg).
-------------------

Regards

Reinhold

[Reinhold]

Tim,

If you are on fsck already,
I'd go for the "-X66"

I don't see what could go worse  

"x"-ing fingers for you
Reinhold

P.S.: Haven't looked for the prices lately
but you might be safe&cheap with a
PCI based Promise Ultra 100/133 for the CD-ROM and Tape (and whatelse)...
That STUFF WORKS - promise - ...pun intended .-)

[timb_notlogged in]

Tim,

If you are on fsck already,
I'd go for the "-X66"

I don't see what could go worse  

"x"-ing fingers for you
Reinhold

P.S.: Haven't looked for the prices lately
but you might be safe&cheap with a
PCI based Promise Ultra 100/133 for the CD-ROM and Tape (and whatelse)...
That STUFF WORKS - promise - ...pun intended .-)

Ok
I have just tried the hdparm line - results in an immediate and total lock up.

Guess who's 3 day mirror build needs doing again :-{

NOT going to go ahead with it like this....

Tried hdparm with out the dma switch - only X66 - CRASH
Tried with dma not X66 - returned from command for both drives and the next command - CRASH

Ok - that's the end of the on board SATA for now
Now I am going to install the IDE to SATA board and see if I can hand fix the raid pair.

So if anyone else reads this - dont use the SiI3112 SATA contorller yet  - the driver sucks - the kernel guys know it and are fixing it for 2.6

Still love the EPOX board though

[timb_notlogged in]

I have installed the two Sata drives with the ide-> Sata convertor. They are on the same channel (might try two convertors once the resync is over.

Performance has gone from 900k/s rebuilding to 10305k/s resync time is only 300 minutes rather than 3000 plus.

This rate with a windows box loading files onto samba share

Will try hdparm on the ide channel next