Re: What is the solution for USB HDs

[Thomas Fjellstrom <thomas@fjellstrom.ca>]

On Wednesday, December 14, 2016 12:08:47 PM MST you wrote:
> Hi Phil,
> 
> usbcore.autosuspend=-1
> 
> This might be the solution! I'll test it and let you know.
> 
> And regarding power issues:
> 
> - this was the first thing I notices and I bought a powered usb-hub to
> provide enough current to the HDs.
> 
> Using USB drives is kind of a home user scenario. I understand that
> MDADM might be more focused on large data centers, but would be great
> to have such a great tool also available for the average joe.

I don't know if I'd call linux md-raid a "home user" senario. home user is 
more just not having any kind of backup or at most a single usb stick or usb 
hdd. 

Now, I use md-raid but I am not typical. I have a little self built NAS box, 
with 5x5 TB disks in raid 5. (I had thought I did raid 6, but I think I 
skipped it cause I have a full backup of the array on another box using a 
bunch of my older drives). Nice litle box using the Lian-Li PC Q25 case. 
Though I'd like to upgrade to the PC Q26, but its hard to find in canada for a 
decent price :(

Most of my friends use synology or drobo NAS boxes so they don't have to care 
about all the inner-workings most of the time.

I find USB disks too finicky for any real use. Also many are rather slow. I do 
however use them on occasion, especially usb3/3.1 ssds for quick backup or re-
image work when a usb stick won't cut it.

> Best!
> Juan Carlos Carvajal Bermúdez
> +43 650 477 0005
> juca@juan-carlos.info
> Beingasse 17/2/3
> AT 1150, Wien
> www.juan-carlos.info
> 
> On 12 December 2016 at 04:17, Phil Turmel <philip@turmel.org> wrote:
> > On 12/11/2016 05:14 PM, Adam Goryachev wrote:
> >> On 12/12/16 04:14, juca@juan-carlos.info wrote:
> >> If you are still having problems after that, then please try to post
> >> more details on what happens when the drives vanish (eg, kernel logs,
> >> system logs, etc).
> >> 
> >> Also, you might consider an alternative SBC, some have SATA ports
> >> already available (RPi are the only SBC's I've used, but there are many
> >> other options/variations).
> > 
> > There's also a kernel boot parameter that can cut off all USB
> > auto-suspend, which I suspect is part of the problem.  It has been known
> > for a long time that USB is not robust enough to be trusted in MD arrays.
> > 
> > { looking around..... }
> > 
> > usbcore.autosuspend=-1
> > 
> > is what you need in your bootloader or builtin to the kernel.
> > 
> > Phil
> 
> --
> To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-raid" in
> the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org
> More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html


-- 
Thomas Fjellstrom
thomas@fjellstrom.ca