Re: decoding PMP errors with Marvel SATA controller

[Marc MERLIN <marc@merlins.org>]

On Sun, Jun 26, 2011 at 01:38:38PM -0400, Mark Lord wrote:
> This all *used* to work with sata_mv.
> But I also recently noticed my sata_mv cards no longer
> work with the 4-port Marvell PMP here, and that combo
> definitely did work when I finished with it all
> (back around 2.6.29 or so).
> 
> Since sata_mv itself hasn't changed (much) since then,
> the problem is likely in the libata core somewhere.
> I'd guess that maybe in the reset/probe code.
> 
> I'm rather distracted here right now with broken internet connectivity,
> and hunting for new providers etc., so not likely to dig around on it.
> 
> Perhaps Marc MERLIN could retest with an older kernel,

Well, I don't know what to say.

A friend lent me another sata_mv card and just to get another baseline I
tried my original card again, and it just started working.
Yet, I tried it 4 different times before, moved it from one slot to the
other one, changed the sata cables just in case, and nothing would help.

The one thing I did since last time, however, was to update the motherboard
bios.
I'm now wondering if that did not solve some subtle problem which was
causing issues with the sata_mv card and not the sata_sil24.

So it seems it was a false alarm after all, I'll report back if I have
problems again, but it looks like it's working solidly and for what it's
worth with 5 drives and software raid 5, I can both read and write files
at about 115MB/s, which isn't too shabby :)

Marc
-- 
"A mouse is a device used to point at the xterm you want to type in" - A.S.R.
Microsoft is to operating systems ....
                                      .... what McDonalds is to gourmet cooking
Home page: http://marc.merlins.org/