Re: Serial ATA (SATA) for Linux status report

[Jeff Garzik <jgarzik@pobox.com>]

Andre Tomt wrote:
> On Wed, 2003-12-03 at 21:44, Jeff Garzik wrote:
> 
>>Intel ICH5
>>----------
>>Summary:  No TCQ.  Looks like a PATA controller, but with a few added,
>>non-standard SATA port controls.

> One question - with "including hotplug", does that mean some set hotplug
> standard? Reason I'm asking is, we have a few servers from SuperMicro,
> with a ICH5R S-ATA controller that claims it's supporting hotplug, but
> hotplug is not in your ICH5-summary.

Alas, there is no hotplug support in the ICH5 or ICH5-R SATA hardware.

One could argue there is "coldplug" support in that hardware -- disable 
the entire interface, including any active devices, then re-enable and 
re-scan -- but it's a bit of a hack.  If there's enough demand, I could 
write some code for that.  It would involve something like

	# /sbin/sata off
	{ plug in or remove a device }
	# /sbin/sata on

You really, really, really don't want to actually unplug a SATA drive 
while it's active, on ICH5 hardware.

	Jeff