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From: Ric Wheeler <rwheeler@redhat.com>
To: Alan Stern <stern@rowland.harvard.edu>
Cc: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: USB storage & write barrier support?
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:46:03 -0500	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <4B0AF48B.1090904@redhat.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.44L0.0911231534420.2958-100000@iolanthe.rowland.org>

On 11/23/2009 03:37 PM, Alan Stern wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Nov 2009, Ric Wheeler wrote:
>
>> Hi Alan,
>>
>> One quick question - how robust is our support for write barriers over USB?
>>
>> Specifically, I am looking to get together some testing with both
>> external USB and e-sata enclosure for various file systems and would be
>> very interested in helping make sure that this is well handled...
>
> It's extremely robust -- the USB mass-storage driver has a maximum
> command-queue length of 1!
>
> With the coming of USB 3.0 and the UASP (USB-Attached SCSI Protocol)
> specification this will change.  I presume barriers will then be
> implemented as the need arises.
>
> Alan
>

What we need is to pass down cache flush commands (ATA_CACHE_FLUSH_EXT is what 
flushed the cache for ATA/S-ATA devices). Even with a command-queue length of 1, 
the write cache a USB connected s-ata drive would still loose data on power off 
without this kind of support.

Ric


  reply	other threads:[~2009-11-23 20:41 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 5+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2009-11-23 20:12 USB storage & write barrier support? Ric Wheeler
2009-11-23 20:37 ` Alan Stern
2009-11-23 20:46   ` Ric Wheeler [this message]
2009-11-23 20:49     ` Alan Stern
2009-11-23 20:57       ` Ric Wheeler

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