[chrisc@terminalarrogance.com: RE: Bug#258500: Installer fails to recognise SiI3112 hw RAID array]

[linux-ide-owner@vger.kernel.org]

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Hello SATA people,

Here's a message from Chris Carr who tried to get his Silicon Image
"RAID" adapter working during his test of the Debian Installer. Is
there any chance of being able to enumerate the adapter's RAID
configuration in Linux-space? Is the support already implemented
(excuse my ignorance if it already is)? Are there plans to do so
at all in the future?

The Debian Installer currently uses kernel version 2.6.7 and 2.4.26 with
SATA support patches.

Thanks a lot!

-Josh

----- Forwarded message from Chris Carr <chrisc@terminalarrogance.com> -----

X-Original-To: joshk@triplehelix.org
From: Chris Carr <chrisc@terminalarrogance.com>
To: 'Joshua Kwan' <joshk@triplehelix.org>, 258500-quiet@bugs.debian.org
Subject: RE: Bug#258500: Installer fails to recognise SiI3112 hw RAID array
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 20:22:34 +0100
Organization: Terminal Arrogance Productions
Importance: Normal
X-CRM114-Version: 20040419-BlameEasterBunny-auto.1 MF-CF620E29 
X-CRM114-Status: Good  ( pR: 23.6269 )

> On Tue, Jul 13, 2004 at 10:12:16PM +0100, Chris Carr wrote:
> > Neither .... I see sda and sdb ... same two drives, but called
something
> > different by the different driver. Still no RAID array.
 
> OK, here's the situation. I just experienced this problem in the lab
> this afternoon.

Ah!
 
> It is true: SiImage "RAID" arrays are really supposed to be handled by
> the driver in a software RAID fashion. This is outside the realm of
> kernel space at least for now because sata_sil doesn't understand the
> formation of those arrays and can't enumerate just the single logical
> drive to the kernel yet.
> 
> Therefore, you can't use this properly until the kernel supports it.
> Sorry. :(

Ok. I'm keen to lend my support to whoever is writing this. Could you
tell me whom to contact? The siimage maintainer, or the sata_sil one, or
someone else? 

> On the other hand, you can nuke Windows and set up Linux software RAID
> across the two drives, leaving a little chunk for Windows on one of
> them.

I assume that the controller must count for something, ie. This must be
at least slightly faster than pure software RAID. I'm all for nuking
Windows - but then the driver might not get written. I'll stay like this
a while and see if I can encourage or help the right maintainer ....

Thanks again,

CC


----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Joshua Kwan

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