From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-path: Received: from mail01.isidesign.com ([205.230.20.52] helo=mail01.doctordesign.com ident=root) by imladris.mvhi.com with esmtp (Exim 2.12 #1) id 11lM6v-0005vr-00 for mtd@infradead.org; Wed, 10 Nov 1999 00:59:42 +0000 Message-ID: <00e901bf2b17$42a84770$6600160a@isidesign.com> From: "Jon Burford" To: Subject: IGEL DOC2000 flash driver performance Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 17:02:29 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_00E6_01BF2AD4.34680990" Sender: owner-mtd@imladris.demon.co.uk List-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00E6_01BF2AD4.34680990 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I have been using the IGEL flash driver on a Linux 2.2.12 system now for = several months. One very annoying "feature" is that it causes the = entire OS to hang for 2-5 seconds after mounting or moderate write = operations. I talked with an M-Systems tech and although they did not = write the driver, he thought it might be due to the garbage collection = running in the DOC2000 firmware. When a block becomes some configurable = percentage utilized, the garbage collector tries to coallesce the used = portion of this block with others to decrease block fragmentation and = increase wearability. His theory was that the driver would request = space for a particular write operation and if garbage collection was = necessary, the write operation would block. My problem is that when = this happens and the blocking lasts for > 1.5 seconds, my watchdog = refresh process can't pet the watchdog and the system resets. I have = tried making the watchdog process a real-time thread with RTLinux, but = the RTLinux beta11 is proving to be a little unstable for my blood right = now. I am wondering if anyone has encountered this problem and/or may = have some advice for me. Does the MTD DOC2000 driver suffer from this = behavior and can it be patched into a 2.2.12 kernel? Any other = thoughts? TIA! Regards, Jon ------=_NextPart_000_00E6_01BF2AD4.34680990 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I have been using the IGEL flash driver = on a Linux=20 2.2.12 system now for several months.  One very annoying "feature" = is that=20 it causes the entire OS to hang for 2-5 seconds after mounting or = moderate write=20 operations.  I talked with an M-Systems tech and although they did = not=20 write the driver, he thought it might be due to the garbage collection = running=20 in the DOC2000 firmware.  When a block becomes some configurable = percentage=20 utilized, the garbage collector tries to coallesce the used portion of = this=20 block with others to decrease block fragmentation and increase=20 wearability.  His theory was that the driver would request space = for a=20 particular write operation and if garbage collection was necessary, the = write=20 operation would block.  My problem is that when this happens and = the=20 blocking lasts for > 1.5 seconds, my watchdog refresh process can't = pet the=20 watchdog and the system resets.  I have tried making the watchdog = process a=20 real-time thread with RTLinux, but the RTLinux beta11 is proving to be a = little=20 unstable for my blood right now.  I am wondering if anyone has = encountered=20 this problem and/or may have some advice for me.  Does the MTD = DOC2000=20 driver suffer from this behavior and can it be patched into a 2.2.12=20 kernel?  Any other thoughts?
 
TIA!
 
Regards,
Jon
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