libata testing on new machine with ICH5 and PDC20318

libata testing on new machine with ICH5 and PDC20318

[Kevin P. Fleming]

I'm building a new server to go into a colo facility in about six weeks; 
the machine will have an Intel motherboard with an ICH5R (although I 
won't use the RAID features) and a Promise SATA150 TX4 (no RAID 
support). All six SATA ports will have Seagate 160GB Barracuda drives 
attached, and I plan on using software RAID-5 and LVM2 on top of the array.

I will be building the system using 2.6.0-test9, so will be using libata 
to drive the disks. If there's anything I can help with 
debugging/testing the ICH and/or Promise SATA drivers let me know... I 
see that recently Jeff posted a small patch for some SATA reset issues 
against -test9, so I'll certainly start out with that included.

Re: libata testing on new machine with ICH5 and PDC20318

[Jeff Garzik]

Kevin P. Fleming wrote:
> I'm building a new server to go into a colo facility in about six weeks; 
> the machine will have an Intel motherboard with an ICH5R (although I 
> won't use the RAID features) and a Promise SATA150 TX4 (no RAID 
> support). All six SATA ports will have Seagate 160GB Barracuda drives 
> attached, and I plan on using software RAID-5 and LVM2 on top of the array.
> 
> I will be building the system using 2.6.0-test9, so will be using libata 
> to drive the disks. If there's anything I can help with 
> debugging/testing the ICH and/or Promise SATA drivers let me know... I 
> see that recently Jeff posted a small patch for some SATA reset issues 
> against -test9, so I'll certainly start out with that included.


The ICH5 should be fine.  You may need to twiddle BIOS setup options, 
some users have reported that both drivers/ide and libata fail in 
certain BIOS modes.  "Enhanced - SATA only" is usually the preferred 
mode, where feasible.

You need to make sure you get the Promise SATA fixes I just pushed to 
Linus.  Presumably they will be available in the next 2.6.0-testX BK 
snapshot on ftp.kernel.org, tonight or the next night.

	Jeff

Re: libata testing on new machine with ICH5 and PDC20318

[Kevin P. Fleming]

Jeff Garzik wrote:

> The ICH5 should be fine.  You may need to twiddle BIOS setup options, 
> some users have reported that both drivers/ide and libata fail in 
> certain BIOS modes.  "Enhanced - SATA only" is usually the preferred 
> mode, where feasible.

I forgot to mention I will not be booting off of any of the SATA disks, 
so that should cover the BIOS issues by just ignoring them.

> 
> You need to make sure you get the Promise SATA fixes I just pushed to 
> Linus.  Presumably they will be available in the next 2.6.0-testX BK 
> snapshot on ftp.kernel.org, tonight or the next night.

I saw that message; I won't have the hardware until late next week, so 
I'll watch to see what happens with the snapshot/-testX situation by then.

I'll have about three weeks to use the machine for "whatever" before I 
have to start preparing it for its real purpose, so if there's any 
stress tests or anything I else I can run that would be useful let me know.