re: Promise SATA-standby +selftest=hungdrive; Sil works...

From: Linda Walsh
Date: Tue Oct 21 2008 - 23:41:39 EST


This is with 2.6.26.5 (there are multiple other problems with 2.6.27[.0]).

The problem with the drive going "offline" doesn't happen with a
sil_sata(3124) controller -- so no need to unplug and replug...


I.e. when the drives are in standby, if smartd or a smartctl command
attempts to run a drive self-test (short), I get timeout errors from the
Promise controller (which hangs the sys if I try unplugging/replugging
the cable to the hung drive).

The drives correctly spin up to speed and perform the short-test with
the sil controller.

It would seem there is a problem with the Promise controller or driver?


Tejun Heo wrote:
Linda Walsh wrote:
Tejun Heo wrote:
Linda Walsh wrote:
Controller is a Promise TX4/300
Yeap. After the drive goes offline, does unplugging and replugging
the power cable to the harddrive makes it come back?
----
No. It hangs the computer. about 2-3 seconds after plugging the
drives back in. Did it twice to verify it wasn't a fluke. Verified
drives removed from /dev, then
plugged them back in -- was able to do about 1-2 ls commands on /dev, then
keyboard goes dead.

First time I tried unplugging the power cables and replugging --
that hung...
2nd time tried unplugging a sata cable and replugging -- that hung too.

Ah.. okay, so the controller went bonkers then. Any chance you can
shell out ~15 bucks and try a sil SATA controller?

Hopefully you won't need any more tests of this exact nature...? :-)

Wasn't it fun and empowering? :-P


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