Re: [CentOS] Any experience with eSATA and port multiplier...?

2012-02-21 Thread John Doe
Tried to reboot...
Tried on another PC with CentOS 6...
Tried on my Windows 7 laptop (while it certainly does not support port 
multiplier, even with one disk it would take a long time to appear, once, and 
never appear again)...
I am returning the docking station... and will get 2 single drive dockings 
instead, since my card has 2 eSATA connectors anyway...

JD
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Re: [CentOS] Any experience with eSATA and port multiplier...?

2012-02-18 Thread Devin Reade
--On Friday, February 17, 2012 07:03:57 PM + Gary Greene
ggre...@minervanetworks.com wrote:

 On 2/17/12 3:47 AM, John Doe jd...@yahoo.com wrote:

 just bought an eSATA/USB dual drive docking station and my CentOS 5 can
 only see one drive at a time...
 Any one knows if there are specific parameters to set somewhere?
 Or do I need a more recent kernel (like upgrading to CentOS 6?)

 To make this work, the module for the chipset for the SATA controller that
 the device uses must support Port Multiplier options. Unfortunately, from
 my experience, not many SATA drivers in the Linux kernel actually support
 PMP properly or reliably.

I have no experience with these, but I was noticing this review
earlier on a device that is reported to work well with linux:

http://www.amazon.com/iStarUSA-v7AGE420-ES-Trayless-External-Enclosure/product-reviews/B001LDMHFQ/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/185-1350060-5210125?ie=UTF8showViewpoints=1

Unfortunately the review doesn't mention Linux distro or version.

I realize that probably doesn't help the OP, given that he already
bought his hardware, but maybe it will help someone else.

[If you're looking at this message in the archive and the above
link is dead, the short version is that the iStar USA model
v7AGE420-ES 4 bay chassis is reported to work well]

Devin

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Re: [CentOS] Any experience with eSATA and port multiplier...?

2012-02-17 Thread Gary Greene
On 2/17/12 3:47 AM, John Doe jd...@yahoo.com wrote:


Hey,

just bought an eSATA/USB dual drive docking station and my CentOS 5 can
only see one drive at a time...
Any one knows if there are specific parameters to set somewhere?
Or do I need a more recent kernel (like upgrading to CentOS 6?)

The docking is a Sharkoon Quickport Duo v2 + 2 drives + 1 eSATA cable...
http://www.sharkoon.com/?q=en/content/sata-quickport-duo-v2
The eSATA controller is an HighPpoint PciE 2 ports combo eSATA/USB with
(supposedly) port-multiplier support
Apparently based on an Silicon image Sil 3132
Seems like the port multiplier part does not work correctly...

kernel: ata7: SATA link up 1.5 Gbps (SStatus 113 SControl 10)
kernel: ata7.15: Port Multiplier 1.1, 0x197b:0x2352 r0, 2 ports, feat
0x0/0x0
kernel: ata7.15: Asynchronous notification not supported, hotplug won't
kernel:  work on fan-out ports. Use warm-plug instead.
kernel: ata7.00: hard resetting link

The logs are full of hard resetting link, softreset failed and other
failed to reset PMP, giving up


I did not try to reboot yet...  Would be a pain to have to reboot every
time I need to plug drives.  :/


I am not the only one...
http://linux.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/SuSE/2011-10/msg00055.html
He has a kernel 2.6.37.6-0.7 and it still fails so I am wondering if
upgrading to CentOS 6.x would help at all...



To make this work, the module for the chipset for the SATA controller that
the device uses must support Port Multiplier options. Unfortunately, from
my experience, not many SATA drivers in the Linux kernel actually support
PMP properly or reliably. I've a server at home using this for storage of
video data which is using an SiS chipset which works well after going
through two manufacturers which did not.

--
Gary L. Greene, Jr.
Sr. Systems Administrator
IT Operations, Minerva Networks Inc.
Cell: (650) 704-6633
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