Disk reliability (Was: Node cloning)

[Jeffrey B Layton]

Mark Hahn wrote:

> >   I hate to dredge up this topic again, but ... . I've got a machine
> > with an IBM drive that is giving me the following errors,
>
> it's not an error.
>
> > kernel: hda: dma_intr: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
> > kernel: hda: dma_intr: error=0x84 { DriveStatusError BadCRC }
>
> translation: "the udma checksum detected a corrupt transaction
> due to noise on the cable; it was automatically retried".
>
> this *only* happens due to corruption of the signal on the cable;
> normally, that's because someone has a bogus cable, or is overclocking.
> if it happens at relatively low rate, there is no performance cost.

Not overclocking. So, it looks like a cable? It's a typical
IDE cable since I'm running the IBM drive in a standard
IDE connection (couldn't get the silly HPT366 to work
consistently).


>
>
> (for reference, all non-bogus IDE cables must be 18" or less,
> with both ends plugged in (no stub).  for a mode > udma33,
> the 80-conductor cable must also be used, and yes, it's still
> at most 18".)

Check.

>
>
> > as discussed in previous emails on the list. I followed the pointers
> > that Josip gave and ran the IBM code on the drive. It said the drive
>
> the code in question probably just configured the drive
> to default to udma33 or something modest.  this shouldn't ever
> be necessary, since the bios shouldn't misconfigure a too-high
> speed, and any modern Linux will not.  (though you can choose your
> own mode using hdparm, if you wish.)

Yep, set the drive parameters with hdparm in rc.local.

Thanks,

Jeff