HighPoint Rocket 620/622 - compatible?

[queeg]

I'm want to buy a sata card that supports hot plugging so I can attach/disconnect either an internal drive or external esata  without shutting down.

 

Here are my questions. 

Q1. Is the Marvell 88SE9128  chipset supported in slackware?

 

I'm fuzzy on exactly what hot plugging works and what doesn't. 

Q2. If I get a card with 2 internal sata connectors that support hot plugging, does that mean I can use one of the extension cables that has an esata connector on one end and plugs into the internal sata port on the other end and expect that I can then plug in an external hard drive dock with an esata connector and have it all hot pluggy happy?

 

 

One of the cards I'm looking at is this HighPoint 620 or the 622.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115072&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-16-115-072-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115073

 

http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_r600.htm

 

 

[WeeboTech]

Here are my questions. 

Q1. Is the Marvell 88SE9128  chipset supported in slackware?

 

According to the following link, there is linux support.

http://www.marvell.com/products/storage/storage_system_solutions/sata_controllers_pc_consumer/

I have not seen where it is supported by slackware.

 

I'm fuzzy on exactly what hot plugging works and what doesn't. 

Q2. If I get a card with 2 internal sata connectors that support hot plugging, does that mean I can use one of the extension cables that has an esata connector on one end and plugs into the internal sata port on the other end and expect that I can then plug in an external hard drive dock with an esata connector and have it all hot pluggy happy?

 

Here's the issue, in hardware this should work.

In software there may be issues.

1. The controller must support it.

2. The software driver must support it.

3. If in the unRAID array, unRAID must support it.

 

#3 is a definite no.

 

#1 & #2 can work, but this brings up other issues.

If device id's change, this could cause a snag or interrupt in the bus, thus re-assigning drives.

This in turn could cause a drive to drop out of the unRAID array and cause other problems.

 

If you go this route, I would suggest not using the other port for unRAID.

I would suggest not booting with the drive plugged in.

I would suggest unplugging the drive if you are shutting down so you do not accidentally boot with the drive plugged in.

 

The only time I've seen linux drive assignments stay put was with a 3ware controller.

If a system was defined with 2 JBOD Drives and they were available on boot.

The tw_cli would allow you to offline a drive, swap it and online the drive keeping the /dev/sd? id.

 

Is there a reason to use the Highpoint vs a SIL3132 with builtin eSATA interface already?

[barrygordon]

What I understand from this (WeeboTech);

 

1) You must always stop the array

2) You can then pull a hot swappable drive(s) other than parity and re arrange where they are.

3) When you re-start the array unRaid will adjust to the new configuration

4) If unRaid does not have the drive assigned you can pull it or insert it without stopping unRaid

The above is predicated on whether the hardware components truly support hot swap.

 

The advantage in a working hot swap configuration is that you do not have to power cycle the system (server) box, but you do have to stop the array and then re-START it (not restore it)

[WeeboTech]

4) If unRaid does not have the drive assigned you can pull it or insert it without stopping unRaid

The above is predicated on whether the hardware components truly support hot swap.

 

The issue here is if the removable drive is assigned in the middle of the array some how during boot up order.

There have been issues documented where the drive order changes when a drive is pulled or inserted.

Thus causing failure of the array and corruption.  Tread carefully.

 

It can work. I've done it.

The issue I had in my case, if the drive was left in place during a reboot, all other drives slid up by an assignment and I had to reassign a drive. (in my case I think it was the parity drive).

 

Just be careful and test it out.

 

I would not do any form of hot swapping with any drive assigned inside the unRAID array without stopping the unRAID array.

 

Only drives which are temporarily mounted outside of the unRAID array. (even then I've seen issues in my own setup, so be careful and watch the drive assignments).

[queeg]

Here are my questions. 

Q1. Is the Marvell 88SE9128  chipset supported in slackware?

Is there a reason to use the Highpoint vs a SIL3132 with builtin eSATA interface already?

 

Well, it's newer hardware with sata III support so I guess that might mostly be the draw for me over an Sil3132 card.

 

I'm not actually planning on having hotswapped drives in my unRAID array.  Maybe someday but for now I'm intending to use it like the equivalent of usb but just faster.  I want to be able to have an single 3.5 drive caddy that I can insert drives into.  Also, I want to be able to attach external eSata devices hot.  That was sort of my question...is eSata support just from the eSata cable connector or does eSata have some special circuitry?

 

 

[WeeboTech]

is eSata support just from the eSata cable connector or does eSata have some special circuitry?

 

1. is eSata support just from the eSata cable connector

Yes. But you need a quality eSATA cable.

 

2. does eSata have some special circuitry?

Hot swap would have at least a software layer so that the system handles it correctly.

I would bet there is some circuitry to prevent shorts or surges.

I remember someone getting a surge on their motherboard and having all sorts of issues as the whole bus sensed the inserted drive.

If you use a separate controller, without any other drives on it, and only use it with a reliable eSATA unit you should be OK.

I would not have it as part of the protected array.

 

[queeg]

The issue here is if the removable drive is assigned in the middle of the array some how during boot up order.

There have been issues documented where the drive order changes when a drive is pulled or inserted.

Thus causing failure of the array and corruption.   Tread carefully.

 

So as long as slackware detects drives on the adapter AFTER it detects drives on the motherboard on boot up then it's safe - right?  

[WeeboTech]

Yes, If you have any other controllers in slots, you will need to watch the order of initialization.

 

[queeg]

This is follow up information.  Not knowing if the Highpoint 620 was compatible and wanting to use an external esata connected device to an internal sata connection using the adapter shown in a previous post I decided to try out a supported chipset first.  So I bought a sy-pex40015 card which uses Sil3132 chipset.  http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10407&cs_id=1040702&p_id=2530&seq=1&format=2

 

Results:  Disappointing.  

The card didn't recognize the esata drive I connected to it.  For the moment I'm not even trying to do hotplugging.  I shutdown, attach the drive, reboot and press F4 to enter the cards bios.  I tried 2 different 500GB hard drives in the external esata device, 1 formated with ntfs and the other with reiserfs - still didn't detect.  I connected the esata device to my laptop where it does detect the hard drive as expected.  This same external device has a usb connector and the both of the drives are detected from unRAID server that way.

 

The external device: http://www.cooldrives.com/colcal3saiih.html  is a pretty standard esata device.

 

I wanted to use one of the ports internally which is why I didn't just get a card with 2 esata connectors instead.  The two ports work with internal drives attached because I checked them both for that.

[WeeboTech]

This is follow up information.  Not knowing if the Highpoint 620 was compatible and wanting to use an external esata connected device to an internal sata connection using the adapter shown in a previous post I decided to try out a supported chipset first.  So I bought a sy-pex40015 card which uses Sil3132 chipset.  http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10407&cs_id=1040702&p_id=2530&seq=1&format=2

 

Results:  Disappointing.  

The card didn't recognize the esata drive I connected to it.  For the moment I'm not even trying to do hotplugging.  I shutdown, attach the drive, reboot and press F4 to enter the cards bios.  I tried 2 different 500GB hard drives in the external esata device, 1 formated with ntfs and the other with reiserfs - still didn't detect.  I connected the esata device to my laptop where it does detect the hard drive as expected.  This same external device has a usb connector and the both of the drives are detected from unRAID server that way.

 

The external device: http://www.cooldrives.com/colcal3saiih.html  is a pretty standard esata device.

 

I wanted to use one of the ports internally which is why I didn't just get a card with 2 esata connectors instead.  The two ports work with internal drives attached because I checked them both for that.

 

Try it on a motherboard port.

I know this works. I've tested doing this with ICH9, SIL3132 and JMB363.

 

You might want to test out one of the PCIe cards that already has a eSATA connection.

ala:  I Have each of these. I know it works, but I also know it works on motherboard ports too.

 

Rosewill RC-218 PCI Express x4 (x8 and x16 slot compatible) SATA II 3G Controller Card/ 4 internal SATA with 2 external eSATA Design

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132018

Marvell.

 

Watch this price, it was going for $59 for the longest time, I noticed it is now $89.

 

 

Rosewill RC-216 PCI Express eSATA II x 2 / ATA 133 x1 RAID 0/1/0+1/JBOD/ un-RAID mode Controller Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132014

JMB 363

More recent price is $19.99.  New arrival to my parts box. (I needed a P-ATA on a motherboard that does not have one).

 

MASSCOOL PCI-e 4 port SATA2 (SIL3132 Chip) Model XWT-PCIE10

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815280008

SIL3132

Same price I paid for.

[queeg]

I bought a different esata hard drive dock and tried again.  It's working on the sil3132 card.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817707170&cm_re=dual_sata_dock-_-17-707-170-_-Product