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Date:	Wed, 12 Apr 2000 00:31:51 -0700 (PDT)
From:	Andre Hedrick <andre@linux-ide.org>
To:	"Theodore Y. Ts'o" <tytso@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: EXT2 and BadBlock updating.....

On Wed, 12 Apr 2000, Theodore Y. Ts'o wrote:

> Some kind of method where the block device layer can notify the
> filesystem of specifically which blocks went bad would be useful,
> probably as a callback.   Actually, it's already the case that the

Good, this proves that I am not MAD or you are also ;-)

> This is a Linux 2.5 issue, though --- it's not something we're going to

Not by me alone to get it into 2.4...

> entire block device layer anyway, since it's a bit of a mess and kludge
> right now.

Agreed......

> What would be *really* useful would be if S.M.A.R.T., or some other

In the works.........and I am gunning for native S.M.A.R.T. to make
2.4.........I am insane and sleep deprived, but I am thrashing the
keyboards, and have not reach HLD for "Penguins Mints" YET!
It takes two tins in 24 hours to achieve HLD (half leathal dose).

> And it still doesn't change my contention that somoene who wants
> ultrareliability, and what you call "Enterprise class" computing,
> without doing RAID, is fundamentally insane.  There are things we can do
> to try to recover in the face of broken hardware --- but fundamentally,
> cheap sh*t hardware is still cheap sh*t hardware.  You don't make
> Enterprise class computers out of cheap sh*t.  It just doesn't happen.

Ted, I need to drag you to some of the cool labs that are in the ATA
industry.  7200 RPM ATA drives are 7200 RPM SCSI drives!  Only the
electronic interface on the bottom is the difference.

I already have a kick butt low cost ATA-Hardware RAID solution introduced
to Linux.  I arranged for Alan to get one of these toys at LW@NYC.NY.
You can not build a 320GB 8-disk RAID 0 in SCSI for $2800.00 USD.
Now this is drives and host adapter.  Now with the latest 75GB drives your
can build monster 600GB ATA RAID Systems.

The next morphing the ATA this summer and then off to ATA-serial........

SCSI right now under Linux gets its doors blown off only in large
continuous file copys or transfers.  However, SCSI stomps ATA on random,
for now.........  Since 90% of IO is "random access", you win for now.
But the quality and reliabity, you should enjoy crow on wheat or rye?

Since I am bound by an international industry wide NDA about the future
direction and development of ATA-parallel, I can not say anything else.

Also, I need to off-line with you, very important!

Cheers,

Andre Hedrick
The Linux ATA/IDE guy



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