Re: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux

• Previous message: NiteOwl: "Re: Random CPU initialization on Athlon SMP"
• In reply to: Michael Mansour: "Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Next in thread: Jonathan M. Slivko: "RE: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Reply: Jonathan M. Slivko: "RE: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Reply: Michael Mansour: "Re: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]

To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 11:38:12 -0700

Michael Mansour wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've just purchased a new AMD Ahtlon system, and got
>with it an Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A as it seemed to do
>what I wanted.
>
>Unfortunately, this card is not "officially" supported
>by Adaptec, after emailing their support they only
>tell me "unfortunately it's not supported under
>Linux", yet they have all the Windows drivers. They
>told me the 2400A card (which is many times more
>expensive and has more features than what I need), is
>supported under Linux and they provide the drivers for
>it.
>
>

  They claim to support 2400A because they wrote an open source linux
driver for it. The driver is now in the main line linux kernel. Thus
it will just work in future releases of any distro. This is what good
linux support means!!! Not Promise says "Sure I'll release a binary
driver, and maybe update every years or so." Highpoint is at least
much better about providing partial source, and the ability to use their
cards in a non raided state.

>Having googled for information on this card and Linux,
>I've discovered that the card can be used using the
>HPT370 (HighPoint Technology) driver, since Adaptec
>use that chipset on their card. I obtained the driver
>from:
>
>http://www.highpoint-tech.com/r100r_down.htm
>
>for Red Hat 8.0 and it works fine.
>
>I'm wondering why Adaptec don't "officially" supply
>this driver themselves??? and don't provide support
>for the card under Linux since it works perfectly
>well. All I need is mirroring facility on the IDE
>drives, so that's all I wanted in the card. The more
>expensive 2400A (which Adaptec officially support
>under Linux) has all the bells and whistles, has a
>processor on board and supports RAID 5, but I don't
>need those features so don't need that card.
>
>If it wasn't for the HPT driver, I would have got rid
>of the Adaptec and looked at something else, maybe a
>Fastrack 100 or similar, whatever is supported under
>Linux. I don't see the reasoning behind Adaptecs
>decision not to support the 1200A under Linux.
>
>
>

  My contacts with Adaptec lead me to the following conclusions.
Adaptec wisely views binary drivers as unmaintainable under linux. As
they can't give you good support they choose not to do so at all.
This is true of all of their controllers that do driver based raid.
Such controllers are only supported as in jbod mode under linux.
Adapter is quick to point out linux has great software raid support.

   Don't bad mouth Adaptec for it's linux support. They said it didn't
work under linux. You were the one that disagreed with them. They are
one of the best controller card vendors in terms of linux support. They
don't make promise they can't, or won't keep. Keep in mind they
couldn't release the driver source for this card even if they wanted
to. They could have easily done what Highpoint and Promise do, but they
have higher support standards.

   Promise's linux support is incredibly bad they claim they support
Linux, but they really only support a handful of kernels. They don't
provide drivers for newer releases of Red Hat in timely manner.
Generally you are stuck with a release 6 to 12 months old. Which has
secuirity holes, and bugs. Heaven help promise's linux customers when
Promise stops support the fasttrak line.

> Anyway, if anyone has experience with this card I do

>have one query. I'd like to upgrade my kernel from
>2.4.18-14smp which I have on the fresh RH8 install
>(installing the HPT driver upon installation via the
>driver disk), to the newest 2.4.20-20.8smp, but HPT
>have only got a module for 2.4.20-8smp on their driver
>disk.
>
>Can I use this module on the newer 2.4.20-20.8smp by
>just copying the module into the kernel tree for
>2.4.20-20.8smp ?
>
>
>

  No you can't simply use a module compiled for one kernel on another
kernel. It might work, not work at all, or gradually corrupt your
data. In theory you can find the partial source driver below. I don't
remember which chip the adaptec card uses, and can't check any more. (I
gave the eval cards my adptec rep gave me back.)

http://www.highpoint-tech.com/372drivers_down.htm
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/371drivers_down.htm
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/374drivers_down.htm

>If not, how else can I upgrade the kernel to
>2.4.20-20.8smp while still using the HPT module /
>driver. Note that I have my RAID 1 mirror as the boot
>drive for Linux.
>
>

  You best bet going forward is to stop using the highpoint binary
driver!!! This problem is going to come up over and over. You got 2
choices.

#1) Use the card in jbod mode and use the linux software raid driver.
This would reqire a complete reinstall, but will just work for release
after release of any linux distro, or kernel.
#2) Try using the ataraid driver. Which is fairly complex and not
support in the 2.6 kernel yet.
https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/ataraid-list
http://www.murty.net/ataraid/main.html

-- 
redhat-list mailing list
unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request@redhat.com?subject=unsubscribe
https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list

• Previous message: NiteOwl: "Re: Random CPU initialization on Athlon SMP"
• In reply to: Michael Mansour: "Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Next in thread: Jonathan M. Slivko: "RE: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Reply: Jonathan M. Slivko: "RE: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Reply: Michael Mansour: "Re: Adaptec ATA RAID 1200A under Linux"
• Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ]