linux-kernel - Re: sata_mv and Highpoint RocketRAID 230x, corruption?

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Message-ID: <4CC24186.1040001@teksavvy.com>
Date:	Fri, 22 Oct 2010 21:59:34 -0400
From:	Mark Lord <kernel@...savvy.com>
To:	Mathias Burén <mathias.buren@...il.com>
CC:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: sata_mv and Highpoint RocketRAID 230x, corruption?

On 10-10-20 04:03 PM, Mathias Burén wrote:
..
> I'm currently not using the BIOS of the raid controller for anything
> else then staggered disk spinup. The HDD partitions start at sector
> 2048 (to get a 1MB alignment since they're 4k sector drives, WD20EARS)
> and end at the last sector.
> What I'm worried about is the corruption mentioned in dmesg, is this
> explained somewhere in more detail? Google didn't reveal much. Am I in
> danger?

Yes.  Just repartition the drives to avoid the final 2GB of each drive,
and then you'll be safe.

The RocketRaid BIOS that I examined here a couple of years ago,
liked to write "metadata" over top of whatever was in certain sectors
near the end of the drive.  EVEN FOR NON-RAID DRIVES.

I think it was the last even (power-of-two) multiple of 1GB or something,
so if you leave the final 2GB untouched, you're guaranteed to avoid it.

Thus the recommendation.

Cheers
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