[CentOS] slow usb hard disk performance.

[Bryan J. Smith]

Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com> wrote:
> What Linux kernel versions have you used with firewire? 

Late 2.4.2x, as well as 2.6.x -- basically RHL9/FC1/RHEL3 and
FC3/RHEL4.  I do have to rebuild for FireWire support in
RHEL4, yes.

> The last 2 fedora FC4 updates broke disk access completely.


I ain't touching FC4.  ;->

> FC3 sort-of works, but when I leave a RAID1 mirror running
> with an IDE partition and a firewire partition mirrored,
> within a few hours of activity either the machine will
crash
> or the firewire partition will be kicked out of the RAID.

Repeat after me ...  ;->
"USB and FireWire should _not_ be used as 24x7 on-line
storage"

Despite Apple's prior claims, it has become more apparent
than ever that FireWire is _not_ a 24x7 on-line storage
solution.  Do not use it as such, use it as a temporary,
near-line storage solution that you plug-in and use just when
you need it.  I've learned that hard lesson even on Apple's
own XServe platforms.

> I haven't tried Centos because you need the unsupported
> kernel and I didn't have much hope for that being better
> than any of the fedoras.

I've had no problem with my disks, Digital8 and DV cams,
etc...  They all work great!  But I don't leave the disks or
camera connected for a day at a time, I plug-in, use and then
I unplug when finished.

Regardless of OS -- Linux, MacOS X or Windows -- FireWire and
USB are nothing but trouble when it comes to leaving them
connected.  They are a "temporary plug and unplug" solution
AFAIAC.

If you want reliable, external storage, consider SCSI or ...
better yet ... Serial Attached SCSI (SAS).


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                | Sent from Yahoo Mail
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