# RAID 1 - Kernel warnings and Low speed

## pilotet

Hello,

I've installed a software RAID-1 but it's very slow.

When the kernel loads it seems that the UDMA it's detected but then kernel fails to asign DMA and problems with RAID. Here I paste some log lines:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> ALI15X3: not 100% native mode: will probe irqs later
> 
>     ide0: BM-DMA at 0xb400-0xb407, BIOS settings: hda:DMA, hdb:pio
> ...

 

Can you help me to fix it?

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## phlashback

what kernel version are you using... I have run software raid 1 since 2.5.75 and it works beautifully. but I am also using an onboard promise care (yes as software, not a pseudo hardware)

Are you sure that you have the right ide controller loaded. mainly because from the output your giveing it looks like it has nothing to do with the raid, but rather ide config in general.

Also you really should have one drive per controller so ide0 should have <drive to be raid1> on master and nothing as a slave, and same on ide1.  your other devices should be on another controller all together IMHO.

good luck

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## arcterex

A lot of times the DMA errors are an indication that your Hard drive is about to die.  Maybe back up and test it, or replace it.

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## pilotet

Hello,

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> what kernel version are you using... I have run software raid 1 since 2.5.75 and it works beautifully. but I am also using an onboard promise care (yes as software, not a pseudo hardware) 
> 
> 

 

I'm using 2.4.20

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> Also you really should have one drive per controller so ide0 should have <drive to be raid1> on master and nothing as a slave, and same on ide1. your other devices should be on another controller all together IMHO. 

 

I've in hda the gentoo system and in hdb and hdd the hard disk to use for the raid.

You say that I can't put the hard disk in slave. I've tryed to mount /dev/md0 and there's "no problems". Well, i can mount it and save data but it's very slow. May be for DMAs.

The linux bos it's a K6-III 400Mhz.

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## phlashback

first off... is your bios capable of probing the drives correctly.

120GB for some reason seems just a bit large for a system that old. then again I could be wrong, as I am dont know what board you are using

second, I said you *shuould not* have it set up the way you do. not that it cant work   :Wink: 

Now after a bit of searching, I found some referencs about the ALI15X3 driver and kernel 2.4.20 not playing well in some cases. though the problems were similar, not exactly the same. so maby try a newer kernel    :Rolling Eyes:   (2.6 is good... ok I'll stop pushing it)

I am fairly sure that this is not directly related to the raid. It could be the HD it self, it could be the controler card, heck are your cables installed correctly. For that matter is your kernel set up correctly for your hardware.

good luck

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## pilotet

Thank you hlashback!

I've an ASUS-P5A.

The BIOS doesn't detect the harddisk but linux can do it. But I don't know if the BIOS can't detect it I can have problems with linux.

Now I'm downloading kernel 2.6.0 and I'm going to try.

Thanks again.

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## pilotet

Kernel 2.6.0 running.

Now the system boot without warnings but when I perform any kind of opertation over /dev/md0 appears the next log in messages:

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> hdb: dma_timer_expiry: dma status == 0x61
> 
> hdb: DMA timeout error
> ...

 

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## phlashback

Ok. once again, I may be wrong  :Wink: 

Linux reads disc information directly from the hardware, not the bios. But the Bios will detect and configure hardware that is compatible with it and the chipsets.

```
hdb: dma_intr: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error } 

hdb: dma_intr: error=0x84 { DriveStatusError BadCRC }
```

This suggest that the data being written does not match the data being sent. This is most likely a hardware problem. 

Not to be pushy, but the thing I would do if I were you is get a new controller card. Use it for the 120 GB discs, and configure raid  off of it. Now with this option you can chose between hardware and software raid. (the cheaper promise cards are actually pseudo software anyway so )

but the importaint thing is that the controller be capable of actually using the whole disc. where I live about $30USD will get you what you need.  :Wink: 

Now as an FYI. the built in promise raid on my moterboard would not work as a "hardware raid" due to driver issues. Softwareware raid has worked better than I expected.

The advantage of a new controller card UDMA 100. major improvement from UDMA 33. The card will support the drives fully. After a little surfing, I found that your Mother board supports upto 32GB HD with bios 1010 supported slightly larger drives (but I dont belive that they were talking this large)

I hope this is helpful

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