Re: [PATCH] libata: rewrite SCSI host scheme to be one per ATA host

From: Jeff Garzik
Date: Wed Apr 22 2009 - 12:48:28 EST


Boaz Harrosh wrote:
On 04/22/2009 12:23 PM, Jeff Garzik wrote:
Jeff Garzik wrote:
Currently, libata creates a Scsi_Host per port. This was originally
done to leverage SCSI's infrastructure to arbitrate among master/slave
devices, but is not needed for most modern SATA controllers. And I
_think_ it is not needed for master/slave if done properly, either.
BTW note the above, with regards to the libata SCSI->block conversion. libata currently relies on SCSI for some amount of generic device arbitration, in several situations (see ->qc_defer, SCSI_MLQUEUE_.*_BUSY). libata expects SCSI to be intelligent and not starve devices, etc.


I was able to successfully boot the following patch on
AHCI/x86-64/Fedora.

It may work with other controllers -- TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK. It will
probably fail for master/slave configurations, and SAS & PMP also
need looking at. It yielded this lsscsi output on my AHCI box:

[0:0:0:0] disk ATA ST3500320AS SD15 /dev/sda
[0:2:0:0] disk ATA G.SKILL 128GB SS 02.1 /dev/sdb
[0:5:0:0] cd/dvd PIONEER BD-ROM BDC-202 1.04 /dev/sr0
For comparison, here is unmodified 2.6.30-rc3:

[jgarzik@bd ~]$ lsscsi
[0:0:0:0] disk ATA ST3500320AS SD15 /dev/sda
[2:0:0:0] disk ATA G.SKILL 128GB SS 02.1 /dev/sdb
[5:0:0:0] cd/dvd PIONEER BD-ROM BDC-202 1.04 /dev/sr0


Could the master/slave be simply solved by emulating a SCSI LUN
for example below is my machine today:
[]$ lsscsi
[0:0:0:0] disk ATA ST3160023A 3.01 /dev/sda
[1:0:0:0] cd/dvd _NEC DVD_RW ND-3550A 1.05 /dev/sr0
[4:0:0:0] disk ATA WDC WD1600JS-60M 10.0 /dev/sdb

the /dev/sda and /dev/sr0 share a master/slave wide cable (sdb is sata)

it could be made to scan as:
[]$ lsscsi
[0:0:0:0] disk ATA ST3160023A 3.01 /dev/sda
[0:0:0:1] cd/dvd _NEC DVD_RW ND-3550A 1.05 /dev/sr0
[1:0:0:0] disk ATA WDC WD1600JS-60M 10.0 /dev/sdb

So we need to emulate the REPORT_LUN (or what ever else) to return
two LUNs. Or do you want to report a separate target for the master/slave?

Mapping master/slave is not difficult -- each should be a separate target, just like with parallel SCSI.

The issue with master/slave and simplex is guaranteeing that only _one_ command may be executing at a time, for a given set of targets, i.e. only one command per master/slave pair, only one command per pair of simplex ports (== 4 ATA devices max).

Originally this was done by setting can_queue==1, cmd_per_lun==1, and assigning each master/slave pair to a different Scsi_Host.

Jeff




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