Prev: Cancel backup on Buffalo Linkstation
Next: Pioneer DVR-212DD or Sony/NEC (AD-7220S-0B or AD-7200S-0B)?
From: Yousuf Khan on 15 Dec 2008 19:06
Rod Speed wrote:
>> Okay, so we've been able to run a thorough test using Everest, now.
>> So the result is Everest did not even bother to look for SMART data
>> when connected through either Firewire or USB. And while in eSATA,
>> it presented a SMART panel for the drive, but it was completely empty.
>
> That's interesting. If it decides that the drive doesnt support SMART, you dont
> get a SMART panel at all. So presumably the passthru when in eSATA mode
> has some sort of glitch that prevents the SMART data getting thru properly.

It may not be a true passthru in eSATA, it may simply be a virtual
passthru from the USB bridge. In other words, the USB bridge might be
emulating the eSATA connections and pretending to be the disk, when the
actual disk might be sitting behind it.

>> DLGDIAG isn't able to obtain SMART data for the MyBook in
>> either Firewire or eSATA, as stated before for the eSATA case.
>
> Maybe the problem with eSATA is just the same glitch that prevents Everest from seeing it too.
>
> What does smartctl from a bootable linux CD show ?


Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince him to bother
with Linux, even if it is just a live-CD boot. However, I've told him
about HD Sentinel, that Arno mentioned, and we'll try that one out soon.
HD Sentinel is an amazing tool, so far as I've been able to see. It not
only does a lot of automatic analysis of disk states, the authors have
also collected a lot of information about many USB bridge chips, and it
can collect SMART data through those chipsets. It's been able to collect
SMART data off of one of my own external USB-only disks, a Lacie 500GB.
Until now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to see SMART data come out of
that external, nor that there was ever any hope of being able to see
SMART off of it. If it can see SMART off of the Lacie, hopefully it'll
see it off of the WD MyBook too.

Yousuf Khan
From: Arno Wagner on 15 Dec 2008 21:14
Previously Yousuf Khan <bbbl67(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> Rod Speed wrote:
>>> Okay, so we've been able to run a thorough test using Everest, now.
>>> So the result is Everest did not even bother to look for SMART data
>>> when connected through either Firewire or USB. And while in eSATA,
>>> it presented a SMART panel for the drive, but it was completely empty.
>>
>> That's interesting. If it decides that the drive doesnt support SMART, you dont
>> get a SMART panel at all. So presumably the passthru when in eSATA mode
>> has some sort of glitch that prevents the SMART data getting thru properly.

> It may not be a true passthru in eSATA, it may simply be a virtual
> passthru from the USB bridge. In other words, the USB bridge might be
> emulating the eSATA connections and pretending to be the disk, when the
> actual disk might be sitting behind it.

So SATA (disk) <-> USB <-> eSATA?

Sounds overly complicated. eSATA is SATA with different
electrical characteristics, i.e. you just need a switch.
However there is a lot of stupid design out there, so it is a
possibility.

>>> DLGDIAG isn't able to obtain SMART data for the MyBook in
>>> either Firewire or eSATA, as stated before for the eSATA case.
>>
>> Maybe the problem with eSATA is just the same glitch that prevents Everest from seeing it too.
>>
>> What does smartctl from a bootable linux CD show ?


> Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince him to bother
> with Linux, even if it is just a live-CD boot. However, I've told him
> about HD Sentinel, that Arno mentioned, and we'll try that one out soon.
> HD Sentinel is an amazing tool, so far as I've been able to see. It not
> only does a lot of automatic analysis of disk states, the authors have
> also collected a lot of information about many USB bridge chips, and it
> can collect SMART data through those chipsets. It's been able to collect
> SMART data off of one of my own external USB-only disks, a Lacie 500GB.
> Until now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to see SMART data come out of
> that external, nor that there was ever any hope of being able to see
> SMART off of it. If it can see SMART off of the Lacie, hopefully it'll
> see it off of the WD MyBook too.

Looking forward to the results.

Arno
From: bbbl67 on 16 Dec 2008 08:59
On Dec 15, 9:14 pm, Arno Wagner <m...(a)privacy.net> wrote:
> Previously Yousuf Khan <bbb...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Rod Speed wrote:
> >> What does smartctl from a bootable linux CD show ?
> > Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince him to bother
> > with Linux, even if it is just a live-CD boot. However, I've told him
> > about HD Sentinel, that Arno mentioned, and we'll try that one out soon.
> > HD Sentinel is an amazing tool, so far as I've been able to see. It not
> > only does a lot of automatic analysis of disk states, the authors have
> > also collected a lot of information about many USB bridge chips, and it
> > can collect SMART data through those chipsets. It's been able to collect
> > SMART data off of one of my own external USB-only disks, a Lacie 500GB.
> > Until now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to see SMART data come out of
> > that external, nor that there was ever any hope of being able to see
> > SMART off of it. If it can see SMART off of the Lacie, hopefully it'll
> > see it off of the WD MyBook too.
>
> Looking forward to the results.

Well, here is the results from HD Sentinel. HDS was able to obtain
SMART data off of the WD MyBook both through the USB interface and
the Firewire!!! WD's own internal DLGDIAG util was not able to do the
Firewire interface, just the USB. HDS is truly the ultimate SMART
utility!!!

Oh and none of the utils could get SMART out of the eSATA on the
MyBook. Not even HDS.

Yousuf Khan
From: Arno Wagner on 16 Dec 2008 11:44
Previously bbbl67 <yjkhan(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> On Dec 15, 9:14 pm, Arno Wagner <m...(a)privacy.net> wrote:
>> Previously Yousuf Khan <bbb...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>> > Rod Speed wrote:
>> >> What does smartctl from a bootable linux CD show ?
>> > Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince him to bother
>> > with Linux, even if it is just a live-CD boot. However, I've told him
>> > about HD Sentinel, that Arno mentioned, and we'll try that one out soon.
>> > HD Sentinel is an amazing tool, so far as I've been able to see. It not
>> > only does a lot of automatic analysis of disk states, the authors have
>> > also collected a lot of information about many USB bridge chips, and it
>> > can collect SMART data through those chipsets. It's been able to collect
>> > SMART data off of one of my own external USB-only disks, a Lacie 500GB.
>> > Until now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to see SMART data come out of
>> > that external, nor that there was ever any hope of being able to see
>> > SMART off of it. If it can see SMART off of the Lacie, hopefully it'll
>> > see it off of the WD MyBook too.
>>
>> Looking forward to the results.

> Well, here is the results from HD Sentinel. HDS was able to obtain
> SMART data off of the WD MyBook both through the USB interface and
> the Firewire!!! WD's own internal DLGDIAG util was not able to do the
> Firewire interface, just the USB. HDS is truly the ultimate SMART
> utility!!!

> Oh and none of the utils could get SMART out of the eSATA on the
> MyBook. Not even HDS.

Interesting. Looks like your suspicion that the eSATA is
not done right is correct.

Arno
From: Rod Speed on 16 Dec 2008 13:12
Yousuf Khan wrote:
> Rod Speed wrote:

>>> Okay, so we've been able to run a thorough test using Everest, now.
>>> So the result is Everest did not even bother to look for SMART data
>>> when connected through either Firewire or USB. And while in eSATA,
>>> it presented a SMART panel for the drive, but it was completely empty.

>> That's interesting. If it decides that the drive doesnt support SMART, you dont get a SMART panel at all. So
>> presumably the passthru when in eSATA mode has some sort of glitch that prevents the SMART data getting thru
>> properly.

> It may not be a true passthru in eSATA, it may simply be a virtual
> passthru from the USB bridge. In other words, the USB bridge might be
> emulating the eSATA connections and pretending to be the disk, when
> the actual disk might be sitting behind it.

Yes, that is possible, but like I said, it would be a VERY unusual way to implement it.

Essentially because its a hell of lot easier to do a passthru for eSATA instead.

>>> DLGDIAG isn't able to obtain SMART data for the MyBook in
>>> either Firewire or eSATA, as stated before for the eSATA case.

>> Maybe the problem with eSATA is just the same glitch that prevents Everest from seeing it too.

>> What does smartctl from a bootable linux CD show ?

> Well, I don't know if I'm going to be able to convince him to bother
> with Linux, even if it is just a live-CD boot. However, I've told him
> about HD Sentinel, that Arno mentioned, and we'll try that one out
> soon. HD Sentinel is an amazing tool, so far as I've been able to
> see. It not only does a lot of automatic analysis of disk states, the
> authors have also collected a lot of information about many USB
> bridge chips, and it can collect SMART data through those chipsets.
> It's been able to collect SMART data off of one of my own external
> USB-only disks, a Lacie 500GB. Until now, I didn't think I'd ever be
> able to see SMART data come out of that external, nor that there was ever any hope of being able to see SMART off of
> it. If it can see
> SMART off of the Lacie, hopefully it'll see it off of the WD MyBook too.

We'll see...


First  |  Prev  |  Next  |  Last
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5
Prev: Cancel backup on Buffalo Linkstation
Next: Pioneer DVR-212DD or Sony/NEC (AD-7220S-0B or AD-7200S-0B)?