[mythtv-users] does setpci latency_timer fail on some mobos?

Craig Huff huffcs at yahoo.com
Mon Jun 4 17:13:40 UTC 2007


> ----- Original Message ----
> Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 04:21:44 -0600
> From: Brian Wood <beww at beww.org>
> Subject: Re: [mythtv-users] does setpci latency_timer fail on some
>     mobos?
> To: Discussion about mythtv <mythtv-users at mythtv.org>
> 
> I have a mobo similar to yours, and the latencies report as zero as you
> say yours do, and don't seem settable. Note that I say "report as", they
> may well actually be something else.
> 
> I have no problems with 4 PVR recordings and a commflag job. I try to
> not run mythburn jobs when recordings are taking place.
> 
> The one difference I see is that I am using a RAID0 array (Linux
> software RAID) consisting of 2 SATA drives to store the recordings. I
> know it doubles the chance of a drive failure taking out the storage
> directory, I'm willing to take that risk.
> 
> I'm really not sure if the RAID0 is necessary. I thought it would be
> when I built the system over a year ago, and since it's working I have
> no reason to change it now.
> 
> Whether you want to try that is up to you, obviously. Sounds like  less
> work that a mobo changeout, but it depends a bit on your precise drive
> configuration. I have an 200GB PATA for the OS and Myth, and a pair of
> 50GB SATAs for video storage. This box was built before the 500GB
> drives became cheap.
> 
> BEWW


Brian,

I dashed off my e-mail in a rush before leaving for work this morning.

On the way, it occurred to me, as you say, that there's still a chance that 
the latency settings are "write-only" and get mis-reported on reads.

I will give setting them a try and cobble up a test case to see what happens
and let the list know if it works better than it had the last time (pre-latency
setting).

I had also considered setting up a SATA RAID and debated whether to use
the mobo supported HW RAID or use whatever software RAID is supported
on Fedora Core 6, or if I would have to use up my last PCI slot for a RAID 
controller.  I have worked with software RAID at work on Solaris systems 
and it worked well for us.

The last choice (buying a RAID adapter) would be especially problematic due 
to the cost.  I only just this weekend got the WAF approval to **consider** a 
multimedia case setup to put next to the TV(27"!) ;-) instead of watching on 
my monitor in the office (19") ;-(.

I currently have a WD 250GB PATA drive, Zip 250 PATA, PVR-350, PVR-500, 
AHA-2940 SCSI adapter with attached tape backup (learned the hard way to 
never be without tape!), NVIDIA (7900, I think), Athlon 64 3200+, 512MB.

I would like to hear more about your RAID setup.

Craig



       
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