(Semi)hot swap IDE

[Scott W]

Brent Wiese wrote:

>>>Hello!
>>>
>>>I'm looking for a cheap solution to back up a FreeBSD 4.8 machine. 
>>>Cheap meaning that tape drives are out of question. Even external 
>>>FireWire drives are deemed a bit too expensive by the folks 
>>>      
>>>
>>for whom 
>>    
>>
>>>I'm doing this research.
>>>
>>>This leaves one option I can think of - standard IDE drive 
>>>      
>>>
>>in one of 
>>    
>>
>>>those removable HDD trays. We'd probably use two drives, one being 
>>>active in the machine and the other being kept somewhere out of the 
>>>house for safety.
>>>      
>>>
>><clip>
>>
>>I personally think this a great alternative to tape, 
>>especially given the
>>low cost per GB of drive space.
>>
>>3ware cards support hot swapping IDE and there are several 
>>hot-swap IDE
>>drive trays in the $50-75 range. You *MUST* make sure the 
>>trays are really
>>hot swap. Most are not. The ones that are will be very 
>>specific about saying
>>so.
>>    
>>
>
>My computer vendor uses these:
>http://www.amtrade.com/pc/ata133_ide_mobil_hdd_racks.htm
>
>I personally have not used them, so don't blame me if they end up not
>working as advertised, but my vendor is happy with them. I have also never
>used that company or its website until today, so I have nothing in the way
>of recommending for or against.
>
>  
>
>>Another alternative I just found this past weekend... There 
>>is a company
>>making "hot swap" IDE trays, but instead of being IDE out, 
>>they're USB 2.0.
>>    
>>
>
>It came to my attention that FreeBSD 4.x lacks USB 2.0 support. I used these
>USB 2.0 trays in a Windows server and hadn't thought that USB 2.0 might not
>be supported in FreeBSD 4.x. I don't use USB in my FreeBSD servers, so this
>never crossed my mind.
>
>I'm providing the link to the HDD trays above to show my apologies. :)
>
>Cheers,
>Brent
>
>
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>  
>
FWIW, those are pretty similar to what I've used in the past, with the 
aforementioned IDE bus issues.  The chassis/drive carrier doesn't really 
add much into the mix one way or another- I've yet to see a carrier that 
effectively emulates the (removed) drive being online, which of course 
would pose it's own set of problems... ;-)  No bus hangs, but whazt 
about, "Oh yeah...oops, I forgot I included that mount point in THAT 
script!" :-)


Scott