hdc: status timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }
 

dear all
i m using Linux as file server and approx 100 user using this file server we are getting getting following message on regular basis on Linux server:


hdc: status timeout: status=0xd0 { Busy }
ide: failed opcode was: unknown
hdc: no DRQ after issuing MULTWRITE_EXT
ide1:reset: success


please suggest me that is it harmful for server or its as normal process for linux

thanking you in advance

bagra,

Its not normal and I guess the kernel will turn off DMA when that error message happens.
I think your network IRQs will be extending the disk IRQ service time to the point when you get time outs.

Please posy your /proc/interrupts and the output of

thank you NeddySeagoon for your quick response

interrupts output

CPU0 CPU1
0: 878951511 0 IO-APIC-edge timer
1: 2826 0 IO-APIC-edge i8042
6: 6 0 IO-APIC-edge floppy
7: 2 0 IO-APIC-edge parport0
8: 0 0 IO-APIC-edge rtc
9: 0 0 IO-APIC-level acpi
12: 5 0 IO-APIC-edge i8042
14: 0 0 IO-APIC-edge libata
15: 18555 442811296 IO-APIC-edge ide1
169: 0 0 IO-APIC-level uhci_hcd:usb1, ehci_hcd:usb5
177: 0 0 IO-APIC-level uhci_hcd:usb2
185: 0 0 IO-APIC-level uhci_hcd:usb3
193: 148 0 IO-APIC-level uhci_hcd:usb4, HDA Intel
201: 818 819643952 IO-APIC-level eth0
NMI: 117105 117050
LOC: 855051463 855031354
ERR: 0
MIS: 0





and the output of hdparm /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc:
multcount = 0 (off)
IO_support = 0 (default 16-bit)
unmaskirq = 0 (off)
using_dma = 0 (off)
keepsettings = 0 (off)
readonly = 0 (off)
readahead = 256 (on)
geometry = 38913/255/63, sectors = 625142448, start = 0

bagra,

Your /proc/interrupts looks good and in any case, you have which is also good.

You havewhich are all bad. From the top down, multicount should be 16. Its the number of sectors the driver moves to/from the disk in one IRQ. The more the better and 16 is the maximum supported.
IO_support is either 16 bit or 32 bit. 32 bit allows 32 bit transfers from the controller chip to main memory. When DMA is in use, this makes little difference but in PIO modeit provides just less thana factor of two increase in performance.
Lastly, using_dma moves the data transfer load off the CPU almost totally. The CPU loads the DMA controller registers and the DMA controller does the data transfer, freeing the CPU. This is worth about a 20x improvement in disk transfer rates.

With the information at hand, I cannot be sure that the kernel has not reverted to PIO because of DMA timeout errors although, given that multicount and IO_support are also sub optimal I suspect you are using the wrong kernel driver for your hardware.

As its a production server, I guess you do not want to reboot but the output of dmesg, provided its all of it from a reboot, will confirm that one way or the other.
Alternatively, post your output so I can advise how your kernel should be configured for your hardware.

You may also attempt to turn on those features with hdparm. With the right kernel driver, its not needed but will turn on DMA, provided you have the right driver in the kernel. I'll have to refer you to for the other options but control of DMA will prove the point.

dear NeddySeagoon

i m submitting the output of

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 82915G/P/GV/GL/PL/910GL Memory Controller Hub (rev 0e)
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 82915G/GV/910GL Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 0e)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 04)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 04)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 04)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 04)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 04)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev d4)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FR (ICH6/ICH6R) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 04)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FW (ICH6/ICH6W) SATA Controller (rev 04)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 04)
01:02.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL-8169 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
01:0b.0 Ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6105 [Rhine-III] (rev 8b)


hdparm -d1 /dev/hdc

/dev/hdc
setting using_dma to 1 (on)
HDIO_SER_DMA failed: Operation not permitted
using _dma = 0 (off)

here i like to specify that few days before we remove dvd writer from server (i think its a stupid thought but ... )
is it the reason?

with regards

here i also like to add one important note that we are using SATA hdd but its shows IDE hdd

is it a reason?

bagra,

Thats very important.

It probably means your BIOS is set to use IDE or Legacy mode, not AHCI mode. Legacy mode is intended to allow windows users to install the AHCI drivers and its performance is very poor.

When you swap to AHCI mode, your drive will get a SCSI name, /dev/sda if its your only drive. You will need to upadte /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/grub.conf if your boot from the drive.

It may also mean that you are using the old depreciated SATA driver in the IDE menu.

Your SATA controller is you should set your kernel up like this. Take note of the /etc/fstab and grub.conf changes or you will have problems booting.