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Where can one buy SMR drives that the host can at least reliably coerce into not using their cache/staging area? It should be quite feasible to tune/adapt btrfs
by namibj 7y ago
Where can one buy SMR drives that the host can at least reliably coerce into not using their cache/staging area? It should be quite feasible to tune/adapt btrfs to exhibit writing patterns that don't make the drive use it's staging area, but it'd still be compatible because the drive would start to make use of that staging area when needed. Some way to overwrite the superblocks without triggering SMR problems or something like that would be nice, but that's of lower importance to me, at least.
Just supporting TRIM and exposing/documenting the SMR layout/regions would be enough, I think. I'd like to buy that.
- baybal2 7y ago> Where can one buy SMR drives that the host can at least reliably coerce into not using their cache/staging area? From salesmen of "enterprise class" overpriced hardware. https://www.westerndigital.com/products/data-center-drives/ultrastar-dc-hc600-series-hdd https://www.westerndigital.com/products/data-center-drives/u...
- hlandau 7y agoThere exist "host-managed SMR" drives. In the SCSI/SAS specifications, these use the "Zoned Block Devices" command set, rather than the SCSI Block Commands (SBC) command set. As far as I can tell it's seemingly impossible for an individual to buy host-managed SMR (ZBC) drives. Presumably they're only sold in bulk to datacentres. Maybe that could change if some demand materialised and was communicated to a suitable retailer...
- baybal2 7y agoYes, I found no reliable supply of WD Ultrastars. Just popping up on alibaba from small wholesalers from time to time in small lots.