Hello,
I have a question concerning the handling of HPA (Host-protected areas) in
current Linux kernels.
Have a look at drivers/ide/ide-disk.c:
static inline void idedisk_check_hpa(ide_drive_t *drive)
{
unsigned long long capacity, set_max;
int lba48 = idedisk_supports_lba48(drive->id);
capacity = drive->capacity64;
if (lba48)
set_max = idedisk_read_native_max_address_ext(drive);
else
set_max = idedisk_read_native_max_address(drive);
if (set_max <= capacity)
return;
printk(KERN_INFO "%s: Host Protected Area detected.\n"
"\tcurrent capacity is %llu sectors (%llu MB)\n"
"\tnative capacity is %llu sectors (%llu MB)\n",
drive->name,
capacity, sectors_to_MB(capacity),
set_max, sectors_to_MB(set_max));
if (lba48)
set_max = idedisk_set_max_address_ext(drive, set_max);
else
set_max = idedisk_set_max_address(drive, set_max);
if (set_max) {
drive->capacity64 = set_max;
printk(KERN_INFO "%s: Host Protected Area disabled.\n",
drive->name);
}
}
Do I interpret it right that the following is done in the above function:
1.) The current capacity of the disk is detected.
2.) The "native max. address size" of the disk is detected and stored in
set_max.
3.) If capacity < set_max then it is rightly stated that an HPA is detected.
4.) If an HPA is detected, then that HPA is disabled, i.e. the maximum address
size is set to the "native max. address size". Afterwards, the HPA is no
more!
My question is now: why is an HPA disabled i.e. disprotected when detected?
Why not let the HPA alone, because a certain set of disk sectors shall not be
accessible by the OS?
Best regards
Oliver
--
Acid -- better living through chemistry.
--
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Dr. Oliver Tennert
Senior Solutions Engineer
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