topic Re: SSD to disk on key in Solid State Drives (NAND)

SSD to disk on key

efeya — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 13:05:38 GMT

I have 32GB SSD drive and it not often in use

I would like to use it as disk on key

Can i do it? Is there adapters from sata to usb or something?

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 21:30:36 GMT

If you are saying that you want to use it through the USB port. Yes its possible, I use mine this way. With an USB 3 case I can reach write speeds near 200MB/s. Some tests made from other people show that if you use an USB 3 case that supports UASP protocol, properly configured (it deppends on the USB case and the USB controller of the host supporting that) you can reach near 400MB/s. Some USB cases does not allow you to see the SMART attributes of the drives, and you cannot use TRIM through USB.

Re: SSD to disk on key

efeya — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 09:19:07 GMT

ok thanks, 2 questions:

1. What i need to buy, to use my ssd as disk on key?

2. Is this product supports usb 2.0?

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:31:00 GMT

Which drive model you will use?

Re: SSD to disk on key

efeya — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 11:34:00 GMT

what you mean "drive model"?

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:49:41 GMT

What kind of drive? Its a 2.5" inch SATA drive? It's a X25-E Series?

Re: SSD to disk on key

efeya — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 15:00:48 GMT

Its a 2.5" inch SATA drive

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 16:11:45 GMT

What series? What's written on the drive? Drives have different thickness, it can be 7mm or 9,5mm. You must make sure it will fit inside the case. Normally you will want an USB 3 case as it is backward compatible with USB 2. With USB 2 you will have a write performance of around 50MB/s, with USB 3 it can reach 200MB/s. As you cannot TRIM it, it will need to have enough overprovisioning space to work without degrade the write performance too much after being used. And theses values can drop depending of your drive.

Re: SSD to disk on key

DGond — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:56:37 GMT

Just out of curiosity, is there some technical reason the Intel SSD Toolbox is not able to issue the trim command to an SSD connected to a USB port? Is something in the pipeline that would address this shortcoming...either in the OS or in the toolbox. Will the trim command work via an eSATA port?

Thanks.

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 20:14:11 GMT

It should work via an eSATA port because you are issuing ATA commands without translation. I don't know how windows do that, but in linux USB storage devices are normally treated as SCSI devices using the SCSI command set, where the SSD uses the ATA command set and this needs a translation. Seems that USB cases that only support BOT protocol doesn't support TRIM but cases that support UASP protocol maybe should. In practice I don't see anybody being able to TRIM a SSD through USB even using new USB cases with Asmedia chipsets that supports UASP. So, TRIM should work through eSATA and Thunderbolt but I did not saw anybody being able to do it through USB. Im not a hardware engineer nor a driver developer, and would not know to answer if its possible but just not implemented. Its not just the Intel SSD Toolbox that don't do that. Some USB cases are not able even to give you access to SMART attributes.

Re: SSD to disk on key

Jose_H_Intel1 — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:40:21 GMT

Queued TRIM is a feature part of the SATA revision 3.1 (ATA-8 specification).

Re: SSD to disk on key

Jose_H_Intel1 — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:43:37 GMT

Back to the main issue from the OP. zinzana, can you provide the brand and model of the drive in question?

Perhaps you can find it from an online store and share the link with us.

Re: SSD to disk on key

efeya — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 15:50:04 GMT

This is the drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220580 Patriot Torqx 2 PT232GS25SSDR 2.5" 32GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Newegg.com

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:47:58 GMT

Joe

How the garbage collection works? I can create a file, get its address, delete and sync and stay watching the address of the deleted file, after some minutes the content is still not trimmed, the file is still there. When tha garbage collection of Intel firmware take action? Its not when idle (I think if it would, it would be dangerous to disconnect a drive which filesystem is not mounted but the controller is doing maintenance so it takes action when the drive is being used).

As I said early some people say that TRIM doesn't make much difference if the SSD have overprovisioning to work and that SSDs with SandForce controllers normally have it by default.

Re: SSD to disk on key

Jose_H_Intel1 — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:33:25 GMT

zinzana, please post your inquiry here: http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?2-SSD-Support http://www.patriotmemory.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?2-SSD-Support

Re: SSD to disk on key

Jose_H_Intel1 — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 17:41:45 GMT

This is how it actually works:

After a file is deleted, the OS sends a TRIM command to the drive so the drive knows it can re-use the space previously used by the old file.

When the drive is idle, garbage collection will kick in to clean up and consolidate the space that is now marked as available.

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:59:56 GMT

This is how it works when the SSD is connected to the SATA channel and have TRIM enabled. Inside an USB case, even if the OS supports TRIM it cannot send that command to the drive. I will reformulate my question, how the garbage collection works in a drive inside an USB case that does not support TRIM?

Re: SSD to disk on key

Jose_H_Intel1 — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 22:52:09 GMT

Garbage collection will work when the Intel® SSD is connected via USB; however, you will not see it as an immediate reaction, like when the TRIM command is sent over SATA.

Re: SSD to disk on key

ENeto — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:22:35 GMT

Well, my Transcend StoreJet 25S3 case arrived while ago. The SMART attributes can be read through USB and I enabled the UAS protocol in my kernel. The write speed through USB 3 in my Intel 520 Series with UAS enabled reach 400 MB/s and doesn't loose performance after a lot of use even not beeing able to issue a TRIM command to it. Thats the reason I asked how it works, I didn't noticed any difference with or without TRIM the write performance continues the same as when I secure erased it at the limit my USB 3 connection allows.