Hacking could the USB Loader be programmed to support RAID?

[maduin]

I was wondering if the USB Loader could be programmed to support RAID, like Linux LVM, software based RAID solution. This way you could plug in 2x32GB SDHC cards into each USB slot and it would detect it as a single drive of 64GB? If it is possible, maybe they could program this into USB Loader 1.2. Or you could program it so you can use a multi-card USB reader, so you could put 2 or more SDHC cards into the reader, plug it into one USB slot, and it would detect it as 1x64GB drive (or more, considering how many cards the reader supports. Right now, a RAID solution for flash memory is over 100 dollars, and that doesn't include the cards. I have a multi-card reader, but when I plug into Windows, it detects each slot as a different drive, would it be possible to get those multiple slots to be detected as a single drive within the Wii environment?

 

[drmarvin]

What is the point of this? I would think that it would be useless, since you would always need both card readers there, and it wouldn't give you that much storage. You would be better off getting a SSD in an enclosure, if the issue is to not need a spinning HD. There wouldn't be a difference with speed, so I think it would just be annoying.

Now if it's just that you want to know if it can be done, that's another question, and I really don't know because I don't know if anyone has even tried accessing 2 drives through USB at the same time before.

 

[maduin]

What is the point of this? I would think that it would be useless, since you would always need both card readers there, and it wouldn't give you that much storage. You would be better off getting a SSD in an enclosure, if the issue is to not need a spinning HD. There wouldn't be a difference with speed, so I think it would just be annoying.

Now if it's just that you want to know if it can be done, that's another question, and I really don't know because I don't know if anyone has even tried accessing 2 drives through USB at the same time before.

well, the point is that flash card readers are smaller than 2.5" SSD , they're thumb drives, so they could easily be mounted in the free space within your Wii. I have a reader that can support 2 cards and is about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide with the case removed, but each card is detected as a seperate drive.

64GB is enough for the handful of Wii games that I want to always have with me. Right now I have about 20 games filling up my 80GB WBFS partition. Most of those games I put on there just because I had the room to, just needed some filler. Plus, I already have 2x32GB SDHC cards and a card reader, so i could easily just use those, as opposed to going out and spending more money than I have to.

A 64GB SSD costs $160 on Newegg. 2x32GB SDHC cards cost $120 plus the reader is about 10 dollars. Obvious savings there.

But I understand that you can't wrap your head around such concepts, which is why you posted such a negative and non-constructive replay, insisting that the idea is stupid and there's no point to it. So don't bother responding now that I've answered you question. Go be an asshole elsewhere please, it's not welcome in this thread.

 

[testic-cancer]

I also don't see the point of this. It seems like a massive effort for very little return - simply buying a larger drive makes more sense.

 

[maduin]

wow, really, both of you can't see the point of it, even after I explained it? amazing.

 

[drmarvin]

wow, maduin

you are pretty negative yourself. If you had been clearer with your idea (ie. mounting things inside), maybe I'd have understood your plan. I wasn't insulting *you* in any way, and if you didn't notice, I still did add information and opinion that was useful.

it's also interesting that you try to suggest that *both of us* don't understand your point, when I hadn't even read or replied to your more detailed explanation. if you are going to be like that, things are a little different. I was just trying to add something to your situation.

whatever you want to do, man, it's up to you.

as I said, it really depends how accessing 2 USB storage devices works. good luck with your idea, if it's what you need.

 

[maduin]

wow, maduin

you are pretty negative yourself. If you had been clearer with your idea (ie. mounting things inside), maybe I'd have understood your plan. I wasn't insulting *you* in any way, and if you didn't notice, I still did add information and opinion that was useful.

it's also interesting that you try to suggest that *both of us* don't understand your point, when I hadn't even read or replied to your more detailed explanation. if you are going to be like that, things are a little different. I was just trying to add something to your situation.

whatever you want to do, man, it's up to you.

as I said, it really depends how accessing 2 USB storage devices works. good luck with your idea, if it's what you need.

well, the way you worded your first comment seemed really negative, as if to suggest that the idea isn't even worth considering, that it's a waste of time to think about and therefore a ridiculous idea. So I just countered with an equally negative comment, as it goes on the internet. I understand that you weren't insulting me directly, but you already had it in your mind there was no point to the discussion after reading my first post.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, but I thought my first comment was thought provoking enough where your brain would automatically see how this may be helpful to some. I guess that's my fault for assuming that the way I think is similar to the ways other think. Perhaps in my first comment, I should've further explained why I would want such a thing to happen, as opposed to being lazy and just assuming everyone would know my reasons for such a hack.

 

[MightyMouse]

its retarded, the amount of work, and messing about involved to save 40notes lol

get a better job or save up for a week longer mate

 

[joda]

As opposed to using raid, loading games from two separate usb-devices, connected simultaneously, seems more feasible. Since this would work perfectly as long as games are never split between drives. USB-Loader would just have to scan, and keep track of, more than one TOC.

 

[drmarvin]

agreeing with joda, I think that would be a more feasible idea. I don't know that RAID would speed anything up, and unless you were doing something with 3 cards to create RAID 5 or something, it might be more trouble than it is worth. The other issue I see in that matter is the same problem one would always have with RAID that you would lose everything if one of the cards died or became corrupted.

I understand that the nice thing with the RAID would be that it's just one drive and all, but the corruption thing would really make me wary.