What is Hot Swapping?
Hot-swapping allows the removal or insertion of components to the computer without shutting down or rebooting the system. It is also called “hot insertion”. In this, a component can be removed and a new component can be inserted, while the main power is still on. It is a feature of USB (Universal Serial Bus), an external drive, and a network adapter.
For example, a USB connection, allows users to add or remove other devices (such as a mouse, keyboard, printer, pen drive) without shutting down the computer. Nowadays most smartphones also allow hot-swapping. Sim card or memory card can be easily inserted without shutting down the phone. When components in a server fail, the redundant unit automatically takes over. Hot-Swap arrangements are sold for LAN (Local Area Network), SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), an IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics).
Working of Hot Swapping:
Hot swapping works by providing a rack for the device that gives the appearance of a seamless connection to the computer’s bus or controller. The system assumes that the device is intact when removed or replaced. Take a look at “SATA” and its copper connector pins, you can see one is longer than the other. The extra length gives enough time to tell a device that it is being removed/added electrically. Controllers are also removed/added drives whose driver software can be removed/added from upstream layers of the drive.
Advantages of Hot Swapping:
- Increased efficiency
- Increase usability
- Increase safety
- Decrease costs
Disadvantages of Hot Swapping:
- The hot-swap socket can wear out.
- Hot-swap restricts the number of available layouts down to 1.
- It increases the cost factors.
Hot-swappable Devices:
Components that Allow Hot Swapping:
- Firewire devices
- Modem/phone cord
- Network cable
- SATA devices
- USB devices
- Audio port
Components that do not allow Hot Swapping:
- AT port and devices
- CD-ROM, IDE hard drives
- Parallel port and parallel port devices
- PS/2 port and devices
- Serial port and devices
Note: Disconnecting a device that is not swappable when the system is turned on can cause a device to stop working and physical hardware damage.
Cold Swap:
It describes the process of inserting or removing a component that requires the computer to be turned off during installation. Examples: RAM, Hard drives, Graphics cards.
Difference between Hot-swap and Cold swap:
S no. | Hot-Swap | Cold-Swap |
---|---|---|
1. | Switching off the computer is not required for inserting or removing a component. | It requires to be switched off or installation of components. |
2. | No restart is required | Restart is required. |
3. | It is handy and flexible | It is not handy and flexible. |
4. | It increases efficiency. | It does not increase efficiency. |
5. | Mouse, keyboard, printer, etc are examples of hot-swapping. | RAM, hard drives, graphics cards are examples of cold swap. |
What is Hot-plug?
Hot-plug means the device is added or removed without shutting down the system. It enables the user to connect/disconnect hardware devices to their system without shutting the devices. The operating system automatically recognizes the changes that have been made. Hot-plug was first introduced in Linux kernel 2.4 in January 2001. When hot-plugging of a USB device is done, the device is immediately seen in the system’s device.
Difference between Hot-Swap and Hot-Plug:
S No. | Hot-plug | Hot-swap |
---|---|---|
1. | Hot plugging is the attachment of a component while the system is running. | Hot swaps allow the replacement of components while the system is running. |
2. | It requires mounting the hard drive after the new drive has been installed. | Hot-swappable devices do not require any additional tasks to install. |
3. | It is the attachment of components only | It is the replacement or addition of components. |
4. | “Hard-drive” is a hot-pluggable device | “Fan trays and Power supplies” are hot-swappable devices. |