period as a number of seconds.  The default is 200msec (0.200).
      Writing a value of 0 disables safemode.
 
+   array_state
+     This file contains a single word which describes the current
+     state of the array.  In many cases, the state can be set by
+     writing the word for the desired state, however some states
+     cannot be explicitly set, and some transitions are not allowed.
+
+     clear
+         No devices, no size, no level
+         Writing is equivalent to STOP_ARRAY ioctl
+     inactive
+         May have some settings, but array is not active
+            all IO results in error
+         When written, doesn't tear down array, but just stops it
+     suspended (not supported yet)
+         All IO requests will block. The array can be reconfigured.
+         Writing this, if accepted, will block until array is quiessent
+     readonly
+         no resync can happen.  no superblocks get written.
+         write requests fail
+     read-auto
+         like readonly, but behaves like 'clean' on a write request.
+
+     clean - no pending writes, but otherwise active.
+         When written to inactive array, starts without resync
+         If a write request arrives then
+           if metadata is known, mark 'dirty' and switch to 'active'.
+           if not known, block and switch to write-pending
+         If written to an active array that has pending writes, then fails.
+     active
+         fully active: IO and resync can be happening.
+         When written to inactive array, starts with resync
+
+     write-pending
+         clean, but writes are blocked waiting for 'active' to be written.
+
+     active-idle
+         like active, but no writes have been seen for a while (safe_mode_delay).
+
+
    sync_speed_min
    sync_speed_max
      This are similar to /proc/sys/dev/raid/speed_limit_{min,max}
 
 static struct md_sysfs_entry md_chunk_size =
 __ATTR(chunk_size, 0644, chunk_size_show, chunk_size_store);
 
+/*
+ * The array state can be:
+ *
+ * clear
+ *     No devices, no size, no level
+ *     Equivalent to STOP_ARRAY ioctl
+ * inactive
+ *     May have some settings, but array is not active
+ *        all IO results in error
+ *     When written, doesn't tear down array, but just stops it
+ * suspended (not supported yet)
+ *     All IO requests will block. The array can be reconfigured.
+ *     Writing this, if accepted, will block until array is quiessent
+ * readonly
+ *     no resync can happen.  no superblocks get written.
+ *     write requests fail
+ * read-auto
+ *     like readonly, but behaves like 'clean' on a write request.
+ *
+ * clean - no pending writes, but otherwise active.
+ *     When written to inactive array, starts without resync
+ *     If a write request arrives then
+ *       if metadata is known, mark 'dirty' and switch to 'active'.
+ *       if not known, block and switch to write-pending
+ *     If written to an active array that has pending writes, then fails.
+ * active
+ *     fully active: IO and resync can be happening.
+ *     When written to inactive array, starts with resync
+ *
+ * write-pending
+ *     clean, but writes are blocked waiting for 'active' to be written.
+ *
+ * active-idle
+ *     like active, but no writes have been seen for a while (100msec).
+ *
+ */
+enum array_state { clear, inactive, suspended, readonly, read_auto, clean, active,
+                  write_pending, active_idle, bad_word};
+char *array_states[] = {
+       "clear", "inactive", "suspended", "readonly", "read-auto", "clean", "active",
+       "write-pending", "active-idle", NULL };
+
+static int match_word(const char *word, char **list)
+{
+       int n;
+       for (n=0; list[n]; n++)
+               if (cmd_match(word, list[n]))
+                       break;
+       return n;
+}
+
+static ssize_t
+array_state_show(mddev_t *mddev, char *page)
+{
+       enum array_state st = inactive;
+
+       if (mddev->pers)
+               switch(mddev->ro) {
+               case 1:
+                       st = readonly;
+                       break;
+               case 2:
+                       st = read_auto;
+                       break;
+               case 0:
+                       if (mddev->in_sync)
+                               st = clean;
+                       else if (mddev->safemode)
+                               st = active_idle;
+                       else
+                               st = active;
+               }
+       else {
+               if (list_empty(&mddev->disks) &&
+                   mddev->raid_disks == 0 &&
+                   mddev->size == 0)
+                       st = clear;
+               else
+                       st = inactive;
+       }
+       return sprintf(page, "%s\n", array_states[st]);
+}
+
+static int do_md_stop(mddev_t * mddev, int ro);
+static int do_md_run(mddev_t * mddev);
+static int restart_array(mddev_t *mddev);
+
+static ssize_t
+array_state_store(mddev_t *mddev, const char *buf, size_t len)
+{
+       int err = -EINVAL;
+       enum array_state st = match_word(buf, array_states);
+       switch(st) {
+       case bad_word:
+               break;
+       case clear:
+               /* stopping an active array */
+               if (mddev->pers) {
+                       if (atomic_read(&mddev->active) > 1)
+                               return -EBUSY;
+                       err = do_md_stop(mddev, 0);
+               }
+               break;
+       case inactive:
+               /* stopping an active array */
+               if (mddev->pers) {
+                       if (atomic_read(&mddev->active) > 1)
+                               return -EBUSY;
+                       err = do_md_stop(mddev, 2);
+               }
+               break;
+       case suspended:
+               break; /* not supported yet */
+       case readonly:
+               if (mddev->pers)
+                       err = do_md_stop(mddev, 1);
+               else {
+                       mddev->ro = 1;
+                       err = do_md_run(mddev);
+               }
+               break;
+       case read_auto:
+               /* stopping an active array */
+               if (mddev->pers) {
+                       err = do_md_stop(mddev, 1);
+                       if (err == 0)
+                               mddev->ro = 2; /* FIXME mark devices writable */
+               } else {
+                       mddev->ro = 2;
+                       err = do_md_run(mddev);
+               }
+               break;
+       case clean:
+               if (mddev->pers) {
+                       restart_array(mddev);
+                       spin_lock_irq(&mddev->write_lock);
+                       if (atomic_read(&mddev->writes_pending) == 0) {
+                               mddev->in_sync = 1;
+                               mddev->sb_dirty = 1;
+                       }
+                       spin_unlock_irq(&mddev->write_lock);
+               } else {
+                       mddev->ro = 0;
+                       mddev->recovery_cp = MaxSector;
+                       err = do_md_run(mddev);
+               }
+               break;
+       case active:
+               if (mddev->pers) {
+                       restart_array(mddev);
+                       mddev->sb_dirty = 0;
+                       wake_up(&mddev->sb_wait);
+                       err = 0;
+               } else {
+                       mddev->ro = 0;
+                       err = do_md_run(mddev);
+               }
+               break;
+       case write_pending:
+       case active_idle:
+               /* these cannot be set */
+               break;
+       }
+       if (err)
+               return err;
+       else
+               return len;
+}
+static struct md_sysfs_entry md_array_state = __ATTR(array_state, 0644, array_state_show, array_state_store);
+
 static ssize_t
 null_show(mddev_t *mddev, char *page)
 {
        &md_metadata.attr,
        &md_new_device.attr,
        &md_safe_delay.attr,
+       &md_array_state.attr,
        NULL,
 };
 
                md_wakeup_thread(mddev->thread);
                md_wakeup_thread(mddev->sync_thread);
                err = 0;
-       } else {
-               printk(KERN_ERR "md: %s has no personality assigned.\n",
-                       mdname(mddev));
+       } else
                err = -EINVAL;
-       }
 
 out:
        return err;
        spin_unlock(&inode->i_lock);
 }
 
-static int do_md_stop(mddev_t * mddev, int ro)
+/* mode:
+ *   0 - completely stop and dis-assemble array
+ *   1 - switch to readonly
+ *   2 - stop but do not disassemble array
+ */
+static int do_md_stop(mddev_t * mddev, int mode)
 {
        int err = 0;
        struct gendisk *disk = mddev->gendisk;
 
                invalidate_partition(disk, 0);
 
-               if (ro) {
+               switch(mode) {
+               case 1: /* readonly */
                        err  = -ENXIO;
                        if (mddev->ro==1)
                                goto out;
                        mddev->ro = 1;
-               } else {
+                       break;
+               case 0: /* disassemble */
+               case 2: /* stop */
                        bitmap_flush(mddev);
                        md_super_wait(mddev);
                        if (mddev->ro)
                        mddev->in_sync = 1;
                        md_update_sb(mddev);
                }
-               if (ro)
+               if (mode == 1)
                        set_disk_ro(disk, 1);
                clear_bit(MD_RECOVERY_FROZEN, &mddev->recovery);
        }
        /*
         * Free resources if final stop
         */
-       if (!ro) {
+       if (mode == 0) {
                mdk_rdev_t *rdev;
                struct list_head *tmp;
                struct gendisk *disk;
                export_array(mddev);
 
                mddev->array_size = 0;
+               mddev->size = 0;
+               mddev->raid_disks = 0;
+
                disk = mddev->gendisk;
                if (disk)
                        set_capacity(disk, 0);