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:

1. Increased efficiency
2. Increase usability
3. Increase safety
4. Decrease costs

Disadvantages of Hot Swapping:

1. The hot-swap socket can wear out.
2. Hot-swap restricts the number of available layouts down to 1.
3. It increases the cost factors.

Hot-swappable Devices:

Components that Allow Hot Swapping:

1. Firewire devices
2. Modem/phone cord
3. Network cable
4. SATA devices
5. USB devices
6. Audio port

Components that do not allow Hot Swapping:

1. AT port and devices
2. CD-ROM, IDE hard drives
3. Parallel port and parallel port devices
4. PS/2 port and devices
5. 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:

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: