docs/interop/live-block-operations.rst

15 be used to manipulate disk image chains to accomplish certain tasks,
17 disk image chains by merging data from overlays into backing files; live
18 synchronize data from a disk image chain (including current active disk)
34 Disk image backing chain notation
37 A simple disk image chain.  (This can be created live using QMP
49 The arrow can be read as: Image [A] is the backing file of disk image
54 files in a disk image backing chain:
56 (1) Directional: 'base' and 'top'.  Given the simple disk image chain
62     simple disk image chain from the above, disk image [A] is referred
119     disk to another image.
144 parameter that is used to refer to the disk image a.qcow2 ('node-A') --
145 this is a cleaner way to refer to a disk image (as opposed to referring
147 ``node-name`` to each further disk image created (either via
148 ``blockdev-snapshot-sync``, or ``blockdev-add``) as part of the disk
171 Example disk image chain
174 We will use the below disk image chain (and occasionally spelling it
182 to the rightmost image in a disk image chain.)
214 In our disk image chain::
241 Given our original example disk image chain from earlier::
245 The disk image chain can be shortened in one of the following different
260 (2) Taking the same example disk image chain mentioned earlier, merge
271     with the original example disk image chain, with a total of four
333 image in a disk image chain where live QEMU will be writing to, into the
337 Again, starting afresh with our example disk image chain, where live
342 The disk image chain can be shortened in one of the following ways:
428 convert a disk image chain such as this::
503 Live disk synchronization --- ``drive-mirror`` and ``blockdev-mirror``
506 Synchronize a running disk image chain (all or part of it) to a target
509 Again, given our familiar disk image chain::
538     the time of *triggering* the cancel command) copy of the entire disk
549 *which* part of the disk image chain will be copied to the target.
552 (1) ``full`` -- Synchronize the content of entire disk image chain to
555 (2) ``top`` -- Synchronize only the contents of the top-most disk image
581 To copy the contents of the entire disk image chain, from [A] all the
653 from the disk image chain.
664 Given the disk image chain::
669 contents of the *top*-most disk image (i.e. the active layer), [D], to a
694         -F qcow2 ./target-disk.qcow2
706 …e-TargetDisk,driver=qcow2,file.driver=file,file.node-name=file,file.filename=./target-disk.qcow2 \\
711 Given the disk image chain on source QEMU::
737 (2) [On *destination* QEMU] And export the destination disk image using
812 entire disk image chain, to a target, using ``blockdev-mirror`` would be:
835 (7) Then, finally, compare the contents of the disk image chain, and
843 Given the disk image chain::
847 To copy the contents of the entire disk image chain, from [A] all the
934 Live disk backup --- ``blockdev-backup`` and the deprecated ``drive-backup``
950 Yet again, starting afresh with our example disk image chain::
993 of an entire disk image chain, to a target, using ``blockdev-backup``
1011 (5) Then, finally, compare the contents of the disk image chain, and
1021 Given a disk image chain of depth 1 where image [B] is the active
1103     ``qemu-img compare`` to verify the integrity of the disk image
1108 point-in-time backup of the disk image chain -- i.e. contents from
1112 One way to confirm the backup disk image contains the identical content
1113 with the disk image chain is to compare the backup and the contents of