xref: /openbmc/qemu/docs/tools/qemu-nbd.rst (revision 0d98fbb5)
1=====================================
2QEMU Disk Network Block Device Server
3=====================================
4
5Synopsis
6--------
7
8**qemu-nbd** [*OPTION*]... *filename*
9
10**qemu-nbd** -L [*OPTION*]...
11
12**qemu-nbd** -d *dev*
13
14Description
15-----------
16
17Export a QEMU disk image using the NBD protocol.
18
19Other uses:
20
21- Bind a /dev/nbdX block device to a QEMU server (on Linux).
22- As a client to query exports of a remote NBD server.
23
24Options
25-------
26
27.. program:: qemu-nbd
28
29*filename* is a disk image filename, or a set of block
30driver options if :option:`--image-opts` is specified.
31
32*dev* is an NBD device.
33
34.. option:: --object type,id=ID,...
35
36  Define a new instance of the *type* object class identified by *ID*.
37  See the :manpage:`qemu(1)` manual page for full details of the properties
38  supported. The common object types that it makes sense to define are the
39  ``secret`` object, which is used to supply passwords and/or encryption
40  keys, and the ``tls-creds`` object, which is used to supply TLS
41  credentials for the ``qemu-nbd`` server or client.
42
43.. option:: -p, --port=PORT
44
45  TCP port to listen on as a server, or connect to as a client
46  (default ``10809``).
47
48.. option:: -o, --offset=OFFSET
49
50  The offset into the image.
51
52.. option:: -b, --bind=IFACE
53
54  The interface to bind to as a server, or connect to as a client
55  (default ``0.0.0.0``).
56
57.. option:: -k, --socket=PATH
58
59  Use a unix socket with path *PATH*.
60
61.. option:: --image-opts
62
63  Treat *filename* as a set of image options, instead of a plain
64  filename. If this flag is specified, the ``-f`` flag should
65  not be used, instead the :option:`format=` option should be set.
66
67.. option:: -f, --format=FMT
68
69  Force the use of the block driver for format *FMT* instead of
70  auto-detecting.
71
72.. option:: -r, --read-only
73
74  Export the disk as read-only.
75
76.. option:: -A, --allocation-depth
77
78  Expose allocation depth information via the
79  ``qemu:allocation-depth`` metadata context accessible through
80  NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT.
81
82.. option:: -B, --bitmap=NAME
83
84  If *filename* has a qcow2 persistent bitmap *NAME*, expose
85  that bitmap via the ``qemu:dirty-bitmap:NAME`` metadata context
86  accessible through NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT.
87
88.. option:: -s, --snapshot
89
90  Use *filename* as an external snapshot, create a temporary
91  file with ``backing_file=``\ *filename*, redirect the write to
92  the temporary one.
93
94.. option:: -l, --load-snapshot=SNAPSHOT_PARAM
95
96  Load an internal snapshot inside *filename* and export it
97  as an read-only device, SNAPSHOT_PARAM format is
98  ``snapshot.id=[ID],snapshot.name=[NAME]`` or ``[ID_OR_NAME]``
99
100.. option:: --cache=CACHE
101
102  The cache mode to be used with the file. Valid values are:
103  ``none``, ``writeback`` (the default), ``writethrough``,
104  ``directsync`` and ``unsafe``. See the documentation of
105  the emulator's ``-drive cache=...`` option for more info.
106
107.. option:: -n, --nocache
108
109  Equivalent to :option:`--cache=none`.
110
111.. option:: --aio=AIO
112
113  Set the asynchronous I/O mode between ``threads`` (the default),
114  ``native`` (Linux only), and ``io_uring`` (Linux 5.1+).
115
116.. option:: --discard=DISCARD
117
118  Control whether ``discard`` (also known as ``trim`` or ``unmap``)
119  requests are ignored or passed to the filesystem. *DISCARD* is one of
120  ``ignore`` (or ``off``), ``unmap`` (or ``on``).  The default is
121  ``ignore``.
122
123.. option:: --detect-zeroes=DETECT_ZEROES
124
125  Control the automatic conversion of plain zero writes by the OS to
126  driver-specific optimized zero write commands.  *DETECT_ZEROES* is one of
127  ``off``, ``on``, or ``unmap``.  ``unmap``
128  converts a zero write to an unmap operation and can only be used if
129  *DISCARD* is set to ``unmap``.  The default is ``off``.
130
131.. option:: -c, --connect=DEV
132
133  Connect *filename* to NBD device *DEV* (Linux only).
134
135.. option:: -d, --disconnect
136
137  Disconnect the device *DEV* (Linux only).
138
139.. option:: -e, --shared=NUM
140
141  Allow up to *NUM* clients to share the device (default
142  ``1``), 0 for unlimited. Safe for readers, but for now,
143  consistency is not guaranteed between multiple writers.
144
145.. option:: -t, --persistent
146
147  Don't exit on the last connection.
148
149.. option:: -x, --export-name=NAME
150
151  Set the NBD volume export name (default of a zero-length string).
152
153.. option:: -D, --description=DESCRIPTION
154
155  Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
156  string.
157
158.. option:: -L, --list
159
160  Connect as a client and list all details about the exports exposed by
161  a remote NBD server.  This enables list mode, and is incompatible
162  with options that change behavior related to a specific export (such as
163  :option:`--export-name`, :option:`--offset`, ...).
164
165.. option:: --tls-creds=ID
166
167  Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
168  of the TLS credentials object previously created with the
169  :option:`--object` option; or provide the credentials needed for
170  connecting as a client in list mode.
171
172.. option:: --tls-hostname=hostname
173
174  When validating an x509 certificate received over a TLS connection,
175  the hostname that the NBD client used to connect will be checked
176  against information in the server provided certificate. Sometimes
177  it might be required to override the hostname used to perform this
178  check. For example, if the NBD client is using a tunnel from localhost
179  to connect to the remote server, the :option:`--tls-hostname` option should
180  be used to set the officially expected hostname of the remote NBD
181  server. This can also be used if accessing NBD over a UNIX socket
182  where there is no inherent hostname available. This is only permitted
183  when acting as a NBD client with the :option:`--list` option.
184
185.. option:: --fork
186
187  Fork off the server process and exit the parent once the server is running.
188
189.. option:: --pid-file=PATH
190
191  Store the server's process ID in the given file.
192
193.. option:: --tls-authz=ID
194
195  Specify the ID of a qauthz object previously created with the
196  :option:`--object` option. This will be used to authorize connecting users
197  against their x509 distinguished name.
198
199.. option:: -v, --verbose
200
201  Display extra debugging information.
202
203.. option:: -h, --help
204
205  Display this help and exit.
206
207.. option:: -V, --version
208
209  Display version information and exit.
210
211.. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
212
213  .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
214
215Examples
216--------
217
218Start a server listening on port 10809 that exposes only the
219guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file, with no TLS encryption, and
220with the default export name (an empty string). The command is
221one-shot, and will block until the first successful client
222disconnects:
223
224::
225
226  qemu-nbd -f qcow2 file.qcow2
227
228Start a long-running server listening with encryption on port 10810,
229and whitelist clients with a specific X.509 certificate to connect to
230a 1 megabyte subset of a raw file, using the export name 'subset':
231
232::
233
234  qemu-nbd \
235    --object tls-creds-x509,id=tls0,endpoint=server,dir=/path/to/qemutls \
236    --object 'authz-simple,id=auth0,identity=CN=laptop.example.com,,\
237              O=Example Org,,L=London,,ST=London,,C=GB' \
238    --tls-creds tls0 --tls-authz auth0 \
239    -t -x subset -p 10810 \
240    --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=1M,file.driver=file,file.filename=file.raw
241
242Serve a read-only copy of a guest image over a Unix socket with as
243many as 5 simultaneous readers, with a persistent process forked as a
244daemon:
245
246::
247
248  qemu-nbd --fork --persistent --shared=5 --socket=/path/to/sock \
249    --read-only --format=qcow2 file.qcow2
250
251Expose the guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file via a block device
252/dev/nbd0 (and possibly creating /dev/nbd0p1 and friends for
253partitions found within), then disconnect the device when done.
254Access to bind ``qemu-nbd`` to a /dev/nbd device generally requires root
255privileges, and may also require the execution of ``modprobe nbd``
256to enable the kernel NBD client module.  *CAUTION*: Do not use
257this method to mount filesystems from an untrusted guest image - a
258malicious guest may have prepared the image to attempt to trigger
259kernel bugs in partition probing or file system mounting.
260
261::
262
263  qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
264  qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0
265
266Query a remote server to see details about what export(s) it is
267serving on port 10809, and authenticating via PSK:
268
269::
270
271  qemu-nbd \
272    --object tls-creds-psk,id=tls0,dir=/tmp/keys,username=eblake,endpoint=client \
273    --tls-creds tls0 -L -b remote.example.com
274
275See also
276--------
277
278:manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-img(1)`
279