xref: /openbmc/qemu/docs/tools/qemu-nbd.rst (revision 0d9b90ce)
1QEMU Disk Network Block Device Server
2=====================================
3
4Synopsis
5--------
6
7**qemu-nbd** [*OPTION*]... *filename*
8
9**qemu-nbd** -L [*OPTION*]...
10
11**qemu-nbd** -d *dev*
12
13Description
14-----------
15
16Export a QEMU disk image using the NBD protocol.
17
18Other uses:
19
20- Bind a /dev/nbdX block device to a QEMU server (on Linux).
21- As a client to query exports of a remote NBD server.
22
23Options
24-------
25
26.. program:: qemu-nbd
27
28*filename* is a disk image filename, or a set of block
29driver options if ``--image-opts`` is specified.
30
31*dev* is an NBD device.
32
33.. option:: --object type,id=ID,...props...
34
35  Define a new instance of the *type* object class identified by *ID*.
36  See the :manpage:`qemu(1)` manual page for full details of the properties
37  supported. The common object types that it makes sense to define are the
38  ``secret`` object, which is used to supply passwords and/or encryption
39  keys, and the ``tls-creds`` object, which is used to supply TLS
40  credentials for the qemu-nbd server or client.
41
42.. option:: -p, --port=PORT
43
44  TCP port to listen on as a server, or connect to as a client
45  (default ``10809``).
46
47.. option:: -o, --offset=OFFSET
48
49  The offset into the image.
50
51.. option:: -b, --bind=IFACE
52
53  The interface to bind to as a server, or connect to as a client
54  (default ``0.0.0.0``).
55
56.. option:: -k, --socket=PATH
57
58  Use a unix socket with path *PATH*.
59
60.. option:: --image-opts
61
62  Treat *filename* as a set of image options, instead of a plain
63  filename. If this flag is specified, the ``-f`` flag should
64  not be used, instead the :option:`format=` option should be set.
65
66.. option:: -f, --format=FMT
67
68  Force the use of the block driver for format *FMT* instead of
69  auto-detecting.
70
71.. option:: -r, --read-only
72
73  Export the disk as read-only.
74
75.. option:: -A, --allocation-depth
76
77  Expose allocation depth information via the
78  ``qemu:allocation-depth`` metadata context accessible through
79  NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT.
80
81.. option:: -B, --bitmap=NAME
82
83  If *filename* has a qcow2 persistent bitmap *NAME*, expose
84  that bitmap via the ``qemu:dirty-bitmap:NAME`` metadata context
85  accessible through NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT.
86
87.. option:: -s, --snapshot
88
89  Use *filename* as an external snapshot, create a temporary
90  file with ``backing_file=``\ *filename*, redirect the write to
91  the temporary one.
92
93.. option:: -l, --load-snapshot=SNAPSHOT_PARAM
94
95  Load an internal snapshot inside *filename* and export it
96  as an read-only device, SNAPSHOT_PARAM format is
97  ``snapshot.id=[ID],snapshot.name=[NAME]`` or ``[ID_OR_NAME]``
98
99.. option:: --cache=CACHE
100
101  The cache mode to be used with the file.  See the documentation of
102  the emulator's ``-drive cache=...`` option for allowed values.
103
104.. option:: -n, --nocache
105
106  Equivalent to :option:`--cache=none`.
107
108.. option:: --aio=AIO
109
110  Set the asynchronous I/O mode between ``threads`` (the default),
111  ``native`` (Linux only), and ``io_uring`` (Linux 5.1+).
112
113.. option:: --discard=DISCARD
114
115  Control whether ``discard`` (also known as ``trim`` or ``unmap``)
116  requests are ignored or passed to the filesystem. *DISCARD* is one of
117  ``ignore`` (or ``off``), ``unmap`` (or ``on``).  The default is
118  ``ignore``.
119
120.. option:: --detect-zeroes=DETECT_ZEROES
121
122  Control the automatic conversion of plain zero writes by the OS to
123  driver-specific optimized zero write commands.  *DETECT_ZEROES* is one of
124  ``off``, ``on``, or ``unmap``.  ``unmap``
125  converts a zero write to an unmap operation and can only be used if
126  *DISCARD* is set to ``unmap``.  The default is ``off``.
127
128.. option:: -c, --connect=DEV
129
130  Connect *filename* to NBD device *DEV* (Linux only).
131
132.. option:: -d, --disconnect
133
134  Disconnect the device *DEV* (Linux only).
135
136.. option:: -e, --shared=NUM
137
138  Allow up to *NUM* clients to share the device (default
139  ``1``). Safe for readers, but for now, consistency is not
140  guaranteed between multiple writers.
141
142.. option:: -t, --persistent
143
144  Don't exit on the last connection.
145
146.. option:: -x, --export-name=NAME
147
148  Set the NBD volume export name (default of a zero-length string).
149
150.. option:: -D, --description=DESCRIPTION
151
152  Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
153  string.
154
155.. option:: -L, --list
156
157  Connect as a client and list all details about the exports exposed by
158  a remote NBD server.  This enables list mode, and is incompatible
159  with options that change behavior related to a specific export (such as
160  :option:`--export-name`, :option:`--offset`, ...).
161
162.. option:: --tls-creds=ID
163
164  Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
165  of the TLS credentials object previously created with the --object
166  option; or provide the credentials needed for connecting as a client
167  in list mode.
168
169.. option:: --fork
170
171  Fork off the server process and exit the parent once the server is running.
172
173.. option:: --pid-file=PATH
174
175  Store the server's process ID in the given file.
176
177.. option:: --tls-authz=ID
178
179  Specify the ID of a qauthz object previously created with the
180  :option:`--object` option. This will be used to authorize connecting users
181  against their x509 distinguished name.
182
183.. option:: -v, --verbose
184
185  Display extra debugging information.
186
187.. option:: -h, --help
188
189  Display this help and exit.
190
191.. option:: -V, --version
192
193  Display version information and exit.
194
195.. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
196
197  .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
198
199Examples
200--------
201
202Start a server listening on port 10809 that exposes only the
203guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file, with no TLS encryption, and
204with the default export name (an empty string). The command is
205one-shot, and will block until the first successful client
206disconnects:
207
208::
209
210  qemu-nbd -f qcow2 file.qcow2
211
212Start a long-running server listening with encryption on port 10810,
213and whitelist clients with a specific X.509 certificate to connect to
214a 1 megabyte subset of a raw file, using the export name 'subset':
215
216::
217
218  qemu-nbd \
219    --object tls-creds-x509,id=tls0,endpoint=server,dir=/path/to/qemutls \
220    --object 'authz-simple,id=auth0,identity=CN=laptop.example.com,,\
221              O=Example Org,,L=London,,ST=London,,C=GB' \
222    --tls-creds tls0 --tls-authz auth0 \
223    -t -x subset -p 10810 \
224    --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=1M,file.driver=file,file.filename=file.raw
225
226Serve a read-only copy of a guest image over a Unix socket with as
227many as 5 simultaneous readers, with a persistent process forked as a
228daemon:
229
230::
231
232  qemu-nbd --fork --persistent --shared=5 --socket=/path/to/sock \
233    --read-only --format=qcow2 file.qcow2
234
235Expose the guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file via a block device
236/dev/nbd0 (and possibly creating /dev/nbd0p1 and friends for
237partitions found within), then disconnect the device when done.
238Access to bind qemu-nbd to an /dev/nbd device generally requires root
239privileges, and may also require the execution of ``modprobe nbd``
240to enable the kernel NBD client module.  *CAUTION*: Do not use
241this method to mount filesystems from an untrusted guest image - a
242malicious guest may have prepared the image to attempt to trigger
243kernel bugs in partition probing or file system mounting.
244
245::
246
247  qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
248  qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0
249
250Query a remote server to see details about what export(s) it is
251serving on port 10809, and authenticating via PSK:
252
253::
254
255  qemu-nbd \
256    --object tls-creds-psk,id=tls0,dir=/tmp/keys,username=eblake,endpoint=client \
257    --tls-creds tls0 -L -b remote.example.com
258
259See also
260--------
261
262:manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-img(1)`
263