xref: /openbmc/qemu/docs/tools/qemu-nbd.rst (revision 250bc43a)
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:: -B, --bitmap=NAME
76
77  If *filename* has a qcow2 persistent bitmap *NAME*, expose
78  that bitmap via the ``qemu:dirty-bitmap:NAME`` context
79  accessible through NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT.
80
81.. option:: -s, --snapshot
82
83  Use *filename* as an external snapshot, create a temporary
84  file with ``backing_file=``\ *filename*, redirect the write to
85  the temporary one.
86
87.. option:: -l, --load-snapshot=SNAPSHOT_PARAM
88
89  Load an internal snapshot inside *filename* and export it
90  as an read-only device, SNAPSHOT_PARAM format is
91  ``snapshot.id=[ID],snapshot.name=[NAME]`` or ``[ID_OR_NAME]``
92
93.. option:: --cache=CACHE
94
95  The cache mode to be used with the file.  See the documentation of
96  the emulator's ``-drive cache=...`` option for allowed values.
97
98.. option:: -n, --nocache
99
100  Equivalent to :option:`--cache=none`.
101
102.. option:: --aio=AIO
103
104  Set the asynchronous I/O mode between ``threads`` (the default),
105  ``native`` (Linux only), and ``io_uring`` (Linux 5.1+).
106
107.. option:: --discard=DISCARD
108
109  Control whether ``discard`` (also known as ``trim`` or ``unmap``)
110  requests are ignored or passed to the filesystem. *DISCARD* is one of
111  ``ignore`` (or ``off``), ``unmap`` (or ``on``).  The default is
112  ``ignore``.
113
114.. option:: --detect-zeroes=DETECT_ZEROES
115
116  Control the automatic conversion of plain zero writes by the OS to
117  driver-specific optimized zero write commands.  *DETECT_ZEROES* is one of
118  ``off``, ``on``, or ``unmap``.  ``unmap``
119  converts a zero write to an unmap operation and can only be used if
120  *DISCARD* is set to ``unmap``.  The default is ``off``.
121
122.. option:: -c, --connect=DEV
123
124  Connect *filename* to NBD device *DEV* (Linux only).
125
126.. option:: -d, --disconnect
127
128  Disconnect the device *DEV* (Linux only).
129
130.. option:: -e, --shared=NUM
131
132  Allow up to *NUM* clients to share the device (default
133  ``1``). Safe for readers, but for now, consistency is not
134  guaranteed between multiple writers.
135
136.. option:: -t, --persistent
137
138  Don't exit on the last connection.
139
140.. option:: -x, --export-name=NAME
141
142  Set the NBD volume export name (default of a zero-length string).
143
144.. option:: -D, --description=DESCRIPTION
145
146  Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
147  string.
148
149.. option:: -L, --list
150
151  Connect as a client and list all details about the exports exposed by
152  a remote NBD server.  This enables list mode, and is incompatible
153  with options that change behavior related to a specific export (such as
154  :option:`--export-name`, :option:`--offset`, ...).
155
156.. option:: --tls-creds=ID
157
158  Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
159  of the TLS credentials object previously created with the --object
160  option; or provide the credentials needed for connecting as a client
161  in list mode.
162
163.. option:: --fork
164
165  Fork off the server process and exit the parent once the server is running.
166
167.. option:: --pid-file=PATH
168
169  Store the server's process ID in the given file.
170
171.. option:: --tls-authz=ID
172
173  Specify the ID of a qauthz object previously created with the
174  :option:`--object` option. This will be used to authorize connecting users
175  against their x509 distinguished name.
176
177.. option:: -v, --verbose
178
179  Display extra debugging information.
180
181.. option:: -h, --help
182
183  Display this help and exit.
184
185.. option:: -V, --version
186
187  Display version information and exit.
188
189.. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
190
191  .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
192
193Examples
194--------
195
196Start a server listening on port 10809 that exposes only the
197guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file, with no TLS encryption, and
198with the default export name (an empty string). The command is
199one-shot, and will block until the first successful client
200disconnects:
201
202::
203
204  qemu-nbd -f qcow2 file.qcow2
205
206Start a long-running server listening with encryption on port 10810,
207and whitelist clients with a specific X.509 certificate to connect to
208a 1 megabyte subset of a raw file, using the export name 'subset':
209
210::
211
212  qemu-nbd \
213    --object tls-creds-x509,id=tls0,endpoint=server,dir=/path/to/qemutls \
214    --object 'authz-simple,id=auth0,identity=CN=laptop.example.com,,\
215              O=Example Org,,L=London,,ST=London,,C=GB' \
216    --tls-creds tls0 --tls-authz auth0 \
217    -t -x subset -p 10810 \
218    --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=1M,file.driver=file,file.filename=file.raw
219
220Serve a read-only copy of a guest image over a Unix socket with as
221many as 5 simultaneous readers, with a persistent process forked as a
222daemon:
223
224::
225
226  qemu-nbd --fork --persistent --shared=5 --socket=/path/to/sock \
227    --read-only --format=qcow2 file.qcow2
228
229Expose the guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file via a block device
230/dev/nbd0 (and possibly creating /dev/nbd0p1 and friends for
231partitions found within), then disconnect the device when done.
232Access to bind qemu-nbd to an /dev/nbd device generally requires root
233privileges, and may also require the execution of ``modprobe nbd``
234to enable the kernel NBD client module.  *CAUTION*: Do not use
235this method to mount filesystems from an untrusted guest image - a
236malicious guest may have prepared the image to attempt to trigger
237kernel bugs in partition probing or file system mounting.
238
239::
240
241  qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
242  qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0
243
244Query a remote server to see details about what export(s) it is
245serving on port 10809, and authenticating via PSK:
246
247::
248
249  qemu-nbd \
250    --object tls-creds-psk,id=tls0,dir=/tmp/keys,username=eblake,endpoint=client \
251    --tls-creds tls0 -L -b remote.example.com
252
253See also
254--------
255
256:manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-img(1)`
257