xref: /openbmc/qemu/docs/tools/qemu-nbd.rst (revision 2d2e4843)
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.
143
144.. option:: -t, --persistent
145
146  Don't exit on the last connection.
147
148.. option:: -x, --export-name=NAME
149
150  Set the NBD volume export name (default of a zero-length string).
151
152.. option:: -D, --description=DESCRIPTION
153
154  Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
155  string.
156
157.. option:: -L, --list
158
159  Connect as a client and list all details about the exports exposed by
160  a remote NBD server.  This enables list mode, and is incompatible
161  with options that change behavior related to a specific export (such as
162  :option:`--export-name`, :option:`--offset`, ...).
163
164.. option:: --tls-creds=ID
165
166  Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
167  of the TLS credentials object previously created with the
168  :option:`--object` option; or provide the credentials needed for
169  connecting as a client in list mode.
170
171.. option:: --tls-hostname=hostname
172
173  When validating an x509 certificate received over a TLS connection,
174  the hostname that the NBD client used to connect will be checked
175  against information in the server provided certificate. Sometimes
176  it might be required to override the hostname used to perform this
177  check. For example, if the NBD client is using a tunnel from localhost
178  to connect to the remote server, the :option:`--tls-hostname` option should
179  be used to set the officially expected hostname of the remote NBD
180  server. This can also be used if accessing NBD over a UNIX socket
181  where there is no inherent hostname available. This is only permitted
182  when acting as a NBD client with the :option:`--list` option.
183
184.. option:: --fork
185
186  Fork off the server process and exit the parent once the server is running.
187
188.. option:: --pid-file=PATH
189
190  Store the server's process ID in the given file.
191
192.. option:: --tls-authz=ID
193
194  Specify the ID of a qauthz object previously created with the
195  :option:`--object` option. This will be used to authorize connecting users
196  against their x509 distinguished name.
197
198.. option:: -v, --verbose
199
200  Display extra debugging information.
201
202.. option:: -h, --help
203
204  Display this help and exit.
205
206.. option:: -V, --version
207
208  Display version information and exit.
209
210.. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
211
212  .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
213
214Examples
215--------
216
217Start a server listening on port 10809 that exposes only the
218guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file, with no TLS encryption, and
219with the default export name (an empty string). The command is
220one-shot, and will block until the first successful client
221disconnects:
222
223::
224
225  qemu-nbd -f qcow2 file.qcow2
226
227Start a long-running server listening with encryption on port 10810,
228and allow clients with a specific X.509 certificate to connect to
229a 1 megabyte subset of a raw file, using the export name 'subset':
230
231::
232
233  qemu-nbd \
234    --object tls-creds-x509,id=tls0,endpoint=server,dir=/path/to/qemutls \
235    --object 'authz-simple,id=auth0,identity=CN=laptop.example.com,,\
236              O=Example Org,,L=London,,ST=London,,C=GB' \
237    --tls-creds tls0 --tls-authz auth0 \
238    -t -x subset -p 10810 \
239    --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=1M,file.driver=file,file.filename=file.raw
240
241Serve a read-only copy of a guest image over a Unix socket with as
242many as 5 simultaneous readers, with a persistent process forked as a
243daemon:
244
245::
246
247  qemu-nbd --fork --persistent --shared=5 --socket=/path/to/sock \
248    --read-only --format=qcow2 file.qcow2
249
250Expose the guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file via a block device
251/dev/nbd0 (and possibly creating /dev/nbd0p1 and friends for
252partitions found within), then disconnect the device when done.
253Access to bind ``qemu-nbd`` to a /dev/nbd device generally requires root
254privileges, and may also require the execution of ``modprobe nbd``
255to enable the kernel NBD client module.  *CAUTION*: Do not use
256this method to mount filesystems from an untrusted guest image - a
257malicious guest may have prepared the image to attempt to trigger
258kernel bugs in partition probing or file system mounting.
259
260::
261
262  qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
263  qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0
264
265Query a remote server to see details about what export(s) it is
266serving on port 10809, and authenticating via PSK:
267
268::
269
270  qemu-nbd \
271    --object tls-creds-psk,id=tls0,dir=/tmp/keys,username=eblake,endpoint=client \
272    --tls-creds tls0 -L -b remote.example.com
273
274See also
275--------
276
277:manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-img(1)`
278