Rather than requiring allocation by default and allowing trims
only on request during WRITE_ZEROES, it seems like a better
default is to allow server optimizations by default and require
full allocation by specific request. Since WRITE_ZEROES is
experimental and has not yet been implemented, we can flip the
sense of the command flag so that the default flags of all 0s
is the most efficient, and flags (whether _FUA or _NO_HOLE) are
added to make the operation have tighter constraints but
possibly slower execution.
The name NO_HOLE is also slightly nicer at expressing the fact
that there is no dependency on whether NBD_CMD_TRIM is supported.
Also tweak a couple of formatting issues for consistency (for
example, only reserve a bit number in one place).
Signed-off-by: Eric Blake <address@hidden>
---
doc/proto.md | 30 +++++++++++++++++-------------
1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
diff --git a/doc/proto.md b/doc/proto.md
index 758a661..725af4d 100644
--- a/doc/proto.md
+++ b/doc/proto.md
@@ -288,10 +288,10 @@ immediately after the handshake flags field in oldstyle
negotiation:
schedule I/O accesses as for a rotational medium
- bit 5, `NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM`; should be set to 1 if the server supports
`NBD_CMD_TRIM` commands
-- bit 6, `NBD_FLAG_SEND_WRITE_ZEROES`; should be set to 1 if the server
- supports `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES` commands
-- bit 7, `NBD_FLAG_SEND_DF`; defined by the `STRUCTURED_REPLY` extension;
- see below.
+- bit 6, `NBD_FLAG_SEND_WRITE_ZEROES`; defined by the experimental
+ `WRITE_ZEROES` extension; see below.
+- bit 7, `NBD_FLAG_SEND_DF`; defined by the experimental `STRUCTURED_REPLY`
+ extension; see below.
Clients SHOULD ignore unknown flags.
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ valid may depend on negotiation during the handshake phase.
`NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES` commands. SHOULD be set to 1 if the client requires
"Force Unit Access" mode of operation. MUST NOT be set unless transmission
flags included `NBD_FLAG_SEND_FUA`.
-- bit 1, `NBD_CMD_MAY_TRIM`; defined by the experimental `WRITE_ZEROES`
+- bit 1, `NBD_CMD_NO_HOLE`; defined by the experimental `WRITE_ZEROES`
extension; see below.
- bit 2, `NBD_CMD_FLAG_DF`; defined by the experimental `STRUCTURED_REPLY`
extension; see below
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ losing the sparseness.
To remedy this, a `WRITE_ZEROES` extension is envisioned. This extension adds
one new command and one new command flag.
-* `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES` (6)
+* `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES`
A write request with no payload. Length and offset define the location
and amount of data to be zeroed.
@@ -753,9 +753,13 @@ one new command and one new command flag.
If this flag was set, the server MUST NOT send the reply until it has
ensured that the newly-zeroed data has reached permanent storage.
- If the flag `NBD_CMD_FLAG_MAY_TRIM` was set by the client in the command
- flags field, the server MAY use trimming to zero out the area, but it
- MUST ensure that the data reads back as zero.
+ By default, the server MAY use trimming to zero out the area, even
+ if it did not advertise `NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM`; but it MUST ensure
+ that the data reads back as zero. However, the client MAY set the
+ command flag `NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE` to inform the server that the
+ area MUST be fully provisioned, ensuring that future writes to the
+ same area will not cause fragmentation or cause failure due to
+ insufficient space.
If an error occurs, the server SHOULD set the appropriate error code
in the error field. The server MAY then close the connection.
@@ -766,9 +770,9 @@ return `EPERM` if it receives a write zeroes request on a
read-only export.
The extension adds the following new command flag:
-- bit 1, `NBD_CMD_FLAG_MAY_TRIM`; valid during `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES`.
- SHOULD be set to 1 if the client allows the server to use trim to perform
- the requested operation. The client MAY send `NBD_CMD_FLAG_MAY_TRIM` even
+- `NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE`; valid during `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES`.
+ SHOULD be set to 1 if the client wants to ensure that the server does
+ not create a hole. The client MAY send `NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE` even
if `NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM` was not set in the transmission flags field.
### `STRUCTURED_REPLY` extension
@@ -893,7 +897,7 @@ error, and alters the reply to the `NBD_CMD_READ` request.
were sent earlier in the structured reply, the server SHOULD NOT
send multiple distinct offsets that lie within the bounds of a
single content chunk. Valid as a reply to `NBD_CMD_READ`,
- `NBD_CMD_WRITE`, and `NBD_CMD_TRIM`.
+ `NBD_CMD_WRITE`, `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES`, and `NBD_CMD_TRIM`.
The payload is structured as: