[Qemu-devel] [PATCH] doc: Allow NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE during NBD_CMD_WRITE

[Eric Blake]

qemu already has an existing server implementation option that will
explicitly search the payload of NBD_CMD_WRITE for large blocks of
zeroes, and punch holes in the underlying file.  For old clients
that don't know how to use the new NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES, this is a
workaround to keep the server's destination file approximately as
sparse as the client's source.  However, for new clients that know
how to explicitly request holes, it is unnecessary overhead; and
can lead to the server punching a hole and risking fragmentation or
future ENOSPC even when the client explicitly wanted to write
zeroes rather than a hole.  So it makes sense to let the new
NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE work for WRITE as well as WRITE_ZEROES.

Signed-off-by: Eric Blake <address@hidden>
---
 doc/proto.md | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 1 file changed, 27 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/proto.md b/doc/proto.md
index 35a3266..fb97217 100644
--- a/doc/proto.md
+++ b/doc/proto.md
@@ -737,8 +737,14 @@ by a sparse file. With current NBD command set, the client 
has to issue
 through the wire. The server has to write the data onto disk, effectively
 losing the sparseness.

-To remedy this, a `WRITE_ZEROES` extension is envisioned. This extension adds
-one new command and one new command flag.
+To remedy this, a `WRITE_ZEROES` extension is envisioned. This
+extension adds one new transmission flag, one new command, and one new
+command flag; and refines an existing command.
+
+* `NBD_FLAG_SEND_WRITE_ZEROES`
+
+    The server SHOULD set this transmission flag to 1 if the
+    `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES` request is supported.

 * `NBD_CMD_WRITE_ZEROES`

@@ -772,12 +778,27 @@ The server SHOULD return `ENOSPC` if it receives a write 
zeroes request
 including one or more sectors beyond the size of the device. It SHOULD
 return `EPERM` if it receives a write zeroes request on a read-only export.

+* `NBD_CMD_WRITE`
+
+    By default, the server MAY search for large contiguous blocks of
+    all zero content, and use trimming to zero out those portions of
+    the write, even if it did not advertise `NBD_FLAG_SEND_TRIM`; but
+    it MUST ensure that any trimmed areas of data read back as zero.
+    However, the client MAY set the command flag
+    `NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE` to inform the server that the entire
+    written area MUST be fully provisioned, ensuring that future
+    writes to the same area will not cause fragmentation or cause
+    failure due to insufficient space.  Clients SHOULD NOT set this
+    flag unless the server advertised `NBD_FLAG_SEND_WRITE_ZEROES` in
+    the transmisison flags.
+
 The extension adds the following new command flag:

-- `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.
+- `NBD_CMD_FLAG_NO_HOLE`; valid during `NBD_CMD_WRITE` and
+  `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

-- 
2.5.5