xref: /qemu/docs/tools/qemu-nbd.rst (revision d051d0e1)
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 ``--image-opts`` is specified.
31
32*dev* is an NBD device.
33
34.. option:: --object type,id=ID,...props...
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.  See the documentation of
103  the emulator's ``-drive cache=...`` option for allowed values.
104
105.. option:: -n, --nocache
106
107  Equivalent to :option:`--cache=none`.
108
109.. option:: --aio=AIO
110
111  Set the asynchronous I/O mode between ``threads`` (the default),
112  ``native`` (Linux only), and ``io_uring`` (Linux 5.1+).
113
114.. option:: --discard=DISCARD
115
116  Control whether ``discard`` (also known as ``trim`` or ``unmap``)
117  requests are ignored or passed to the filesystem. *DISCARD* is one of
118  ``ignore`` (or ``off``), ``unmap`` (or ``on``).  The default is
119  ``ignore``.
120
121.. option:: --detect-zeroes=DETECT_ZEROES
122
123  Control the automatic conversion of plain zero writes by the OS to
124  driver-specific optimized zero write commands.  *DETECT_ZEROES* is one of
125  ``off``, ``on``, or ``unmap``.  ``unmap``
126  converts a zero write to an unmap operation and can only be used if
127  *DISCARD* is set to ``unmap``.  The default is ``off``.
128
129.. option:: -c, --connect=DEV
130
131  Connect *filename* to NBD device *DEV* (Linux only).
132
133.. option:: -d, --disconnect
134
135  Disconnect the device *DEV* (Linux only).
136
137.. option:: -e, --shared=NUM
138
139  Allow up to *NUM* clients to share the device (default
140  ``1``), 0 for unlimited. Safe for readers, but for now,
141  consistency is not guaranteed between multiple writers.
142
143.. option:: -t, --persistent
144
145  Don't exit on the last connection.
146
147.. option:: -x, --export-name=NAME
148
149  Set the NBD volume export name (default of a zero-length string).
150
151.. option:: -D, --description=DESCRIPTION
152
153  Set the NBD volume export description, as a human-readable
154  string.
155
156.. option:: -L, --list
157
158  Connect as a client and list all details about the exports exposed by
159  a remote NBD server.  This enables list mode, and is incompatible
160  with options that change behavior related to a specific export (such as
161  :option:`--export-name`, :option:`--offset`, ...).
162
163.. option:: --tls-creds=ID
164
165  Enable mandatory TLS encryption for the server by setting the ID
166  of the TLS credentials object previously created with the --object
167  option; or provide the credentials needed for connecting as a client
168  in list mode.
169
170.. option:: --fork
171
172  Fork off the server process and exit the parent once the server is running.
173
174.. option:: --pid-file=PATH
175
176  Store the server's process ID in the given file.
177
178.. option:: --tls-authz=ID
179
180  Specify the ID of a qauthz object previously created with the
181  :option:`--object` option. This will be used to authorize connecting users
182  against their x509 distinguished name.
183
184.. option:: -v, --verbose
185
186  Display extra debugging information.
187
188.. option:: -h, --help
189
190  Display this help and exit.
191
192.. option:: -V, --version
193
194  Display version information and exit.
195
196.. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
197
198  .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
199
200Examples
201--------
202
203Start a server listening on port 10809 that exposes only the
204guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file, with no TLS encryption, and
205with the default export name (an empty string). The command is
206one-shot, and will block until the first successful client
207disconnects:
208
209::
210
211  qemu-nbd -f qcow2 file.qcow2
212
213Start a long-running server listening with encryption on port 10810,
214and whitelist clients with a specific X.509 certificate to connect to
215a 1 megabyte subset of a raw file, using the export name 'subset':
216
217::
218
219  qemu-nbd \
220    --object tls-creds-x509,id=tls0,endpoint=server,dir=/path/to/qemutls \
221    --object 'authz-simple,id=auth0,identity=CN=laptop.example.com,,\
222              O=Example Org,,L=London,,ST=London,,C=GB' \
223    --tls-creds tls0 --tls-authz auth0 \
224    -t -x subset -p 10810 \
225    --image-opts driver=raw,offset=1M,size=1M,file.driver=file,file.filename=file.raw
226
227Serve a read-only copy of a guest image over a Unix socket with as
228many as 5 simultaneous readers, with a persistent process forked as a
229daemon:
230
231::
232
233  qemu-nbd --fork --persistent --shared=5 --socket=/path/to/sock \
234    --read-only --format=qcow2 file.qcow2
235
236Expose the guest-visible contents of a qcow2 file via a block device
237/dev/nbd0 (and possibly creating /dev/nbd0p1 and friends for
238partitions found within), then disconnect the device when done.
239Access to bind qemu-nbd to an /dev/nbd device generally requires root
240privileges, and may also require the execution of ``modprobe nbd``
241to enable the kernel NBD client module.  *CAUTION*: Do not use
242this method to mount filesystems from an untrusted guest image - a
243malicious guest may have prepared the image to attempt to trigger
244kernel bugs in partition probing or file system mounting.
245
246::
247
248  qemu-nbd -c /dev/nbd0 -f qcow2 file.qcow2
249  qemu-nbd -d /dev/nbd0
250
251Query a remote server to see details about what export(s) it is
252serving on port 10809, and authenticating via PSK:
253
254::
255
256  qemu-nbd \
257    --object tls-creds-psk,id=tls0,dir=/tmp/keys,username=eblake,endpoint=client \
258    --tls-creds tls0 -L -b remote.example.com
259
260See also
261--------
262
263:manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-img(1)`
264