linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH 0/6] Support DAX for device-mapper dm-linear devices

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Date:	Mon, 13 Jun 2016 23:59:20 +0000
From:	"Kani, Toshimitsu" <toshi.kani@....com>
To:	"dan.j.williams@...el.com" <dan.j.williams@...el.com>
CC:	"linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"agk@...hat.com" <agk@...hat.com>,
	"linux-raid@...r.kernel.org" <linux-raid@...r.kernel.org>,
	"snitzer@...hat.com" <snitzer@...hat.com>,
	"viro@...iv.linux.org.uk" <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
	"axboe@...nel.dk" <axboe@...nel.dk>,
	"linux-nvdimm@...ts.01.org" <linux-nvdimm@...ts.01.org>,
	"ross.zwisler@...ux.intel.com" <ross.zwisler@...ux.intel.com>,
	"dm-devel@...hat.com" <dm-devel@...hat.com>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 0/6] Support DAX for device-mapper dm-linear devices

On Mon, 2016-06-13 at 16:18 -0700, Dan Williams wrote:
> Thanks Toshi!
> 
> On Mon, Jun 13, 2016 at 3:21 PM, Toshi Kani <toshi.kani@....com> wrote:
> > 
> > This patch-set adds DAX support to device-mapper dm-linear devices
> > used by LVM.  It works with LVM commands as follows:
> >  - Creation of a logical volume with all DAX capable devices (such
> >    as pmem) sets the logical volume DAX capable as well.
> >  - Once a logical volume is set to DAX capable, the volume may not
> >    be extended with non-DAX capable devices.
>
> I don't mind this, but it seems a policy decision that the kernel does
> not need to make.  A sufficiently sophisticated user could cope with
> DAX being available at varying LBAs.  Would it be sufficient to move
> this policy decision to userspace tooling?

I think this is a kernel restriction.  When a block device is declared as
DAX capable, it should mean that the whole device is DAX capable.  So, I
think we need to assure the same to a mapped device.

In LVM level, a volume group may contain both DAX and non-DAX capable
devices.  There is no restriction for creating/extending a volume group.

> > The direct_access interface is added to dm and dm-linear to map
> > a request to a target device.
>
> I had dm-linear and md-raid0 support on my list of things to look at,
> did you have raid0 in your plans?

Yes, I hope to extend further and raid0 is a good candidate.   

Thanks,
-Toshi