Re: [PATCH 1/3] null_blk: documentation

From: Randy Dunlap
Date: Wed Dec 18 2013 - 20:07:03 EST


On 12/18/13 04:41, Matias Bjorling wrote:
> Add description of module and its parameters.
>
> Signed-off-by: Matias Bjorling <m@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> Documentation/block/null_blk.txt | 71 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 1 file changed, 71 insertions(+)
> create mode 100644 Documentation/block/null_blk.txt
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/block/null_blk.txt b/Documentation/block/null_blk.txt
> new file mode 100644
> index 0000000..9e1b047
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/Documentation/block/null_blk.txt
> @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
> +Null block device driver
> +================================================================================
> +
> +I. Overview
> +
> +The null block device (/dev/nullb*) is used for benchmarking the various
> +block-layer implementations. It emulates a block device of X gigabytes in size.
> +The following instances are possible:
> +
> + Single-queue block-layer
> + - Request-based.
> + - Single submission queue per device.
> + - Implements IO scheduling algorithms (CFQ, Deadline, noop).
> + Multi-queue block-layer
> + - Request-based.
> + - Configurable submission queues per device.
> + No block-layer (Known as bio-based)
> + - Bio-based. IO requests are submitted directly to the device driver.
> + - Directly accepts bio data structure and returns them.
> +
> +All of them has a completion queue for each core in the system.

have

The text sometimes uses "core" vs. "socket" vs. "cpu(s)".
Did you double-check all of these uses? Thanks.


> +
> +II. Module parameters applicable for all instances:
> +
> +queue_mode=[0-2]: Default: 2-Multi-queue
> + Selects which block-layer the module should instantiate with.
> +
> + 0: Bio-based.
> + 1: Single-queue.
> + 2: Multi-queue.
> +
> +home_node=[0--nr_nodes]: Default: NUMA_NO_NODE
> + Selects what socket the data structures is allocated from.

are

> +
> +gb=[Size in GB]: Default: 250GB
> + The size of the device reported to the system.
> +
> +bs=[Block size (in bytes)]: Default: 512 bytes
> + The block size reported to the system.
> +
> +nr_devices=[Num. devices]: Default: 2

Number

> + Number of block devices instantiated. They are instantiated as /dev/nullb0,
> + etc.
> +
> +irq_mode=[0-2]: Default: Soft-irq

Default: 1-Soft-irq

> + The completion mode used for completing IOs to the block-layer.
> +
> + 0: None.
> + 1: Soft-irq. Uses ipi to complete IOs across sockets. Simulates the overhead

IPI

> + when IOs are issued from another socket than the home the device is
> + connected to.
> + 2: Timer: Waits a specific period (completion_nsec) for each IO before
> + completion.
> +
> +completion_nsec=[Num. ns]: Default: 10.000ns

Number

> + Combined with irq_mode=2 (timer). The time each completion event must wait.
> +
> +submit_queues=[0..nr_cpus]:
> + The number of submission queues attached to the device driver. If unset, it
> + defaults to 1 on single-queue and bio-based instances. For multi-queue,
> + its ignored when use_per_node_hctx module parameter is 1.

it is

> +
> +hw_queue_depth=[0..qdepth]: Defaults: 64

Default:

> + The hardware queue depth of the device.
> +
> +III: Multi-queue specific parameters
> +
> +use_per_node_hctx=[0/1]: Defaults: 1

Default:

> + If 1, the multi-queue block layer is instantiated with a hardware dispatch
> + queue for each CPU node in the system. If 0, it is instantiated with the
> + number of queues defined in the submit_queues parameter.
>


--
~Randy
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