8 **qemu-storage-daemon** [options]
13 ``qemu-storage-daemon`` provides disk image functionality from QEMU,
14 ``qemu-img``, and ``qemu-nbd`` in a long-running process controlled via QMP
15 commands without running a virtual machine.
16 It can export disk images, run block job operations, and
17 perform other disk-related operations. The daemon is controlled via a QMP
18 monitor and initial configuration from the command-line.
20 The daemon offers the following subset of QEMU features:
31 Commands can be sent over a QEMU Monitor Protocol (QMP) connection. See the
32 :manpage:`qemu-storage-daemon-qmp-ref(7)` manual page for a description of the
35 The daemon runs until it is stopped using the ``quit`` QMP command or
36 SIGINT/SIGHUP/SIGTERM.
38 **Warning:** Never modify images in use by a running virtual machine or any
39 other process; this may destroy the image. Also, be aware that querying an
40 image that is being modified by another process may encounter inconsistent
46 .. program:: qemu-storage-daemon
50 .. option:: -h, --help
54 .. option:: -V, --version
56 Display version information and exit
58 .. option:: -T, --trace [[enable=]PATTERN][,events=FILE][,file=FILE]
60 .. include:: ../qemu-option-trace.rst.inc
62 .. option:: --blockdev BLOCKDEVDEF
64 is a block node definition. See the :manpage:`qemu(1)` manual page for a
65 description of block node properties and the :manpage:`qemu-block-drivers(7)`
66 manual page for a description of driver-specific parameters.
68 .. option:: --chardev CHARDEVDEF
70 is a character device definition. See the :manpage:`qemu(1)` manual page for
71 a description of character device properties. A common character device
72 definition configures a UNIX domain socket::
74 --chardev socket,id=char1,path=/var/run/qsd-qmp.sock,server=on,wait=off
76 .. option:: --export [type=]nbd,id=<id>,node-name=<node-name>[,name=<export-name>][,writable=on|off][,bitmap=<name>]
77 --export [type=]vhost-user-blk,id=<id>,node-name=<node-name>,addr.type=unix,addr.path=<socket-path>[,writable=on|off][,logical-block-size=<block-size>][,num-queues=<num-queues>]
78 --export [type=]vhost-user-blk,id=<id>,node-name=<node-name>,addr.type=fd,addr.str=<fd>[,writable=on|off][,logical-block-size=<block-size>][,num-queues=<num-queues>]
79 --export [type=]fuse,id=<id>,node-name=<node-name>,mountpoint=<file>[,growable=on|off][,writable=on|off][,allow-other=on|off|auto]
80 --export [type=]vduse-blk,id=<id>,node-name=<node-name>,name=<vduse-name>[,writable=on|off][,num-queues=<num-queues>][,queue-size=<queue-size>][,logical-block-size=<block-size>][,serial=<serial-number>]
82 is a block export definition. ``node-name`` is the block node that should be
83 exported. ``writable`` determines whether or not the export allows write
84 requests for modifying data (the default is off).
86 The ``nbd`` export type requires ``--nbd-server`` (see below). ``name`` is
87 the NBD export name (if not specified, it defaults to the given
88 ``node-name``). ``bitmap`` is the name of a dirty bitmap reachable from the
89 block node, so the NBD client can use NBD_OPT_SET_META_CONTEXT with the
90 metadata context name "qemu:dirty-bitmap:BITMAP" to inspect the bitmap.
92 The ``vhost-user-blk`` export type takes a vhost-user socket address on which
93 it accept incoming connections. Both
94 ``addr.type=unix,addr.path=<socket-path>`` for UNIX domain sockets and
95 ``addr.type=fd,addr.str=<fd>`` for file descriptor passing are supported.
96 ``logical-block-size`` sets the logical block size in bytes (the default is
97 512). ``num-queues`` sets the number of virtqueues (the default is 1).
99 The ``fuse`` export type takes a mount point, which must be a regular file,
100 on which to export the given block node. That file will not be changed, it
101 will just appear to have the block node's content while the export is active
102 (very much like mounting a filesystem on a directory does not change what the
103 directory contains, it only shows a different content while the filesystem is
104 mounted). Consequently, applications that have opened the given file before
105 the export became active will continue to see its original content. If
106 ``growable`` is set, writes after the end of the exported file will grow the
107 block node to fit. The ``allow-other`` option controls whether users other
108 than the user running the process will be allowed to access the export. Note
109 that enabling this option as a non-root user requires enabling the
110 user_allow_other option in the global fuse.conf configuration file. Setting
111 ``allow-other`` to auto (the default) will try enabling this option, and on
112 error fall back to disabling it.
114 The ``vduse-blk`` export type takes a ``name`` (must be unique across the host)
115 to create the VDUSE device.
116 ``num-queues`` sets the number of virtqueues (the default is 1).
117 ``queue-size`` sets the virtqueue descriptor table size (the default is 256).
119 The instantiated VDUSE device must then be added to the vDPA bus using the
120 vdpa(8) command from the iproute2 project::
122 # vdpa dev add name <id> mgmtdev vduse
124 The device can be removed from the vDPA bus later as follows::
128 For more information about attaching vDPA devices to the host with
129 virtio_vdpa.ko or attaching them to guests with vhost_vdpa.ko, see
130 https://vdpa-dev.gitlab.io/.
132 For more information about VDUSE, see
133 https://docs.kernel.org/userspace-api/vduse.html.
135 .. option:: --monitor MONITORDEF
137 is a QMP monitor definition. See the :manpage:`qemu(1)` manual page for
138 a description of QMP monitor properties. A common QMP monitor definition
139 configures a monitor on character device ``char1``::
141 --monitor chardev=char1
143 .. option:: --nbd-server addr.type=inet,addr.host=<host>,addr.port=<port>[,tls-creds=<id>][,tls-authz=<id>][,max-connections=<n>]
144 --nbd-server addr.type=unix,addr.path=<path>[,tls-creds=<id>][,tls-authz=<id>][,max-connections=<n>]
145 --nbd-server addr.type=fd,addr.str=<fd>[,tls-creds=<id>][,tls-authz=<id>][,max-connections=<n>]
147 is a server for NBD exports. Both TCP and UNIX domain sockets are supported.
148 A listen socket can be provided via file descriptor passing (see Examples
149 below). TLS encryption can be configured using ``--object`` tls-creds-* and
150 authz-* secrets (see below).
152 To configure an NBD server on UNIX domain socket path
153 ``/var/run/qsd-nbd.sock``::
155 --nbd-server addr.type=unix,addr.path=/var/run/qsd-nbd.sock
157 .. option:: --object help
159 --object <type>[,<property>=<value>...]
161 is a QEMU user creatable object definition. List object types with ``help``.
162 List object properties with ``<type>,help``. See the :manpage:`qemu(1)`
163 manual page for a description of the object properties.
165 .. option:: --pidfile PATH
167 is the path to a file where the daemon writes its pid. This allows scripts to
168 stop the daemon by sending a signal::
170 $ kill -SIGTERM $(<path/to/qsd.pid)
172 A file lock is applied to the file so only one instance of the daemon can run
173 with a given pid file path. The daemon unlinks its pid file when terminating.
175 The pid file is written after chardevs, exports, and NBD servers have been
176 created but before accepting connections. The daemon has started successfully
177 when the pid file is written and clients may begin connecting.
179 .. option:: --daemonize
181 Daemonize the process. The parent process will exit once startup is complete
182 (i.e., after the pid file has been or would have been written) or failure
183 occurs. Its exit code reflects whether the child has started up successfully
188 Launch the daemon with QMP monitor socket ``qmp.sock`` so clients can execute
191 $ qemu-storage-daemon \
192 --chardev socket,path=qmp.sock,server=on,wait=off,id=char1 \
193 --monitor chardev=char1
195 Launch the daemon from Python with a QMP monitor socket using file descriptor
196 passing so there is no need to busy wait for the QMP monitor to become
199 #!/usr/bin/env python3
203 sock_path = '/var/run/qmp.sock'
205 with socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as listen_sock:
206 listen_sock.bind(sock_path)
209 fd = listen_sock.fileno()
212 ['qemu-storage-daemon',
213 '--chardev', f'socket,fd={fd},server=on,id=char1',
214 '--monitor', 'chardev=char1'],
218 # listen_sock was automatically closed when leaving the 'with' statement
219 # body. If the daemon process terminated early then the following connect()
220 # will fail with "Connection refused" because no process has the listen
221 # socket open anymore. Launch errors can be detected this way.
223 qmp_sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
224 qmp_sock.connect(sock_path)
225 ...QMP interaction...
227 The same socket spawning approach also works with the ``--nbd-server
228 addr.type=fd,addr.str=<fd>`` and ``--export
229 type=vhost-user-blk,addr.type=fd,addr.str=<fd>`` options.
231 Export raw image file ``disk.img`` over NBD UNIX domain socket ``nbd.sock``::
233 $ qemu-storage-daemon \
234 --blockdev driver=file,node-name=disk,filename=disk.img \
235 --nbd-server addr.type=unix,addr.path=nbd.sock \
236 --export type=nbd,id=export,node-name=disk,writable=on
238 Export a qcow2 image file ``disk.qcow2`` as a vhost-user-blk device over UNIX
239 domain socket ``vhost-user-blk.sock``::
241 $ qemu-storage-daemon \
242 --blockdev driver=file,node-name=file,filename=disk.qcow2 \
243 --blockdev driver=qcow2,node-name=qcow2,file=file \
244 --export type=vhost-user-blk,id=export,addr.type=unix,addr.path=vhost-user-blk.sock,node-name=qcow2
246 Export a qcow2 image file ``disk.qcow2`` via FUSE on itself, so the disk image
247 file will then appear as a raw image::
249 $ qemu-storage-daemon \
250 --blockdev driver=file,node-name=file,filename=disk.qcow2 \
251 --blockdev driver=qcow2,node-name=qcow2,file=file \
252 --export type=fuse,id=export,node-name=qcow2,mountpoint=disk.qcow2,writable=on
257 :manpage:`qemu(1)`, :manpage:`qemu-block-drivers(7)`, :manpage:`qemu-storage-daemon-qmp-ref(7)`