[Ksummit-2013-discuss] [ATTEND] Kernel Logical Volume Management API

[Jan Kara]

  Hi,

On Sat 20-07-13 01:27:58, Daniel Phillips wrote:
> Currently, the only way for a filesystem to implement advanced RAID 
> techniques of the form that ZFS provides is to reimplement an entire 
> volume manager within itself. We do not accept the argument that this is 
> the only possible approach. We propose to provide kernel infrastructure 
> and a kernel helper library to enable kernel filesystems to add 
> customized volume management functionality using shared kernel 
> infrastructure suited to the purpose.
> 
> This would be a ways and means discussion cutting across several kernel 
> teams: Btrfs, which already provides advanced volume management 
> capabilties that could possible be rebased upon a sufficiently powerful 
> and efficient shared API; LVM team, which could contemplate this as a 
> base for a next generation volume manager; Block API, which could 
> seamlessly integrate with this functionality; LVM2/DM team, who built 
> the nearest thing resembling an infrastructure like this; MD developers, 
> who could possibly streamline their implementation; and the Tux3 team, 
> which wishes to provide its own answer to the question posed by ZFS.
> 
> Discussion topics would include internal and external API style favoured 
> by the various teams; required base functionality; performance goals; 
> availability of developer resources and timeframe for development.
  This is an interesting topic. The fact that we currently have like three
or four (not sure about the number now) RAID implementations in kernel
suggests we are doing something wrong. Although it might be better suited
for LSF or some storage minisummit - it's far easier to get all the
interested parties there (compared to KS). 

								Honza
-- 
Jan Kara <jack at suse.cz>
SUSE Labs, CR