target-s390: Convert FLOGR

[qemu.git] / qemu-img.texi

diff --git a/qemu-img.texi b/qemu-img.texi
index 8b05f2c42801a2535ab4390b47bc415eb880625a..00fca8da865d6adb701fecc4d52831aca0385620 100644 (file)
--- a/qemu-img.texi
+++ b/qemu-img.texi
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ Command parameters:
 is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. See below
 for a description of the supported disk formats.
 
 is the disk image format. It is guessed automatically in most cases. See below
 for a description of the supported disk formats.
 

+@item --backing-chain
+will enumerate information about backing files in a disk image chain. Refer
+below for further description.
+

 @item size
 is the disk image size in bytes. Optional suffixes @code{k} or @code{K}
 (kilobyte, 1024) @code{M} (megabyte, 1024k) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024M)
 @item size
 is the disk image size in bytes. Optional suffixes @code{k} or @code{K}
 (kilobyte, 1024) @code{M} (megabyte, 1024k) and @code{G} (gigabyte, 1024M)


@@ -129,7 +133,7 @@ created as a copy on write image of the specified base image; the
 @var{backing_file} should have the same content as the input's base image,
 however the path, image format, etc may differ.
 
 @var{backing_file} should have the same content as the input's base image,
 however the path, image format, etc may differ.
 

-@item info [-f @var{fmt}] [--output=@var{ofmt}] @var{filename}
+@item info [-f @var{fmt}] [--output=@var{ofmt}] [--backing-chain] @var{filename}

 
 Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in
 particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different
 
 Give information about the disk image @var{filename}. Use it in
 particular to know the size reserved on disk which can be different


@@ -137,6 +141,21 @@ from the displayed size. If VM snapshots are stored in the disk image,
 they are displayed too. The command can output in the format @var{ofmt}
 which is either @code{human} or @code{json}.
 
 they are displayed too. The command can output in the format @var{ofmt}
 which is either @code{human} or @code{json}.
 

+If a disk image has a backing file chain, information about each disk image in
+the chain can be recursively enumerated by using the option @code{--backing-chain}.
+
+For instance, if you have an image chain like:
+
+@example
+base.qcow2 <- snap1.qcow2 <- snap2.qcow2
+@end example
+
+To enumerate information about each disk image in the above chain, starting from top to base, do:
+
+@example
+qemu-img info --backing-chain snap2.qcow2
+@end example
+

 @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename}
 
 List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}.
 @item snapshot [-l | -a @var{snapshot} | -c @var{snapshot} | -d @var{snapshot} ] @var{filename}
 
 List, apply, create or delete snapshots in image @var{filename}.


@@ -148,7 +167,9 @@ Changes the backing file of an image. Only the formats @code{qcow2} and
 
 The backing file is changed to @var{backing_file} and (if the image format of
 @var{filename} supports this) the backing file format is changed to
 
 The backing file is changed to @var{backing_file} and (if the image format of
 @var{filename} supports this) the backing file format is changed to

-@var{backing_fmt}.
+@var{backing_fmt}. If @var{backing_file} is specified as ``'' (the empty
+string), then the image is rebased onto no backing file (i.e. it will exist
+independently of any backing file).

 
 There are two different modes in which @code{rebase} can operate:
 @table @option
 
 There are two different modes in which @code{rebase} can operate:
 @table @option


@@ -205,7 +226,10 @@ After using this command to grow a disk image, you must use file system and
 partitioning tools inside the VM to actually begin using the new space on the
 device.
 @end table
 partitioning tools inside the VM to actually begin using the new space on the
 device.
 @end table

+@c man end

 
 

+@ignore
+@c man begin NOTES

 Supported image file formats:
 
 @table @option
 Supported image file formats:
 
 @table @option


@@ -226,6 +250,13 @@ support of multiple VM snapshots.
 
 Supported options:
 @table @code
 
 Supported options:
 @table @code

+@item compat
+Determines the qcow2 version to use. @code{compat=0.10} uses the traditional
+image format that can be read by any QEMU since 0.10 (this is the default).
+@code{compat=1.1} enables image format extensions that only QEMU 1.1 and
+newer understand. Amongst others, this includes zero clusters, which allow
+efficient copy-on-read for sparse images.
+

 @item backing_file
 File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand)
 @item backing_fmt
 @item backing_file
 File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand)
 @item backing_fmt


@@ -246,73 +277,33 @@ Preallocation mode (allowed values: off, metadata). An image with preallocated
 metadata is initially larger but can improve performance when the image needs
 to grow.
 
 metadata is initially larger but can improve performance when the image needs
 to grow.
 

-@end table
+@item lazy_refcounts
+If this option is set to @code{on}, reference count updates are postponed with
+the goal of avoiding metadata I/O and improving performance. This is
+particularly interesting with @option{cache=writethrough} which doesn't batch
+metadata updates. The tradeoff is that after a host crash, the reference count
+tables must be rebuilt, i.e. on the next open an (automatic) @code{qemu-img
+check -r all} is required, which may take some time.

 
 

-@item qed
-Image format with support for backing files and compact image files (when your
-filesystem or transport medium does not support holes).  Good performance due
-to less metadata than the more featureful qcow2 format, especially with
-cache=writethrough or cache=directsync.  Consider using qcow2 which will soon
-have a similar optimization and is most actively developed.
+This option can only be enabled if @code{compat=1.1} is specified.

 
 

-Supported options:
-@table @code
-@item backing_file
-File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand).
-@item backing_fmt
-Image file format of backing file (optional).  Useful if the format cannot be
-autodetected because it has no header, like some vhd/vpc files.
-@item cluster_size
-Changes the cluster size (must be power-of-2 between 4K and 64K). Smaller
-cluster sizes can improve the image file size whereas larger cluster sizes
-generally provide better performance.
-@item table_size
-Changes the number of clusters per L1/L2 table (must be power-of-2 between 1
-and 16).  There is normally no need to change this value but this option can be
-used for performance benchmarking.

 @end table
 
 @end table
 

-@item qcow
-Old QEMU image format. Left for compatibility.
+@item Other
+QEMU also supports various other image file formats for compatibility with
+older QEMU versions or other hypervisors, including VMDK, VDI, VHD (vpc), qcow1
+and QED. For a full list of supported formats see @code{qemu-img --help}.
+For a more detailed description of these formats, see the QEMU Emulation User
+Documentation.

 
 

-Supported options:
-@table @code
-@item backing_file
-File name of a base image (see @option{create} subcommand)
-@item encryption
-If this option is set to @code{on}, the image is encrypted.
-@end table
-
-@item cow
-User Mode Linux Copy On Write image format. Used to be the only growable
-image format in QEMU. It is supported only for compatibility with
-previous versions. It does not work on win32.
-@item vdi
-VirtualBox 1.1 compatible image format.
-@item vmdk
-VMware 3 and 4 compatible image format.
-
-Supported options:
-@table @code
-@item backing_fmt
-Image format of the base image
-@item compat6
-Create a VMDK version 6 image (instead of version 4)
-@end table
-
-@item vpc
-VirtualPC compatible image format (VHD).
-
-@item cloop
-Linux Compressed Loop image, useful only to reuse directly compressed
-CD-ROM images present for example in the Knoppix CD-ROMs.
+The main purpose of the block drivers for these formats is image conversion.
+For running VMs, it is recommended to convert the disk images to either raw or
+qcow2 in order to achieve good performance.

 @end table
 
 
 @c man end
 
 @end table
 
 
 @c man end
 

-@ignore
-

 @setfilename qemu-img
 @settitle QEMU disk image utility
 
 @setfilename qemu-img
 @settitle QEMU disk image utility