Linux pNFS Kernel Development

Linux pNFS features a pluggable client architecture that harnesses the potential of pNFS as a universal and scalable metadata protocol by enabling dynamic support for file layout format, storage protocol, and file system policies. The architecture has been tested with the file, block, object, and PVFS2 access methods.

Documentation

• Linux pNFS Client Design Document A little outdated, but gives a good description of the overall architecture.
• pNFS/PVFS2 Full Installation Instructions
• pNFS/PVFS2 Layout Driver Only Installation Instructions
• pNFS Wiki

Linux pNFS CVS Repository

Here is how to get anonymous access to our pNFS cvs tree:

setenv CVS_RSH ssh
setenv CVSROOT anoncvs@anoncvs.citi.umich.edu:/cvs

cvs checkout pnfs
password is "anoncvs"

Mailing List

Please feel free to join our Linux pNFS development mailing list. It is archived here.

Latest Code

All pNFS code now resides in 'git'. We are working on 2.6.18.

Released Code (and unsupported)

Notes: The base PVFS2 code tree was taken from the Argonne PVFS2 CVS repository.

• Linux 2.6.17 (20061114)
• pNFS - Includes the NFSv4 File Layout Driver
• PVFS2 1.5.1 Layout Driver
• PVFS2 1.5.1 Server

Notes: The PVFS2 server can now support/generate PVFS2 and File-based layouts. (Due to a lack of a server-to-server protocol, file layouts must use NFSv4 zero stateids)

• Linux 2.6.16 (20060519)
  • pNFS 2.6.16 Kernel - Includes the NFSv4 File Layout Driver

  Notes: Increasing the layout driver blocksize beyond (or below) the wsize/rsize can cause problems in certain situations when trying to read/write via both pNFS and NFSv4 to the same mountpoint. The current maximum layout driver blocksize is 4MB.

  • PVFS2 CVS Layout Driver
  • PVFS2 CVS Server
• Linux 2.6.14 (20060314)
  • pNFS 2.6.14 Kernel

  Notes: Uses asynchronous LAYOUTCOMMIT which might cause a timing issue (race condition) with a system close operation.

  • PVFS2 1.3.0 Layout Driver
  • PVFS2 1.3.0 Server

Outdated Code

The patches below are outdated, but give a first cut of the pNFS client and NFSv4 File Layout Driver. They apply to the stock Linux 2.6.14 kernel available here.

• pNFS Client Patches


• The first patch is the CITI NFSv4 patch for the 2.6.14 kernel.
• NFSv4 File Layout Driver Patch (applies after the above patches)

If you have comments or suggestions about anything on this page, email dhildebz@umich.edu