Re: [libvirt] RFC backup API
On Mon, Mar 21, 2016 at 01:18:19PM +0300, Maxim Nestratov wrote:
Hi all,
It's been already quite a long time since qemu implemented QMP
"drive-backup" command to create block devices backups. Even more,
since qemu 2.4 there is a possibility to create incremental backups.
Though it is possible to backup all attached to a domain disk drives
by combining them into a single QMP transaction command, this way of
creating them, not to mention managing, remains inconvenient for an
end user of libvirt. Moreover, creating a single drive backup via QMP
interface isn't handy either. That said, it looks reasonable to
introduce a *new backup API* based on QMP "drive-backup" facilities.
There's also the 'blockdev-backup' command, which seems similar in
operation to 'drive-backup', but differs subtly.
Looking at qmp-commands.hx, I learn that 'blockdev-backup' accepts
target ID; while 'drive-backup' accept target drive name, otherwise,
their operation look almost identical, and both commands use
backup_start() (from qemu/blockdev.c). [Added John Snow in CC to
correct me if I'm wrong.]
For 'blockdev-backup'
---------------------
-> { "execute": "blockdev-backup", "arguments": {
"device": "src-id",
"sync": "full",
"target": "tgt-id" }
}
<- { "return": {} }
Where 'tagert' in this case means:
"the name of the backup target device. (json-string)"
For 'drive-backup'
-----------------
-> { "execute": "drive-backup", "arguments": {
"device": "drive0",
"sync": "full",
"target": "backup.img"
} }
<- { "return": {} }
Here, 'target' means:
"the target of the new image. If the file exists, or if it is a
device, the existing file/device will be used as the new
destination. If it does not exist, a new file will be created.
(json-string)"
[...]
--
/kashyap