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btrfs-progs: docs: clarify swapfile

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Clarify active vs inactive swapfile regarding snapshotting.

Issue: #608
Signed-off-by: David Sterba <dsterba@suse.com>
This commit is contained in:
David Sterba 2023-04-21 01:59:20 +02:00
parent 33560e2768
commit 5dd176d79e
1 changed files with 27 additions and 12 deletions
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39
Documentation/ch-swapfile.rst
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@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
A swapfile is file-backed memory that the system uses to temporarily offload
the RAM. It is supported since kernel 5.0. Use ``swapon(8)`` to activate the
swapfile. There are some limitations of the implementation in BTRFS and Linux
swap subsystem:
the RAM. It is supported since kernel 5.0. Use ``swapon(8)`` to activate it as
a swap area, until then it's just a normal file (with NODATACOW set), for which
the special restrictions for active swapfile areas don't apply.
There are some limitations of the implementation in BTRFS and Linux swap
subsystem:
* filesystem - must be only single device
* filesystem - must have only *single* data profile
* swapfile - the containing subvolume cannot be snapshotted
* swapfile - must be preallocated (i.e. no holes)
* swapfile - must be NODATACOW (i.e. also NODATASUM, no compression)
* swapfile - the containing subvolume cannot be snapshotted if there's an active swapfile
* swapfile - the file must be preallocated (i.e. no holes)
* swapfile - the file must be NODATACOW (i.e. also NODATASUM, no compression)
The limitations come namely from the COW-based design and mapping layer of
blocks that allows the advanced features like relocation and multi-device
@ -18,12 +21,14 @@ swap.
With active swapfiles, the following whole-filesystem operations will skip
swapfile extents or may fail:
* balance - block groups with swapfile extents are skipped and reported, the
rest will be processed normally
* balance - block groups with an active swapfile extents are skipped and
reported, the rest will be processed normally
* resize grow - unaffected
* resize shrink - works as long as the extents are outside of the shrunk range
* device add - a new device does not interfere with existing swapfile and this
operation will work, though no new swapfile can be activated afterwards
* resize shrink - works as long as the extents of an active swapfile are
outside of the shrunk range
* device add - a new device does not interfere with existing active swapfile
and this operation will work, though no new swapfile can be activated
afterwards
* device delete - if the device has been added as above, it can be also deleted
* device replace - ditto
@ -54,7 +59,7 @@ Please note that the UUID returned by the *mkswap* utility identifies the swap
"filesystem" and because it's stored in a file, it's not generally visible and
usable as an identifier unlike if it was on a block device.
The file will appear in */proc/swaps*:
Once activated the file will appear in */proc/swaps*:
.. code-block:: none
@ -73,6 +78,16 @@ priority, not the BTRFS mount options).
/path/swapfile none swap defaults 0 0
From now on the subvolume with the active swapfile cannot be snapshotted until
the swapfile is deactivated again by ``swapoff``. Then the swapfile is a
regular file and the subvolume can be snapshotted again, though this would prevent
another activation any swapfile that has been snapshotted. New swapfiles (not
snapshotted) can be created and activated.
Otherwise, an inactive swapfile does not affect the containing subvolume. Activation
creates a temporary in-memory status and prevents some file operations, but is
not stored permanently.
Hibernation
-----------