DEBUGVMFS

Section: vmfs-tools (8) Updated: 05/13/2010 Local index Up

NAME

debugvmfs - VMFS file system debugger

SYNOPSIS

debugvmfs VOLUME... COMMAND [ OPTIONS ]

DESCRIPTION

The debugvmfs program allows to display various informations about VMFS file systems, and to access data within the file systems.

The VOLUME to be opened can be either a block device or an image file. When the VMFS spreads accross several extents, all extents must be given.

Please note that most commands are still likely to change in future versions.

COMMANDS

cat file [ ... ]

: Outputs the content of the given files from the VMFS.

ls [ -l ] path

: Lists files contained at the given location within the VMFS.
With -l, gives some more information, much like the output from ls(1) when given the -l option.

truncate path length

: Truncate the file to the specified length. R/W support must be enabled.

: Outputs information about file system size.

show_file_blocks file

: Outputs block_ids for the given file's content blocks.

get_file_block file position

: Get file block corresponding to position in the specified file.

check_file_blocks file

: Check that all blocks used by a file are correctly allocated.

check_vol_bitmaps

: Checks volume bitmaps consistency.

show_heartbeats

: Outputs active heartbeats on the file system.

read_block block_id [ ... ]

: Outputs content within the specified block_id in binary

dump_block block_id [ ... ]

: Outputs content within the specified block_id in hex

get_block_status block_id

: Get status (allocated or free) of the specified block_id.

alloc_block_fixed block_id

: Allocate the specified block_id. R/W support must be enabled.

alloc_block block_type

: Allocate a block of the specified type. R/W support must be enabled.
Allowed block types are: 1 (File Block), 2 (Sub-Block), 3 (Pointer Block) and 4 (File Descriptor / Inode).

free_block block_id

: Free the specified block_id. R/W support must be enabled.
Warning: can cause damage since no heartbeat is used at this time and a block used by a file can be freed.

show_bitmap_item block_id

: Outputs raw content for the bitmap item corresponding to the given block_id.

show

: Display value(s) of the given variable. See the VARIABLES section for more details.

shell

Starts an interactive session. All of the above commands can be executed from within the interactive session.

The current working directory can be changed with the cd command, followed by a path.

The following output redirections are supported within the shell:

•

cmd > output

Puts the output of cmd in the output file.

•

cmd >> output

Appends the output of cmd to the output file.

•

cmd | external command

Sends the output of cmd to the input of external command. The external command itself can contain output redirection.

Examples:

: • read_block 0x00000681 | less

: • cat /.fdc.sf | hexdump -C

: • cat /.fdc.sf | hexdump -C > /tmp/fdc.hex

: • cat /.fdc.sf | hexdump -C | less

VARIABLES

Variables in debugvmfs represent structures on the filesystem. The currently supported top-level variables are the following:

: •
fbb

: •
fdc

: •
pbc

: •
sbc

: •
fs

: •
lvm

: •
blkid[blk]

: •
dirent[path]

: •
inode[path]

The fbb, fdc, pbc and sbc variables are bitmaps. Running them through the show command will display all the bitmaps header fields. Each of these fields can also be displayed individually:

: •
bitmap.items_per_bitmap_entry

: •
bitmap.bmp_entries_per_area

: •
bitmap.hdr_size

: •
bitmap.data_size

: •
bitmap.area_size

: •
bitmap.area_count

: •
bitmap.total_items

: •
bitmap.used_items

: •
bitmap.free_items

: •
bitmap.entry[n]

e.g. to display the data size of the fdc bitmap, type show fdc.data_size.

Each bitmap.entry[n] (where 0 ≤ n < bitmap.bmp_entries_per_area * bitmap.area_count) contains information about each entry in the bitmap. The available fields are:

: •
bitmap.entry[n].id

: •
bitmap.entry[n].total

: •
bitmap.entry[n].free

: •
bitmap.entry[n].ffree

: •
bitmap.entry[n].mdh

: •
bitmap.entry[n].item[m]

The bitmap.entry[n].mdh is a metadata header. See further below for more details about metadata headers.

Each bitmap.entry[n].item[m] (where 0 ≤ m < bitmap.items_per_bitmap_entry) contains information about a given item in the given entry. The available fields are:

: •
bitmap.entry[n].item[m].used

The fs variable contains low-level information about the filesystem. The available fields are:

: •
fs.vol_version

: •
fs.version

: •
fs.label

: •
fs.mode

: •
fs.uuid

: •
fs.ctime

: •
fs.block_size

: •
fs.subblock_size

: •
fs.fdc_header_size

: •
fs.fdc_bitmap_count

The lvm variable contains low-level information about the physical and logical volumes. The available fields are:

: •
lvm.uuid

: •
lvm.size

: •
lvm.blocks

: •
lvm.num_extents

: •
lvm.extent[n]

Each lvm.extent[n] (where 0 ≤ n < lvm.num_extents) contains low-level information about the physical volumes. The available fields are:

: •
lvm.extent[n].device

: •
lvm.extent[n].uuid

: •
lvm.extent[n].lun

: •
lvm.extent[n].version

: •
lvm.extent[n].name

: •
lvm.extent[n].size

: •
lvm.extent[n].num_segments

: •
lvm.extent[n].first_segment

: •
lvm.extent[n].last_segment

Each blkid[blk] (where blk is a block id) contains information on the given block id. The available fields are:

: •
blkid[blk].item

: •
blkid[blk].flags

Each dirent[path] (where path is a path relative to the current directory in the shell or / outside the shell) contains information on the directory entry corresponding to the given path. The available fields are:

: •
dirent[path].type

: •
dirent[path].block_id

: •
dirent[path].record_id

: •
dirent[path].name

Each inode[path] (where path is a path relative to the current directory in the shell or / outside the shell) contains information on the inode corresponding to the given path. The available fields are:

: •
inode[path].id

: •
inode[path].id2

: •
inode[path].nlink

: •
inode[path].type

: •
inode[path].flags

: •
inode[path].size

: •
inode[path].blk_size

: •
inode[path].blk_count

: •
inode[path].uid

: •
inode[path].gid

: •
inode[path].mode

: •
inode[path].zla

: •
inode[path].tbz

: •
inode[path].cow

: •
inode[path].atime

: •
inode[path].mtime

: •
inode[path].ctime

: •
inode[path].rdm_id

: •
inode[path].mdh

Metadata headers are being used in several places, such as bitmap.entry[n].mdh and inode[path].mdh. They mostly contain information about clustered accesses to metadata on the filesystem. The available fields are: