xref: /illumos-gate/usr/src/man/man9s/buf.9s (revision 22028508fd28d36ff74dc02c5774a8ba1f0db045)
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17.Dd July 9, 2018
18.Dt BUF 9S
19.Os
20.Sh NAME
21.Nm buf
22.Nd block I/O data transfer structure
23.Sh SYNOPSIS
24.In sys/ddi.h
25.In sys/sunddi.h
26.Sh INTERFACE LEVEL
27Architecture independent level 1 (DDI/DKI)
28.Sh DESCRIPTION
29The
30.Vt buf
31structure is the basic data structure for block
32.Sy I/O
33transfers.
34Each block
35.Sy I/O
36transfer has an associated buffer header.
37The header contains all the buffer control and status information.
38For drivers, the buffer header pointer is the sole argument to a block driver
39.Xr strategy 9E
40routine.
41Do not depend on the size of the
42.Vt buf
43structure when writing a driver.
44.Pp
45A buffer header can be linked in multiple lists simultaneously.
46Because of
47this, most of the members in the buffer header cannot be changed by the driver,
48even when the buffer header is in one of the driver's work lists.
49.Pp
50Buffer headers are also used by the system for unbuffered or physical
51.Sy I/O
52for block drivers.
53In this case, the buffer describes a portion of user data
54space that is locked into memory.
55.Pp
56Block drivers often chain block requests so that overall throughput for the
57device is maximized.
58The
59.Fa av_forw
60and the
61.Fa av_back
62members of the
63.Vt buf
64structure can serve as link pointers for chaining block requests.
65.Sh STRUCTURE MEMBERS
66.Bd -literal -offset 2n
67int           b_flags;           /* Buffer status */
68struct buf    *av_forw;          /* Driver work list link */
69struct buf    *av_back;          /* Driver work list link */
70size_t        b_bcount;          /* # of bytes to transfer */
71union {
72    caddr_t  b_addr;            /* Buffer's virtual address */
73} b_un;
74daddr_t       b_blkno;           /* Block number on device */
75diskaddr_t    b_lblkno;          /* Expanded block number on dev.  */
76size_t        b_resid;           /* # of bytes not xferred */
77size_t        b_bufsize;         /* size of alloc. buffer */
78int           (*b_iodone)(struct buf *); /* function called */
79                                         /* by biodone */
80int           b_error;           /* expanded error field */
81void          *b_private;        /* "opaque" driver private area */
82dev_t         b_edev;            /* expanded dev field */
83.Ed
84.Pp
85The members of the buffer header available to test or set by a driver are as
86follows:
87.Pp
88.Fa b_flags
89stores the buffer status and indicates to the driver whether to
90read or write to the device.
91The driver must never clear the
92.Fa b_flags
93member.
94If this is done, unpredictable results can occur including loss of disk
95sanity and the possible failure of other kernel processes.
96.Pp
97All
98.Fa b_flags
99bit values not otherwise specified above are reserved by the
100kernel and may not be used.
101.Pp
102Valid flags are as follows:
103.Bl -tag -width "B_PAGEIO"
104.It Dv B_BUSY
105Indicates the buffer is in use.
106The driver must not change this flag unless it allocated the buffer with
107.Xr getrbuf 9F
108and no
109.Sy I/O
110operation is in progress.
111.It Dv B_DONE
112Indicates the data transfer has completed.
113This flag is read-only.
114.It Dv B_ERROR
115Indicates an
116.Sy I/O
117transfer error.
118It is set in conjunction with the
119.Fa b_error
120field.
121.Xr bioerror 9F
122should be used in preference to setting the
123.Dv B_ERROR
124bit.
125.It Dv B_PAGEIO
126Indicates the buffer is being used in a paged
127.Sy I/O
128request.
129See the description of the
130.Fa b_un.b_addr
131field for more information.
132This flag is read-only.
133.It Dv B_PHYS
134indicates the buffer header is being used for physical (direct)
135.Sy I/O
136to a user data area.
137See the description of the
138.Fa b_un.b_addr
139field for more information.
140This flag is read-only.
141.It Dv B_READ
142Indicates that data is to be read from the peripheral device into main memory.
143.It Dv B_WRITE
144Indicates that the data is to be transferred from main memory to the peripheral
145device.
146.Dv B_WRITE
147is a pseudo flag and cannot be directly tested; it is
148only detected as the NOT form of
149.Dv B_READ .
150.El
151.Pp
152.Fa av_forw
153and
154.Fa av_back
155can be used by the driver to link the buffer into driver work lists.
156.Pp
157.Fa b_bcount
158specifies the number of bytes to be transferred in both a paged and a non-paged
159.Sy I/O
160request.
161.Pp
162.Fa b_un.b_addr
163is the virtual address of the
164.Sy I/O
165request, unless
166.Dv B_PAGEIO
167is set.
168The address is a kernel virtual address, unless
169.Dv B_PHYS
170is set, in which case it is a user virtual address.
171If
172.Dv B_PAGEIO
173is set,
174.Fa b_un.b_addr
175contains kernel private data.
176Note that either one of
177.Dv B_PHYS
178and
179.Dv B_PAGEIO ,
180or neither, can be set, but
181not both.
182.Pp
183.Fa b_blkno
184identifies which logical block on the device (the device is
185defined by the device number) is to be accessed.
186The driver might have to
187convert this logical block number to a physical location such as a cylinder,
188track, and sector of a disk.
189This is a 32-bit value.
190The driver should use
191.Fa b_blkno
192or
193.Fa b_lblkno ,
194but not both.
195.Pp
196.Fa b_lblkno
197identifies which logical block on the device (the device is
198defined by the device number) is to be accessed.
199The driver might have to
200convert this logical block number to a physical location such as a cylinder,
201track, and sector of a disk.
202This is a 64-bit value.
203The driver should use
204.Fa b_lblkno
205or
206.Fa b_blkno ,
207but not both.
208.Pp
209.Fa b_resid
210should be set to the number of bytes not transferred because of an error.
211.Pp
212.Fa b_bufsize
213contains the size of the allocated buffer.
214.Pp
215.Fa b_iodone
216identifies a specific
217.Xr biodone 9F
218routine to be called by the driver when the
219.Sy I/O
220is complete.
221.Pp
222.Fa b_error
223can hold an error code that should be passed as a return code
224from the driver.
225.Fa b_error
226is set in conjunction with the
227.Dv B_ERROR
228bit
229set in the
230.Fa b_flags
231member.
232.Xr bioerror 9F
233should be used in
234preference to setting the
235.Fa b_error
236field.
237.Pp
238.Fa b_private
239is for the private use of the device driver.
240.Pp
241.Fa b_edev
242contains the major and minor device numbers of the device
243accessed.
244.Sh SEE ALSO
245.Xr strategy 9E ,
246.Xr aphysio 9F ,
247.Xr bioclone 9F ,
248.Xr biodone 9F ,
249.Xr bioerror 9F ,
250.Xr bioinit 9F ,
251.Xr clrbuf 9F ,
252.Xr getrbuf 9F ,
253.Xr physio 9F ,
254.Xr iovec 9S ,
255.Xr uio 9S
256.Rs
257.%T Writing Device Drivers
258.Re
259.Sh WARNINGS
260Buffers are a shared resource within the kernel.
261Drivers should read or write only the members listed in this section.
262Drivers that attempt to use undocumented members of the
263.Fa buf
264structure risk corrupting data in the kernel or on the device.
265