Requirements for pNFS Layout Types
draft-ietf-nfsv4-layout-types-00

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NFSv4                                                          T. Haynes
Internet-Draft                                              Primary Data
Updates: 5661 (if approved)                                 May 16, 2014
Intended status: Informational
Expires: November 17, 2014

                   Requirements for pNFS Layout Types
                  draft-ietf-nfsv4-layout-types-00.txt

Abstract

   This document provides help in distinguishing between the
   requirements for Network File System (NFS) version 4.1's Parallel NFS
   (pNFS) and those those specifically directed to the pNFS File Layout.
   The lack of a clear separation between the two set of requirements
   has been troublesome for those specifying and evaluating new Layout
   Types.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
   Task Force (IETF).  Note that other groups may also distribute
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   Drafts is at http://datatracker.ietf.org/drafts/current/.

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   time.  It is inappropriate to use Internet-Drafts as reference
   material or to cite them other than as "work in progress."

   This Internet-Draft will expire on November 17, 2014.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2014 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of
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   to this document.  Code Components extracted from this document must
   include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of

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   the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as
   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     2.1.  Difference Between a Data Server and a Storage Device . .   4
     2.2.  Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   3.  The Control Protocol  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     3.1.  Protocol Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     3.2.  Non-protocol Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     3.3.  Editorial Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
   4.  Implementations in Existing Layout Types  . . . . . . . . . .   7
     4.1.  File Layout Type  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     4.2.  Block Layout Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     4.3.  Object Layout Type  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
   5.  Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9
   7.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   Appendix A.  Acknowledgments  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   Appendix B.  RFC Editor Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11

1.  Introduction

   Both Parallel Network File System (pNFS) and the File Layout Type
   were defined in the Network File System (NFS) version 4.1 protocol
   specification, [RFC5661].  The Block Layout Type was defined in
   [RFC5663] and the Object Layout Type was in turn defined in
   [RFC5664].

   Some implementers have interpreted the text in Sections 12 ("Parallel
   NFS (pNFS)") and 13 ("NFSv4.1 as a Storage Protocol in pNFS: the File
   Layout Type") of [RFC5661] as both being strictly for the File Layout
   Type.  I.e., since Section 13 was not covered in a separate RFC like
   those for both the Block and Object Layout Types, there is some
   confusion as to the responsibilities of both the Metadata Server
   (MDS) and the Data Servers (DS) which were laid out in Section 12.

   As a consequence, new internet drafts (see [FlexFiles] and [Lustre])
   may struggle to meet the requirements to be a pNFS Layout Type.  This
   document clarifies what are the Layout Type independent requirements
   placed on all Layout Types, whether one of the original three or any
   new variant.

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