Using the Parallel NFS (pNFS) SCSI Layout to Access Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) Storage Devices
RFC 9561



Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)                   C. Hellwig, Ed.
Request for Comments: 9561                                              
Category: Standards Track                                       C. Lever
ISSN: 2070-1721                                                   Oracle
                                                              S. Faibish
                                                          Opendrives.com
                                                                D. Black
                                                       Dell Technologies
                                                              April 2024

Using the Parallel NFS (pNFS) SCSI Layout to Access Non-Volatile Memory
                     Express (NVMe) Storage Devices

Abstract

   This document specifies how to use the Parallel Network File System
   (pNFS) Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) Layout Type to access
   storage devices using the Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) protocol
   family.

Status of This Memo

   This is an Internet Standards Track document.

   This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
   (IETF).  It represents the consensus of the IETF community.  It has
   received public review and has been approved for publication by the
   Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG).  Further information on
   Internet Standards is available in Section 2 of RFC 7841.

   Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
   and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
   https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc9561.

Copyright Notice

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   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction
     1.1.  Requirements Language
     1.2.  General Definitions
     1.3.  Numerical Conventions
   2.  SCSI Layout Mapping to NVMe
     2.1.  Volume Identification
     2.2.  Client Fencing
       2.2.1.  PRs - Key Registration
       2.2.2.  PRs - MDS Registration and Reservation
       2.2.3.  Fencing Action
       2.2.4.  Client Recovery after a Fence Action
     2.3.  Volatile Write Caches
   3.  Security Considerations
   4.  IANA Considerations
   5.  References
     5.1.  Normative References
     5.2.  Informative References
   Acknowledgements
   Authors' Addresses

1.  Introduction

   NFSv4.1 [RFC8881] includes a pNFS feature that allows reads and
   writes to be performed by means other than directing read and write
   operations to the server.  Through use of this feature, the server,
   in the role of metadata server, is responsible for managing file and
   directory metadata while separate means are provided to execute reads
   and writes.

   These other means of performing file reads and writes are defined by
   individual mapping types, which often have their own specifications.

   The pNFS Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) layout [RFC8154] is a
   layout type that allows NFS clients to directly perform I/O to block
   storage devices while bypassing the Metadata Server (MDS).  It is
   specified by using concepts from the SCSI protocol family for the
   data path to the storage devices.

   NVM Express (NVMe), or the Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller
   Interface Specification, is a set of specifications to talk to
   storage devices over a number of protocols such as PCI Express
   (PCIe), Fibre Channel (FC), TCP/IP, or Remote Direct Memory Access
   (RDMA) networking.  NVMe is currently the predominantly used protocol
   to access PCIe Solid State Disks (SSDs), and it is increasingly being
   adopted for remote storage access to replace SCSI-based protocols
   such as iSCSI.

   This document defines how NVMe Namespaces using the NVM Command Set
   [NVME-NVM] exported by NVMe Controllers implementing the NVMe Base
   specification [NVME-BASE] are to be used as storage devices using the
   SCSI Layout Type.  The definition is independent of the underlying
   transport used by the NVMe Controller and thus supports Controllers
   implementing a wide variety of transports, including PCIe, RDMA, TCP,
   and FC.

   This document does not amend the existing SCSI layout document.
   Rather, it defines how NVMe Namespaces can be used within the SCSI
   Layout by establishing a mapping of the SCSI constructs used in the
   SCSI layout document to corresponding NVMe constructs.

1.1.  Requirements Language

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in
   BCP 14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

1.2.  General Definitions

   The following definitions are included to provide context for the
   reader.

   Client:  The "client" is the entity that accesses the NFS server's
      resources.  The client may be an application that contains the
      logic to access the NFS server directly, or it may be part of the
      operating system that provides remote file system services for a
      set of applications.

   Metadata Server (MDS):  The Metadata Server (MDS) is the entity
      responsible for coordinating client access to a set of file
      systems and is identified by a server owner.

1.3.  Numerical Conventions

   Numerical values defined in the SCSI specifications (e.g., [SPC5])
   and the NVMe specifications (e.g., [NVME-BASE]) are represented using
   the same conventions as those specifications wherein a 'b' suffix
   denotes a binary (base 2) number (e.g., 110b = 6 decimal) and an 'h'
   suffix denotes a hexadecimal (base 16) number (e.g., 1ch = 28
   decimal).

2.  SCSI Layout Mapping to NVMe

   The SCSI layout definition [RFC8154] references only a few SCSI-
   specific concepts directly.  This document provides a mapping from
   these SCSI concepts to NVM Express concepts that are used when using
   the pNFS SCSI layout with NVMe namespaces.

2.1.  Volume Identification

   The pNFS SCSI layout uses the Device Identification Vital Product
   Data (VPD) page (page code 83h) from [SPC5] to identify the devices
   used by a layout.  Implementations that use NVMe namespaces as
   storage devices map NVMe namespace identifiers to a subset of the
   identifiers that the Device Identification VPD page supports for SCSI
   logical units.

   To be used as storage devices for the pNFS SCSI layout, NVMe
   namespaces MUST support either the IEEE Extended Unique Identifier
   (EUI64) or Namespace Globally Unique Identifier (NGUID) value
   reported in a Namespace Identification Descriptor, the I/O Command
   Set Independent Identify Namespace data structure, and the Identify
   Namespace data structure, NVM Command Set [NVME-BASE].  If available,
   use of the NGUID value is preferred as it is the larger identifier.

      |  Note: The PS_DESIGNATOR_T10 and PS_DESIGNATOR_NAME have no
      |  equivalent in NVMe and cannot be used to identify NVMe storage
      |  devices.

   The pnfs_scsi_base_volume_info4 structure for an NVMe namespace SHALL
   be constructed as follows:

   1.  The "sbv_code_set" field SHALL be set to PS_CODE_SET_BINARY.

   2.  The "pnfs_scsi_designator_type" field SHALL be set to
       PS_DESIGNATOR_EUI64.

   3.  The "sbv_designator" field SHALL contain either the NGUID or the
       EUI64 identifier for the namespace.  If both NGUID and EUI64
       identifiers are available, then the NGUID identifier SHOULD be
       used as it is the larger identifier.

   RFC 8154 [RFC8154] specifies the "sbv_designator" field as an XDR
   variable length opaque<> (refer to Section 4.10 of RFC 4506
   [RFC4506]).  The length of that XDR opaque<> value (part of its XDR
   representation) indicates which NVMe identifier is present.  That
   length MUST be 16 octets for an NVMe NGUID identifier and MUST be 8
   octets for an NVMe EUI64 identifier.  All other lengths MUST NOT be
   used with an NVMe namespace.

2.2.  Client Fencing

   The SCSI layout uses Persistent Reservations (PRs) to provide client
   fencing.  For this to be achieved, both the MDS and the Clients have
   to register a key with the storage device, and the MDS has to create
   a reservation on the storage device.

   The following subsections provide a full mapping of the required
   PERSISTENT RESERVE IN and PERSISTENT RESERVE OUT SCSI commands [SPC5]
   to NVMe commands that MUST be used when using NVMe namespaces as
   storage devices for the pNFS SCSI layout.

2.2.1.  PRs - Key Registration

   On NVMe namespaces, reservation keys are registered using the
   Reservation Register command (refer to Section 7.3 of [NVME-BASE])
   with the Reservation Register Action (RREGA) field set to 000b (i.e.,
   Register Reservation Key) and supplying the reservation key in the
   New Reservation Key (NRKEY) field.

   Reservation keys are unregistered using the Reservation Register
   command with the Reservation Register Action (RREGA) field set to
   001b (i.e., Unregister Reservation Key) and supplying the reservation
   key in the Current Reservation Key (CRKEY) field.

   One important difference between SCSI Persistent Reservations and
   NVMe Reservations is that NVMe reservation keys always apply to all
   controllers used by a host (as indicated by the NVMe Host
   Identifier).  This behavior is analogous to setting the ALL_TG_PT bit
   when registering a SCSI Reservation Key, and it is always supported
   by NVMe Reservations, unlike the ALL_TG_PT for which SCSI support is
   inconsistent and cannot be relied upon.  Registering a reservation
   key with a namespace creates an association between a host and a
   namespace.  A host that is a registrant of a namespace may use any
   controller with which that host is associated (i.e., that has the
   same Host Identifier, refer to Section 5.27.1.25 of [NVME-BASE]) to
   access that namespace as a registrant.

2.2.2.  PRs - MDS Registration and Reservation

   Before returning a PNFS_SCSI_VOLUME_BASE volume to the client, the
   MDS needs to prepare the volume for fencing using PRs.  This is done
   by registering the reservation generated for the MDS with the device
   (see Section 2.2.1) followed by a Reservation Acquire command (refer
   to Section 7.2 of [NVME-BASE]) with the Reservation Acquire Action
   (RACQA) field set to 000b (i.e., Acquire) and the Reservation Type
   (RTYPE) field set to 4h (i.e., Exclusive Access - Registrants Only
   Reservation).

2.2.3.  Fencing Action

   In case of a non-responding client, the MDS fences the client by
   executing a Reservation Acquire command (refer to Section 7.2 of
   [NVME-BASE]), with the Reservation Acquire Action (RACQA) field set
   to 001b (i.e., Preempt) or 010b (i.e., Preempt and Abort), the
   Current Reservation Key (CRKEY) field set to the server's reservation
   key, the Preempt Reservation Key (PRKEY) field set to the reservation
   key associated with the non-responding client, and the Reservation
   Type (RTYPE) field set to 4h (i.e., Exclusive Access - Registrants
   Only Reservation).  The client can distinguish I/O errors due to
   fencing from other errors based on the Reservation Conflict NVMe
   status code.

2.2.4.  Client Recovery after a Fence Action

   If an NVMe command issued by the client to the storage device returns
   a non-retryable error (refer to the DNR bit defined in Figure 92 in
   [NVME-BASE]), the client MUST commit all layouts that use the storage
   device through the MDS, return all outstanding layouts for the
   device, forget the device ID, and unregister the reservation key.

2.3.  Volatile Write Caches

   For NVMe controllers, a volatile write cache is enabled if bit 0 of
   the Volatile Write Cache (VWC) field in the Identify Controller data
   structure, I/O Command Set Independent (refer to Figure 275 in
   [NVME-BASE]) is set and the Volatile Write Cache Enable (WCE) bit
   (i.e., bit 00) in the Volatile Write Cache Feature (Feature
   Identifier 06h) (refer to Section 5.27.1.4 of [NVME-BASE]) is set.
   If a volatile write cache is enabled on an NVMe namespace used as a
   storage device for the pNFS SCSI layout, the pNFS server (MDS) MUST
   use the NVMe Flush command to flush the volatile write cache to
   stable storage before the LAYOUTCOMMIT operation returns by using the
   Flush command (refer to Section 7.1 of [NVME-BASE]).  The NVMe Flush
   command is the equivalent to the SCSI SYNCHRONIZE CACHE commands.

3.  Security Considerations

   NFSv4 clients access NFSv4 metadata servers using the NFSv4 protocol.
   The security considerations generally described in [RFC8881] apply to
   a client's interactions with the metadata server.  However, NFSv4
   clients and servers access NVMe storage devices at a lower layer than
   NFSv4.  NFSv4 and RPC security are not directly applicable to the
   I/Os to data servers using NVMe.  Refer to Sections 2.4.6 (Extents
   Are Permissions) and 4 (Security Considerations) of [RFC8154] for the
   security considerations of direct access to block storage from NFS
   clients.

   pNFS with an NVMe layout can be used with NVMe transports (e.g., NVMe
   over PCIe [NVME-PCIE]) that provide essentially no additional
   security functionality.  Or, pNFS may be used with storage protocols
   such as NVMe over TCP [NVME-TCP] that can provide significant
   transport layer security.

   It is the responsibility of those administering and deploying pNFS
   with an NVMe layout to ensure that appropriate protection is deployed
   to that protocol based on the deployment environment as well as the
   nature and sensitivity of the data and storage devices involved.
   When using IP-based storage protocols such as NVMe over TCP, data
   confidentiality and integrity SHOULD be provided for traffic between
   pNFS clients and NVMe storage devices by using a secure communication
   protocol such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) [RFC8446].  For NVMe
   over TCP, TLS SHOULD be used as described in [NVME-TCP] to protect
   traffic between pNFS clients and NVMe namespaces used as storage
   devices.

   A secure communication protocol might not be needed for pNFS with
   NVMe layouts in environments where physical and/or logical security
   measures (e.g., air gaps, isolated VLANs) provide effective access
   control commensurate with the sensitivity and value of the storage
   devices and data involved (e.g., public website contents may be
   significantly less sensitive than a database containing personal
   identifying information, passwords, and other authentication
   credentials).

   Physical security is a common means for protocols not based on IP.
   In environments where the security requirements for the storage
   protocol cannot be met, pNFS with an NVMe layout SHOULD NOT be
   deployed.

   When security is available for the data server storage protocol, it
   is generally at a different granularity and with a different notion
   of identity than NFSv4 (e.g., NFSv4 controls user access to files,
   and NVMe controls initiator access to volumes).  As with pNFS with
   the block layout type [RFC5663], the pNFS client is responsible for
   enforcing appropriate correspondences between these security layers.
   In environments where the security requirements are such that client-
   side protection from access to storage outside of the layout is not
   sufficient, pNFS with a SCSI layout on a NVMe namespace SHOULD NOT be
   deployed.

   As with other block-oriented pNFS layout types, the metadata server
   is able to fence off a client's access to the data on an NVMe
   namespace used as a storage device.  If a metadata server revokes a
   layout, the client's access MUST be terminated at the storage devices
   via fencing as specified in Section 2.2.  The client has a subsequent
   opportunity to acquire a new layout.

4.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA actions.

5.  References

5.1.  Normative References

   [NVME-BASE]
              NVM Express, Inc., "NVM Express Base Specification",
              Revision 2.0d, January 2024, <https://nvmexpress.org/wp-
              content/uploads/NVM-Express-Base-Specification-2.0d-
              2024.01.11-Ratified.pdf>.

   [NVME-NVM] NVM Express, Inc., "NVM Express NVM Command Set
              Specification", Revision 1.0d, December 2023,
              <https://nvmexpress.org/wp-content/uploads/NVM-Express-
              NVM-Command-Set-Specification-1.0d-
              2023.12.28-Ratified.pdf>.

   [NVME-TCP] NVM Express, Inc., "NVM Express TCP Transport
              Specification", Revision 1.0d, December 2023,
              <https://nvmexpress.org/wp-content/uploads/NVM-Express-
              TCP-Transport-Specification-1.0d-2023.12.27-Ratified.pdf>.

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC4506]  Eisler, M., Ed., "XDR: External Data Representation
              Standard", STD 67, RFC 4506, DOI 10.17487/RFC4506, May
              2006, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4506>.

   [RFC5663]  Black, D., Fridella, S., and J. Glasgow, "Parallel NFS
              (pNFS) Block/Volume Layout", RFC 5663,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC5663, January 2010,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5663>.

   [RFC8154]  Hellwig, C., "Parallel NFS (pNFS) Small Computer System
              Interface (SCSI) Layout", RFC 8154, DOI 10.17487/RFC8154,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8154>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

   [RFC8446]  Rescorla, E., "The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol
              Version 1.3", RFC 8446, DOI 10.17487/RFC8446, August 2018,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8446>.

   [RFC8881]  Noveck, D., Ed. and C. Lever, "Network File System (NFS)
              Version 4 Minor Version 1 Protocol", RFC 8881,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8881, August 2020,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8881>.

   [SPC5]     INCITS Technical Committee T10, "SCSI Primary Commands - 5
              (SPC-5)", INCITS 502-2019, 2019.

5.2.  Informative References

   [NVME-PCIE]
              NVM Express, Inc., "NVMe over PCIe Transport
              Specification", Revision 1.0d, December 2023,
              <https://nvmexpress.org/wp-content/uploads/NVM-Express-
              PCIe-Transport-Specification-1.0d-
              2023.12.27-Ratified.pdf>.

Acknowledgements

   Carsten Bormann converted an earlier RFCXML v2 source for this
   document to a markdown source format.

   David Noveck provided ample feedback to various drafts of this
   document.

Authors' Addresses

   Christoph Hellwig (editor)
   Email: hch@lst.de

   Charles Lever
   Oracle Corporation
   United States of America
   Email: chuck.lever@oracle.com

   Sorin Faibish
   Opendrives.com
   11 Selwyn Road
   Newton, MA 02461
   United States of America
   Phone: +1 617-510-0422
   Email: s.faibish@opendrives.com

   David L. Black
   Dell Technologies
   176 South Street
   Hopkinton, MA 01748
   United States of America
   Email: david.black@dell.com