--- name: "nbdinfo" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "libnbd" version: "1.24.4-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/nbdinfo" --- # nbdinfo(1) display information and metadata about NBD servers and exports ## NAME nbdinfo - display information and metadata about NBD servers and exports ## SYNOPSIS ``` nbdinfo [--json] NBD ``` `"NBD"` is an NBD URI or subprocess: ``` NBD := nbd://... | nbd+unix:// (or other URI formats) | [ CMD ARGS ... ] ``` ``` nbdinfo --size [--json] NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo --uri [--json] NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo --is read-only|rotational NBD nbdinfo --isnt read-only|rotational NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo --can cache|connect|... NBD nbdinfo --cannot cache|connect|... NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo --map [--totals] [--json] NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo -L|--list [--json] NBD ``` ``` nbdinfo --help ``` ``` nbdinfo --version ``` ## DESCRIPTION nbdinfo displays information and metadata about an NBD server. The single required parameter can be the NBD URI of the server (see https://github.com/NetworkBlockDevice/nbd/blob/master/doc/uri.md): ``` $ nbdinfo nbd://localhost protocol: newstyle-fixed without TLS, using structured packets export="": export-size: 1048576 (1M) content: data uri: nbd://localhost:10809/ is_rotational: false is_read_only: false can_cache: true can_df: true can_fast_zero: true can_flush: true can_fua: true can_multi_conn: true can_trim: true can_zero: true block_size_minimum: 1 block_size_preferred: 4096 (4K) block_size_maximum: 33554432 (32M) ``` For an NBD server on a local Unix domain socket you would use a command such as this (with similar output to above): ``` $ nbdinfo "nbd+unix:///?socket=/tmp/unixsock" ``` Or you can run the NBD server as a subprocess (see section "Subprocess" below): ``` $ nbdinfo -- [ qemu-nbd -r -f qcow2 file.qcow2 ] ``` ### JSON output To display the output as JSON (eg. for scripting with [**jq**(1)](/jq/1.md)) add the *--json* parameter: ``` $ nbdinfo --json nbd://localhost | jq . { "protocol": "newstyle-fixed", "TLS": false, "structured": true, "extended": false, "exports": [ { "export-name": "", "content": "DOS/MBR boot sector; partition 1 : ID=0xc, start-CHS (0x3ff,254,63), end-CHS (0x3ff,254,63), startsector 2048, 4148704 sectors", "uri": "nbd://localhost:10809/", "is_rotational": false, "is_read_only": true, "can_cache": true, "can_df": true, "can_fast_zero": false, "can_flush": false, "can_fua": false, "can_multi_conn": true, "can_trim": false, "can_zero": false, "block_size_minimum": 1, "block_size_preferred": 4096, "block_size_maximum": 33554432, "export-size": 2125119488, "export-size-str": "2075312K" } ] } ``` ### Size To display only the size in bytes of the NBD export (useful for scripting) use the *--size* parameter: ``` $ nbdinfo --size nbd://localhost 1048576 ``` ``` $ nbdinfo --size [ nbdkit null 1M ] 1048576 ``` ### URI To display the canonical URI: ``` $ nbdinfo --uri nbd://localhost nbd://localhost:10809/ ``` ### Test for flags Use one of the *--can*, *--is* or *--has* options below to test NBD flags. The command does not print anything. Instead it exits with success (exit code 0) if true, or failure (exit code 2) if false. (Other exit codes indicate an error querying the flag). *--cannot*, *--isnt* and *--hasnt* negate the test. You can use it in shell scripts like this: ``` if nbdinfo --is read-only nbd://localhost || nbdinfo --cannot trim nbd://localhost then error "the device must support writing and trimming" fi ``` - nbdinfo --is read-only URI Test if the server export is read-only. - nbdinfo --can write URI For convenience this is the opposite of *--is read-only*. - nbdinfo --can read URI All NBD servers must support read, so this always exits with success (unless there is a failure connecting to the URI). - nbdinfo --can connect URI Test if we can connect to the NBD URI. This tests the NBD handshake as far as NBD options processing, but does not guarantee that the export can be opened. - nbdinfo --is tls URI Test if the NBD URI connection is using TLS. - nbdinfo --has structured-reply URI Test if server has support for structured replies (a prerequisite for supporting block status commands). - nbdinfo --has extended-headers URI Test if server supports extended headers (a prerequisite for supporting 64-bit commands; implies structured replies as well). - nbdinfo --is rotational URI Test if the server export is backed by something which behaves like a rotating disk: accessing nearby blocks may be faster than random access and requests should be sorted to improve performance. Many servers do not or cannot report this accurately. - nbdinfo --can block-status-payload URI Test if the server export has support for passing a client payload to limit the response to a block status command. - nbdinfo --can cache URI - nbdinfo --can df URI - nbdinfo --can fast-zero URI - nbdinfo --can flush URI - nbdinfo --can fua URI - nbdinfo --can multi-conn URI - nbdinfo --can trim URI - nbdinfo --can zero URI Test other properties of the NBD server export. In fact *--can*/*--is*/*--has*, and *--cannot*/*--isnt*/*--hasnt* are synonyms, you can use them interchangeably. ### Map To show a map of which areas of the disk are allocated and sparse, use the *--map* option: ``` $ nbdinfo --map nbd://localhost/ 0 1048576 0 data 1048576 1048576 3 hole,zero ``` The fields are: start, size, type, description (optional). The type field is an integer showing the raw value from the NBD protocol. For some maps nbdinfo knows how to translate the type into a printable description. To get parseable JSON output, add *--json*: ``` $ nbdinfo --map --json nbd://localhost/ [{ "offset": 0, "length": 1048576, "type": 0, "description": "data" }, { "offset": 1048576, "length": 1048576, "type": 3, "description": "hole,zero" }] ``` By default this shows the `"base:allocation"` map, but you can show other maps too: ``` $ nbdinfo --map=qemu:dirty-bitmap:bitmap nbd://localhost/ 0 1048576 1 dirty ``` For more information on NBD maps, see *Metadata querying* in the NBD protocol. ### Map totals Using *--map --totals* performs the same operation as *--map* but displays a summary of the total size of each type of allocation, in bytes and as a percentage (of the virtual size of the export). This is useful for estimating how much real storage is used on the server, or might be required when copying a sparse image with [**nbdcopy**(1)](/nbdcopy/1.md). In the example below, half (50.0%) of the disk is allocated data and half is unallocated: ``` $ nbdinfo --map --totals nbd://localhost/ 1048576 50.0% 0 data 1048576 50.0% 3 hole,zero ``` The fields are: total size in bytes, percentage of the virtual size, type, description (optional). You can also get the same information in parseable form using *--json*: ``` $ nbdinfo --map --totals --json nbd://localhost/ [{ "size": 1048576, "percent": 50, "type": 0, "description": "data" }, { "size": 1048576, "percent": 50, "type": 3, "description": "hole,zero" }] ``` As with the *--map* option, by default this shows the `"base:allocation"` map, but you can show the summary for other maps. ### List all exports To list all the exports available on an NBD server use the *--list* (*-L*) option. To get parseable JSON output, add *--json*. For example: ``` $ nbdkit file dir=. --run 'nbdinfo --list "$uri"' protocol: newstyle-fixed without TLS export="Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-29-1.2.iso": export-size: 1931476992 (1842M) uri: nbd://localhost:10809/Fedora-Workstation-Live-x86_64-29-1.2.iso [...] export="debian-10.4.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso": export-size: 3955556352 (3862848K) uri: nbd://localhost:10809/debian-10.4.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso [...] ``` ### Subprocess nbdinfo can also run an NBD server as a subprocess. This requires an NBD server which understands systemd socket activation, such as [**qemu-nbd**(8)](/qemu-nbd/8.md) or [**nbdkit**(1)](/nbdkit/1.md). All the usual nbdinfo modes can be used. For example, to give general information or display the map of a qcow2 file: ``` nbdinfo -- [ qemu-nbd -r -f qcow2 file.qcow2 ] ``` ``` nbdinfo --map -- [ qemu-nbd -r -f qcow2 file.qcow2 ] ``` Note that `"[ ... ]"` are separate parameters, and must be surrounded by spaces. `"--"` separates nbdinfo parameters from subprocess parameters. ### Alternative tools You could use `"qemu-img info"` (see [**qemu-img**(1)](/qemu-img/1.md)) to query a single export from an NBD server. `"qemu-nbd -L"` (see [**qemu-nbd**(8)](/qemu-nbd/8.md)) can list NBD exports. [**nbdsh**(1)](/nbdsh/1.md) or the [**libnbd**(3)](/libnbd/3.md) API can be used for more complex queries. ## OPTIONS - **--help** Display brief command line help and exit. - **--can block-status-payload** - **--can cache** - **--can connect** - **--can df** - **--can fast-zero** - **--can flush** - **--can fua** - **--can multi-conn** - **--can read** - **--can trim** - **--can write** - **--can zero** Test properties of the NBD server export. The command does not print anything. Instead it exits with success (exit code 0) if true, or failure (exit code 2) if false. (Other exit codes indicate an error querying the flag). For further information see the NBD protocol and the following libnbd functions: [**nbd\_can\_block\_status\_payload**(3)](/nbd_can_block_status_payload/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_cache**(3)](/nbd_can_cache/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_df**(3)](/nbd_can_df/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_fast\_zero**(3)](/nbd_can_fast_zero/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_flush**(3)](/nbd_can_flush/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_fua**(3)](/nbd_can_fua/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_multi\_conn**(3)](/nbd_can_multi_conn/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_trim**(3)](/nbd_can_trim/3.md), [**nbd\_can\_zero**(3)](/nbd_can_zero/3.md), [**nbd\_is\_read\_only**(3)](/nbd_is_read_only/3.md). - **--cannot** flag Test the negation of flag. - **--color** - **--colour** - **--no-color** - **--no-colour** Enable or disable ANSI colours in output. By default we use colours if the output seems to be a terminal, and disable them if not. - **--content** - **--no-content** Mostly the information displayed comes from the metadata sent by the NBD server during the handshake. However nbdinfo also downloads a small amount of data from the beginning of the export to try to probe the content with [**file**(1)](/file/1.md). When *not* using *--list*, the default is *--content*, ie. probing the content. To prevent content probing, use *--no-content*. When using *--list*, the default is *--no-content* (since downloading from each export is expensive). To enable content probing use *--list --content*. - **--has extended-headers** - **--has structured-reply** Test properties of the NBD server connection. The command does not print anything. Instead it exits with success (exit code 0) if true, or failure (exit code 2) if false. (Other exit codes indicate an error querying the flag). For further information see the NBD protocol and the following libnbd functions: [**nbd\_get\_extended\_headers\_negotiated**(3)](/nbd_get_extended_headers_negotiated/3.md), [**nbd\_get\_structured\_replies\_negotiated**(3)](/nbd_get_structured_replies_negotiated/3.md). - **--hasnt** flag Test the negation of flag. - **--is read-only** - **--is rotational** - **--is tls** Test if the NBD server export is read-only and rotational, or whether the connection itself is using TLS. The command does not print anything. Instead it exits with success (exit code 0) if true, or failure (exit code 2) if false. (Other exit codes indicate an error querying the flag). For further information see the NBD protocol and the following libnbd functions: [**nbd\_is\_read\_only**(3)](/nbd_is_read_only/3.md), [**nbd\_is\_rotational**(3)](/nbd_is_rotational/3.md), [**nbd\_get\_tls\_negotiated**(3)](/nbd_get_tls_negotiated/3.md). - **--isnt** flag Test the negation of flag. - **--json** The output is displayed in JSON format. - **-L** - **--list** List all the exports on an NBD server. The export name in the NBD URI is ignored. - **--map** - **--map=**MAP Display the map (usually whether parts of the disk are allocated or sparse) of the given export. This displays the `"base:allocation"` map by default, you can choose a different map with the optional parameter. See the "Map" section above. - **--map** **--totals** - **--map=**MAP **--totals** The same as *--map*, but displays a summary of the total size of each type of allocation. See the "Map totals" section above. - **--size** Display only the size in bytes of the export. - **--uri** Display only the canonical URI. If combined with *--json* then the output is a JSON-quoted string. - **-V** - **--version** Display the package name and version and exit. ## SEE ALSO [**libnbd**(3)](/libnbd/3.md), [**nbdcopy**(1)](/nbdcopy/1.md), [**nbddiscard**(1)](/nbddiscard/1.md), [**nbddump**(1)](/nbddump/1.md), [**nbdfuse**(1)](/nbdfuse/1.md), [**nbdsh**(1)](/nbdsh/1.md), **nbdublk**(1), [**nbdzero**(1)](/nbdzero/1.md), [**file**(1)](/file/1.md), [**jq**(1)](/jq/1.md), [**qemu-img**(1)](/qemu-img/1.md), [**qemu-nbd**(8)](/qemu-nbd/8.md). ## AUTHORS Richard W.M. Jones Eric Blake ## COPYRIGHT Copyright Red Hat ## LICENSE This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA