FIO repeatable buffer fill

1

Is it possible to have a pseudo-random buffer fill pattern using FIO? ie, the fill pattern for a block would incorporate a seed + block number or offset into a pseudo-random fill generator. This way the entire fill data could be 100% repeatable and verifiable, but more varied than the static pattern provided by --verify=pattern.

My guess at the commands would be something like:

  1. Write pseudo-random data out in verifiable manner
fio --filename=/home/test.bin --direct=1 --rw=write --bs=512 --size=1M --name=verifiable_write --verify=psuedo_rand --verify_psuedo_rand_seed=0xdeadbeef --do_verify=0
  1. Read back pseudo-random data and verify
fio --filename=/home/test.bin --direct=1 --rw=read --bs=512 --size=1M --name=verify_written_data --verify=psuedo_rand --verify_psuedo_rand_seed=0xdeadbeef --do_verify=1

Obviously, I'm making up some options here, but I'm hoping it may get the point across.

linux
io
asked on Stack Overflow Jan 23, 2020 by blitzvergnugen • edited Jan 23, 2020 by Barmar

1 Answer

0

(This isn't the right site for this type of question because it's not about programming - Super User or Serverfault look more appropriate)

The fio documentation for buffer_pattern says you can choose a fixed string or number (given in decimal or hex). However look at your examples shows you are doing a verify so the documentation for verify_pattern is relevant. That states you can use %o that sets the block offset. However once you set a fixed pattern that's it - there are no more variables beyond %o. That means with current fio (3.17 at the time of writing) if are choose to use a fixed pattern (e.g. via verify_pattern) there's no way to include seeded random data that can be verified.

If you don't use a fixed pattern and specify verify by checksum then fio will actually use seeded random data but I don't think split verification will check the seed - just that the checksum written into the block matches the data of the rest of the block.

Is it possible to have a pseudo-random buffer fill pattern using FIO?

If the default random buffer fill is OK then yes but if you want to include something like block offset and other additional data alongside that then no at the time of writing (unless you patch the fio source).

answered on Stack Overflow Jan 25, 2020 by Anon

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