Ubuntu Manpage: lvmcache

Provided by: lvm2_2.02.176-4.1ubuntu3.18.04.3_amd64

NAME

       lvmcache — LVM caching

DESCRIPTION

       An  lvm(8)  cache  Logical Volume (LV) uses a small and fast LV to improve the performance of a large and
       slow LV.  It does this by storing the frequently used blocks on the faster LV.  LVM refers to  the  small
       fast  LV  as  a  cache pool LV.  The large slow LV is called the origin LV.  Due to requirements from dm-
       cache (the kernel driver), LVM further splits the cache pool LV into two devices - the cache data LV  and
       cache  metadata  LV.   The  cache  data  LV is where copies of data blocks are kept from the origin LV to
       increase speed.  The cache metadata LV holds the accounting information that specifies where data  blocks
       are  stored (e.g.  on the origin LV or on the cache data LV).  Users should be familiar with these LVs if
       they wish to create the best and most robust cached LVs.  All of these associated LVs must be in the same
       Volume Group (VG).

Cache Terms

       origin LV           OriginLV      large slow LV
       cache data LV       CacheDataLV   small fast LV for cache pool data
       cache metadata LV   CacheMetaLV   small fast LV for cache pool metadata
       cache pool LV       CachePoolLV   CacheDataLV + CacheMetaLV
       cache LV            CacheLV       OriginLV + CachePoolLV

Cache Usage

       The primary method for using a cache type LV:

   0. create OriginLV
       Create an LV or identify an existing LV to be the origin LV.

       lvcreate -n OriginLV -L LargeSize VG SlowPVs

       Example
       # lvcreate -n lvol0 -L 100G vg /dev/slow

   1. create CacheDataLV
       Create  the  cache data LV.  This LV will hold data blocks from the OriginLV.  The size of this LV is the
       size of the cache and will be reported as the size of the cache pool LV.

       lvcreate -n CacheDataLV -L CacheSize VG FastPVs

       Example
       # lvcreate -n cache0 -L 10G vg /dev/fast

   2. create CacheMetaLV
       Create the cache metadata LV.  This LV will hold cache pool metadata.  The size of this LV should be 1000
       times smaller than the cache data LV, with a minimum size of 8MiB.

       lvcreate -n CacheMetaLV -L MetaSize VG FastPVs

       Example
       # lvcreate -n cache0meta -L 12M vg /dev/fast

       # lvs -a vg
         LV         VG   Attr       LSize   Pool Origin
         cache0     vg   -wi-a-----  10.00g
         cache0meta vg   -wi-a-----  12.00m
         lvol0      vg   -wi-a----- 100.00g

   3. create CachePoolLV
       Combine  the data and metadata LVs into a cache pool LV.  The behavior of the cache pool LV can be set in
       this step.
       CachePoolLV takes the name of CacheDataLV.
       CacheDataLV is renamed CachePoolLV_cdata and becomes hidden.
       CacheMetaLV is renamed CachePoolLV_cmeta and becomes hidden.

       lvconvert --type cache-pool --poolmetadata VG/CacheMetaLV
              VG/CacheDataLV

       Example
       # lvconvert --type cache-pool --poolmetadata vg/cache0meta vg/cache0

       # lvs -a vg
         LV              VG   Attr       LSize   Pool Origin
         cache0          vg   Cwi---C---  10.00g
         [cache0_cdata]  vg   Cwi-------  10.00g
         [cache0_cmeta]  vg   ewi-------  12.00m
         lvol0           vg   -wi-a----- 100.00g

   4. create CacheLV
       Create a cache LV by linking the cache pool LV to the origin LV.  The user accessible cache LV takes  the
       name of the origin LV, while the origin LV becomes a hidden LV with the name OriginLV_corig.  This can be
       done while the origin LV is in use.
       CacheLV takes the name of OriginLV.
       OriginLV is renamed OriginLV_corig and becomes hidden.

       lvconvert --type cache --cachepool VG/CachePoolLV VG/OriginLV

       Example
       # lvconvert --type cache --cachepool vg/cache0 vg/lvol0

       # lvs -a vg
         LV              VG   Attr       LSize   Pool   Origin
         cache0          vg   Cwi---C---  10.00g
         [cache0_cdata]  vg   Cwi-ao----  10.00g
         [cache0_cmeta]  vg   ewi-ao----  12.00m
         lvol0           vg   Cwi-a-C--- 100.00g cache0 [lvol0_corig]
         [lvol0_corig]   vg   -wi-ao---- 100.00g

Cache Removal

   Split a cache pool LV off of a cache LV

       A cache pool LV can be disconnected from a cache LV, leaving an unused cache pool  LV,  and  an  uncached
       origin LV.  This command writes back data from the cache pool to the origin LV when necessary.

       lvconvert --splitcache VG/CacheLV

   Removing a cache pool LV without removing its linked origin LV

       This  writes  back  data from the cache pool to the origin LV when necessary, then removes the cache pool
       LV, leaving the uncached origin LV.

       lvremove VG/CachePoolLV

       An alternative command that also disconnects the cache pool from the cache  LV,  and  deletes  the  cache
       pool:

       lvconvert --uncache VG/CacheLV

       Example
       # lvs vg
         LV     VG   Attr       LSize   Pool   Origin
         cache0 vg   Cwi---C---  10.00g
         lvol0  vg   Cwi-a-C--- 100.00g cache0 [lvol0_corig]

       # lvremove vg/cache0

       # lvs vg
         LV    VG   Attr       LSize   Pool Origin
         lvol0 vg   -wi-a----- 100.00g

   Removing a cache LV: both origin LV and the cache pool LV

       Removing a cache LV removes both the origin LV and the linked cache pool LV.

       lvremove VG/CacheLV

Cache Topics

Tolerate device failures in a cache pool LV

Users who are concerned about the possibility of failures in their fast devices that could lead to data
loss might consider making their cache pool sub-LVs redundant.

Example
0. Create an origin LV we wish to cache
# lvcreate -L 10G -n lv1 vg /dev/slow

1. Create a 2-way RAID1 cache data LV
# lvcreate --type raid1 -m 1 -L 1G -n cache1 vg \
/dev/fast1 /dev/fast2

2. Create a 2-way RAID1 cache metadata LV
# lvcreate --type raid1 -m 1 -L 8M -n cache1meta vg \
/dev/fast1 /dev/fast2

3. Create a cache pool LV combining cache data LV and cache metadata LV
# lvconvert --type cache-pool --poolmetadata vg/cache1meta vg/cache1

4. Create a cached LV by combining the cache pool LV and origin LV
# lvconvert --type cache --cachepool vg/cache1 vg/lv1

Cache mode

The default cache mode is "writethrough". Writethrough ensures that any data written will be stored both
in the cache pool LV and on the origin LV. The loss of a device associated with the cache pool LV in
this case would not mean the loss of any data.

A second cache mode is "writeback". Writeback delays writing data blocks from the cache pool back to the
origin LV. This mode will increase performance, but the loss of a device associated with the cache pool
LV can result in lost data.

With the --cachemode option, the cache mode can be set when creating a cache LV, or changed on an
existing cache LV. The current cache mode of a cache LV can be displayed with the cache_mode reporting
option:

lvs -o+cache_mode VG/CacheLV

lvm.conf(5) allocation/cache_mode
defines the default cache mode.

Example
0. Create an origin LV we wish to cache (yours may already exist)
# lvcreate -L 10G -n lv1 vg /dev/slow

1. Create a cache data LV
# lvcreate -L 1G -n cache1 vg /dev/fast

2. Create a cache metadata LV
# lvcreate -L 8M -n cache1meta vg /dev/fast

3. Create a cache pool LV
# lvconvert --type cache-pool --poolmetadata vg/cache1meta vg/cache1

4. Create a cache LV by combining the cache pool LV and origin LV,
and use the writethrough cache mode.
# lvconvert --type cache --cachepool vg/cache1 \
--cachemode writethrough vg/lv1

Cache policy

The cache subsystem has additional per-LV parameters: the cache policy to use, and possibly tunable
parameters for the cache policy. Three policies are currently available: "smq" is the default policy,
"mq" is an older implementation, and "cleaner" is used to force the cache to write back (flush) all
cached writes to the origin LV.

The "mq" policy has a number of tunable parameters. The defaults are chosen to be suitable for the
majority of systems, but in special circumstances, changing the settings can improve performance.

With the --cachepolicy and --cachesettings options, the cache policy and settings can be set when
creating a cache LV, or changed on an existing cache LV (both options can be used together). The current
cache policy and settings of a cache LV can be displayed with the cache_policy and cache_settings
reporting options:

lvs -o+cache_policy,cache_settings VG/CacheLV

Example
Change the cache policy and settings of an existing cache LV.
# lvchange --cachepolicy mq --cachesettings \
'migration_threshold=2048 random_threshold=4' vg/lv1

lvm.conf(5) allocation/cache_policy
defines the default cache policy.

lvm.conf(5) allocation/cache_settings
defines the default cache settings.

Chunk size

The size of data blocks managed by a cache pool can be specified with the --chunksize option when the
cache LV is created. The default unit is KiB. The value must be a multiple of 32KiB between 32KiB and
1GiB.

Using a chunk size that is too large can result in wasteful use of the cache, where small reads and
writes can cause large sections of an LV to be mapped into the cache. However, choosing a chunk size
that is too small can result in more overhead trying to manage the numerous chunks that become mapped
into the cache. Overhead can include both excessive CPU time searching for chunks, and excessive memory
tracking chunks.

Command to display the cache pool LV chunk size:
lvs -o+chunksize VG/CacheLV

lvm.conf(5) cache_pool_chunk_size
controls the default chunk size used when creating a cache LV.

The default value is shown by:
lvmconfig --type default allocation/cache_pool_chunk_size

Spare metadata LV

See lvmthin(7) for a description of the "pool metadata spare" LV. The same concept is used for cache
pools.

Automatic pool metadata LV

A cache data LV can be converted to cache pool LV without specifying a cache pool metadata LV. LVM will
automatically create a metadata LV from the same VG.

lvcreate -n CacheDataLV -L CacheSize VG
lvconvert --type cache-pool VG/CacheDataLV

Create a new cache LV without an existing origin LV

A cache LV can be created using an existing cache pool without an existing origin LV. A new origin LV is
created and linked to the cache pool in a single step.

lvcreate --type cache -L LargeSize -n CacheLV
--cachepool VG/CachePoolLV VG SlowPVs

Single step cache pool LV creation

A cache pool LV can be created with a single lvcreate command, rather than using lvconvert on existing
LVs. This one command creates a cache data LV, a cache metadata LV, and combines the two into a cache
pool LV.

lvcreate --type cache-pool -L CacheSize -n CachePoolLV VG FastPVs

Convert existing LVs to cache types

When an existing origin LV is converted to a cache LV, the specified cache pool may be a normal LV,
rather than a cache pool LV. In this case, lvm will first convert the normal LV to a cache pool LV. A
pool metadata LV may optionally be specified.

lvcreate -n OriginLV -L LargeSize VG
lvcreate -n CacheDataLV -L CacheSize VG
lvconvert --type cache --cachepool VG/CataDataLV VG/OriginLV

This is equivalent to:

lvcreate -n OriginLV -L LargeSize VG
lvcreate -n CacheDataLV -L CacheSize VG
lvconvert --type cache-pool VG/CacheDataLV
lvconvert --type cache --cachepool VG/CachePoolLV VG/OriginLV

Cache metadata formats

There are two disk formats for cache metadata. The metadata format can be specified when a cache pool is
created, and cannot be changed. Format 2 has better performance; it is more compact, and stores dirty
bits in a separate btree, which improves the speed of shutting down the cache. With auto, lvm selects
the best option provided by the current dm-cache kernel target.