Revise documentation for external reshape, correcting some problems, and clarifying some issues. Signed-off-by: NeilBrown <neilb@suse.de>
213 lines
9.9 KiB
Plaintext
213 lines
9.9 KiB
Plaintext
External Reshape
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1 Problem statement
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External (third-party metadata) reshape differs from native-metadata
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reshape in three key ways:
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1.1 Format specific constraints
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In the native case reshape is limited by what is implemented in the
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generic reshape routine (Grow_reshape()) and what is supported by the
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kernel. There are exceptional cases where Grow_reshape() may block
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operations when it knows that the kernel implementation is broken, but
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otherwise the kernel is relied upon to be the final arbiter of what
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reshape operations are supported.
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In the external case the kernel, and the generic checks in
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Grow_reshape(), become the super-set of what reshapes are possible. The
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metadata format may not support, or have yet to implement a given
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reshape type. The implication for Grow_reshape() is that it must query
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the metadata handler and effect changes in the metadata before the new
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geometry is posted to the kernel. The ->reshape_super method allows
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Grow_reshape() to validate the requested operation and post the metadata
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update.
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1.2 Scope of reshape
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Native metadata reshape is always performed at the array scope (no
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metadata relationship with sibling arrays on the same disks). External
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reshape, depending on the format, may not allow the number of member
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disks to be changed in a subarray unless the change is simultaneously
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applied to all subarrays in the container. For example the imsm format
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requires all member disks to be a member of all subarrays, so a 4-disk
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raid5 in a container that also houses a 4-disk raid10 array could not be
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reshaped to 5 disks as the imsm format does not support a 5-disk raid10
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representation. This requires the ->reshape_super method to check the
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contents of the array and ask the user to run the reshape at container
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scope (if all subarrays are agreeable to the change), or report an
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error in the case where one subarray cannot support the change.
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1.3 Monitoring / checkpointing
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Reshape, unlike rebuild/resync, requires strict checkpointing to survive
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interrupted reshape operations. For example when expanding a raid5
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array the first few stripes of the array will be overwritten in a
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destructive manner. When restarting the reshape process we need to know
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the exact location of the last successfully written stripe, and we need
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to restore the data in any partially overwritten stripe. Native
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metadata stores this backup data in the unused portion of spares that
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are being promoted to array members, or in an external backup file
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(located on a non-involved block device).
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The kernel is in charge of recording checkpoints of reshape progress,
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but mdadm is delegated the task of managing the backup space which
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involves:
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1/ Identifying what data will be overwritten in the next unit of reshape
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operation
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2/ Suspending access to that region so that a snapshot of the data can
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be transferred to the backup space.
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3/ Allowing the kernel to reshape the saved region and setting the
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boundary for the next backup.
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In the external reshape case we want to preserve this mdadm
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'reshape-manager' arrangement, but have a third actor, mdmon, to
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consider. It is tempting to give the role of managing reshape to mdmon,
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but that is counter to its role as a monitor, and conflicts with the
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existing capabilities and role of mdadm to manage the progress of
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reshape. For clarity the external reshape implementation maintains the
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role of mdmon as a (mostly) passive recorder of raid events, and mdadm
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treats it as it would the kernel in the native reshape case (modulo
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needing to send explicit metadata update messages and checking that
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mdmon took the expected action).
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External reshape can use the generic md backup file as a fallback, but in the
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optimal/firmware-compatible case the reshape-manager will use the metadata
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specific areas for managing reshape. The implementation also needs to spawn a
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reshape-manager per subarray when the reshape is being carried out at the
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container level. For these two reasons the ->manage_reshape() method is
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introduced. This method in addition to base tasks mentioned above:
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1/ Processed each subarray one at a time in series - where appropriate.
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2/ Uses either generic routines in Grow.c for md-style backup file
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support, or uses the metadata-format specific location for storing
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recovery data.
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This aims to avoid a "midlayer mistake"[1] and lets the metadata handler
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optionally take advantage of generic infrastructure in Grow.c
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2 Details for specific reshape requests
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There are quite a few moving pieces spread out across md, mdadm, and mdmon for
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the support of external reshape, and there are several different types of
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reshape that need to be comprehended by the implementation. A rundown of
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these details follows.
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2.0 General provisions:
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Obtain an exclusive open on the container to make sure we are not
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running concurrently with a Create() event.
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2.1 Freezing sync_action
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Before making any attempt at a reshape we 'freeze' every array in
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the container to ensure no spare assignment or recovery happens.
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This involves writing 'frozen' to sync_action and changing the '/'
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after 'external:' in metadata_version to a '-'. mdmon knows that
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this means not to perform any management.
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Before doing this we check that all sync_actions are 'idle', which
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is racy but still useful.
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Afterwards we check that all member arrays have no spares
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or partial spares (recovery_start != 'none') which would indicate a
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race. If they do, we unfreeze again.
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Once this completes we know all the arrays are stable. They may
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still have failed devices as devices can fail at any time. However
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we treat those like failures that happen during the reshape.
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2.2 Reshape size
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1/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): checks if mdmon is running and optionally
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initializes st->update_tail
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2/ mdadm::Grow_reshape() calls ->reshape_super() to check that the size change
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is allowed (being performed at subarray scope / enough room) prepares a
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metadata update
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3/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): flushes the metadata update (via
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flush_metadata_update(), or ->sync_metadata())
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4/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): post the new size to the kernel
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2.3 Reshape level (simple-takeover)
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"simple-takeover" implies the level change can be satisfied without touching
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sync_action
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1/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): checks if mdmon is running and optionally
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initializes st->update_tail
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2/ mdadm::Grow_reshape() calls ->reshape_super() to check that the level change
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is allowed (being performed at subarray scope) prepares a
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metadata update
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2a/ raid10 --> raid0: degrade all mirror legs prior to calling
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->reshape_super
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3/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): flushes the metadata update (via
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flush_metadata_update(), or ->sync_metadata())
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4/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): post the new level to the kernel
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2.4 Reshape chunk, layout
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2.5 Reshape raid disks (grow)
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1/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): unconditionally initializes st->update_tail
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because only redundant raid levels can modify the number of raid disks
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2/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): calls ->reshape_super() to check that the level
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change is allowed (being performed at proper scope / permissible
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geometry / proper spares available in the container), chooses
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the spares to use, and prepares a metadata update.
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3/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): Converts each subarray in the container to the
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raid level that can perform the reshape and starts mdmon.
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4/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): Pushes the update to mdmon.
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5/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): uses container_content to find details of
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the spares and passes them to the kernel.
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6/ mdadm::Grow_reshape(): gives raid_disks update to the kernel,
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sets sync_max, sync_min, suspend_lo, suspend_hi all to zero,
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and starts the reshape by writing 'reshape' to sync_action.
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7/ mdmon::monitor notices the sync_action change and tells
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managemon to check for new devices. managemon notices the new
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devices, opens relevant sysfs file, and passes them all to
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monitor.
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8/ mdadm::Grow_reshape() calls ->manage_reshape to oversee the
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rest of the reshape.
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9/ mdadm::<format>->manage_reshape(): saves data that will be overwritten by
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the kernel to either the backup file or the metadata specific location,
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advances sync_max, waits for reshape, ping mdmon, repeat.
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Meanwhile mdmon::read_and_act(): records checkpoints.
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Specifically.
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9a/ if the 'next' stripe to be reshaped will over-write
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itself during reshape then:
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9a.1/ increase suspend_hi to cover a suitable number of
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stripes.
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9a.2/ backup those stripes safely.
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9a.3/ advance sync_max to allow those stripes to be backed up
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9a.4/ when sync_completed indicates that those stripes have
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been reshaped, manage_reshape must ping_manager
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9a.5/ when mdmon notices that sync_completed has been updated,
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it records the new checkpoint in the metadata
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9a.6/ after the ping_manager, manage_reshape will increase
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suspend_lo to allow access to those stripes again
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9b/ if the 'next' stripe to be reshaped will over-write unused
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space during reshape then we apply same process as above,
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except that there is no need to back anything up.
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Note that we *do* need to keep suspend_hi progressing as
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it is not safe to write to the area-under-reshape. For
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kernel-managed-metadata this protection is provided by
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->reshape_safe, but that does not protect us in the case
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of user-space-managed-metadata.
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10/ mdadm::<format>->manage_reshape(): Once reshape completes changes the raid
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level back to the nominal raid level (if necessary)
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FIXME: native metadata does not have the capability to record the original
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raid level in reshape-restart case because the kernel always records current
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raid level to the metadata, whereas external metadata can masquerade at an
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alternate level based on the reshape state.
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2.6 Reshape raid disks (shrink)
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3 TODO
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...
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[1]: Linux kernel design patterns - part 3, Neil Brown http://lwn.net/Articles/336262/
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