Talk:Features/NewMkdumprd

New mkdumprd for kdump

Summary

This is a replacement for mkdumprd of kexec-tools, to switch to dracut to generate the initrd for kdump kernel.

Owner

• Name: Cong Wang

• Email: <amwang at redhat dot com>

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 16
• Last updated: 2011-07-11
• Percentage of completion: 10%

Working:

• Dump to local filesystem

TODO:

• Read /etc/kdump.conf to generate initrd
• Dump to remote host via ssh
• Dump to remote host via nfs
• Dump to raw block device
• Implement full functionality of /etc/kdump.conf
• Dump to multiple targets

Detailed Description

Currently in kexec-tools we use our own /sbin/mkdumprd to generate an initrd for kdump kernel. However, due to the natural complexity of making a new initrd, we have lots of burdens to maintain the mkdumprd code, we decide to switch to using dracut to generate kdump initrd. And hopefully, we can provide a distro-independent mkdumprd to upstream, as dracut itself is cross-distribution.

Benefit to Fedora

The main source of kexec-tools bugs is in mkdumprd, with this change, hopefully we will reduce the number of bugs of kexec-tools.

Scope

All functionality of /sbin/mkdumprd has to be implemented and tested in this new mkdumprd.

Dependencies

Dracut

Documentation

• Not applicable, because we don't have documentations for this replacement.

Comments and Discussion

• Not applicable, because the main discussion is in Red Hat internal mailing list.