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NAME

       xfs_metadump - copy XFS filesystem metadata to a file

SYNOPSIS

       xfs_metadump [ -efgow ] [ -l logdev ] source target

DESCRIPTION

       xfs_metadump  is  a debugging tool that copies the metadata from an XFS
       filesystem to a file.  The source argument must be the pathname of  the
       device  or  file  containing the XFS filesystem and the target argument
       specifies the destination file name.  If target is -, then  the  output
       is  sent  to stdout. This allows the output to be redirected to another
       program such as a compression application.

       xfs_metadump should only be used to copy unmounted  filesystems,  read-
       only  mounted  filesystems,  or frozen filesystems (see xfs_freeze(8)).
       Otherwise, the generated dump could be inconsistent or corrupt.

       xfs_metadump does not alter the  source  filesystem  in  any  way.  The
       target  image  is  a  contiguous  (non-sparse)  file containing all the
       filesystem’s metadata and indexes to where the blocks were copied from.

       By  default, xfs_metadump obfuscates most file (regular file, directory
       and symbolic link) names and extended  attribute  names  to  allow  the
       dumps  to  be sent without revealing confidential information. Extended
       attribute values are zeroed and no data is copied. The only  exceptions
       are  file  or  attribute names that are 4 or less characters in length.
       Also file names that  span  extents  (this  can  only  occur  with  the
       mkfs.xfs(8)  options where -n size > -b size) are not obfuscated. Names
       between  5  and  8  characters  in  length  inclusively  are  partially
       obfuscated.

       xfs_metadump  should  not  be  used  for  any  purposes  other than for
       debugging and reporting filesystem  problems.  The  most  common  usage
       scenario  for  this  tool  is  when  xfs_repair(8)  fails  to  repair a
       filesystem and a metadump image can be sent for analysis.

       The file generated by xfs_metadump can be restored to filesystem  image
       (minus the data) using the xfs_mdrestore(8) tool.

OPTIONS

       -e     Stops  the  dump  on a read error. Normally, it will ignore read
              errors and copy all the metadata that is accessible.

       -f     Specifies that the filesystem image to be processed is stored in
              a  regular file (see the mkfs.xfs -d file option). This can also
              happen if an image copy of a filesystem has been  made  into  an
              ordinary file with xfs_copy(8).

       -g     Shows  dump  progress. This is sent to stdout if the target is a
              file or to stderr if the target is stdout.

       -l logdev
              For filesystems which use an external log,  this  specifies  the
              device  where  the external log resides. The external log is not
              copied, only internal logs are copied.

       -o     Disables obfuscation of file names and extended attributes.

       -w     Prints warnings of inconsistant metadata encountered to  stderr.
              Bad metadata is still copied.

DIAGNOSTICS

       xfs_metadump  returns  an  exit  code  of 0 if all readable metadata is
       succesfully copied or 1 if a write error occurs or a read error  occurs
       and the -e option used.

NOTES

       As  xfs_metadump copies metadata only, it does not matter if the source
       filesystem has a realtime section or not.  If  the  filesystem  has  an
       external  log,  it  is  not  copied.  Internal  logs are copied and any
       outstanding log transactions are not obfuscated if they contain  names.

       xfs_metadump  is a shell wrapper around the xfs_db(8) metadump command.

SEE ALSO

       xfs_repair(8), xfs_mdrestore(8), xfs_freeze(8), xfs_db(8), xfs_copy(8),
       xfs(5)

BUGS

       Email bug reports to xfs@oss.sgi.com.

                                                               xfs_metadump(8)