@@ -20,8 +20,88 @@ Usage
If you have a block device which supports DAX, you can make a filesystem
on it as usual. The DAX code currently only supports files with a block
size equal to your kernel's PAGE_SIZE, so you may need to specify a block
-size when creating the filesystem. When mounting it, use the "-o dax"
-option on the command line or add 'dax' to the options in /etc/fstab.
+size when creating the filesystem.
+
+Enabling DAX on an individual file basis (XFS)
+----------------------------------------------
+
+There are 2 per file dax flags. One is a physical configuration setting and
+the other a currently enabled state.
+
+The physical configuration setting is maintained on individual file and
+directory inodes. It is preserved within the file system. This 'physical'
+config setting can be set using an ioctl and/or an application such as "xfs_io
+-c 'chattr [-+]x'". Files and directories automatically inherit their physical
+dax setting from their parent directory when created. Therefore, setting the
+physical dax setting at directory creation time can be used to set a default
+behavior for that sub-tree. Doing so on the root directory acts to set a
+default for the entire file system.
+
+To clarify inheritance here are 3 examples:
+
+Example A:
+
+mkdir -p a/b/c
+xfs_io 'chattr +x' a
+mkdir a/b/c/d
+mkdir a/e
+
+ dax: a,e
+ no dax: b,c,d
+
+Example B:
+
+mkdir a
+xfs_io 'chattr +x' a
+mkdir -p a/b/c/d
+
+ dax: a,b,c,d
+ no dax:
+
+Example C:
+
+mkdir -p a/b/c
+xfs_io 'chattr +x' c
+mkdir a/b/c/d
+
+ dax: c,d
+ no dax: a,b
+
+
+The current inode enabled state is set when a file inode is loaded and it is
+determined that the underlying media supports dax.
+
+statx can be used to query the file's current enabled state. NOTE that a
+directory will never be operating in a dax state. Therefore, the dax config
+state must be queried to see what config state a file or sub-directory will
+inherit from a directory.
+
+NOTE: Setting a file or directory's config state with xfs_io is possible even
+if the underlying media does not support dax.
+
+
+Enabling dax on a file system wide basis ('-o dax' mount option)
+----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+The physical dax configuration of all files can be overridden using a mount
+option. In summary:
+
+ (physical flag || mount option) && capable device == dax in effect
+ ( <xfs_io> || <'-o dax'> ) && capable device == <statx dax true>
+
+To enable the mount override, use "-o dax" on the command line or add
+'dax' to the options in /etc/fstab
+
+Using the mount option does not change the physical configured state of
+individual files. Therefore, remounting _without_ the mount option will allow
+the file system to set file's enabled state directly based on their config
+setting.
+
+NOTE: Setting a file or directory's physical config state is possible while the
+file system is mounted with the dax override. However, the file's enabled
+state will continue to be overridden and "dax enabled" until the mount option
+is removed and a remount performed. At that point the file's physical config
+state dictates the enabled state.
Implementation Tips for Block Driver Writers