The VirtIO Block device is a virtual block device specification designed for efficient and high-performance block device access within virtualized environments. It enables virtual machines (VMs) to interact with block storage devices, such as hard drives and SSDs, through a standardized interface, optimizing performance and resource utilization. The frontend driver, in the frontend VM, places read, write, and other requests onto the virtqueue, so that the backend driver, in the backend VM, can process them accordingly. Communication between the frontend and backend is based on the virtio kick and notify mechanism.
The primary purpose of the VirtIO Block device within the context of Bao Hypervisor is to provide VMs with access to virtual block storage devices, enhancing its storage virtualization capabilities, and enabling VMs to efficiently interact with block storage devices for non-volatile data storage and retrieval.
- VirtIO Block support on the Frontend VM (e.g.
CONFIG_VIRTIO_BLKon buildroot)