[SCSI] st: add MTWEOFI to write filemarks without flushing drive buffer

This patch adds a new MTIOCTOP operation MTWEOFI that writes filemarks with
immediate bit set. This means that the drive does not flush its buffer and the
next file can be started immediately. This speeds up writing in applications
that have to write multiple small files.

Signed-off-by: Kai Makisara <kai.makisara@kolumbus.fi>
Signed-off-by: James Bottomley <James.Bottomley@suse.de>

1 files changed, 14 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/scsi/st.txt b/Documentation/scsi/st.txt
index 40752602c050..691ca292c24d 100644
--- a/Documentation/scsi/st.txt
+++ b/Documentation/scsi/st.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ This file contains brief information about the SCSI tape driver.
 The driver is currently maintained by Kai Mäkisara (email
 Kai.Makisara@kolumbus.fi)
 
-Last modified: Sun Feb 24 21:59:07 2008 by kai.makisara
+Last modified: Sun Aug 29 18:25:47 2010 by kai.makisara
 
 
 BASICS
@@ -85,6 +85,17 @@ writing and the last operation has been a write. Two filemarks can be
 optionally written. In both cases end of data is signified by
 returning zero bytes for two consecutive reads.
 
+Writing filemarks without the immediate bit set in the SCSI command block acts
+as a synchronization point, i.e., all remaining data form the drive buffers is
+written to tape before the command returns. This makes sure that write errors
+are caught at that point, but this takes time. In some applications, several
+consecutive files must be written fast. The MTWEOFI operation can be used to
+write the filemarks without flushing the drive buffer. Writing filemark at
+close() is always flushing the drive buffers. However, if the previous
+operation is MTWEOFI, close() does not write a filemark. This can be used if
+the program wants to close/open the tape device between files and wants to
+skip waiting.
+
 If rewind, offline, bsf, or seek is done and previous tape operation was
 write, a filemark is written before moving tape.
 
@@ -301,6 +312,8 @@ MTBSR   Space backward over count records.
 MTFSS   Space forward over count setmarks.
 MTBSS   Space backward over count setmarks.
 MTWEOF  Write count filemarks.
+MTWEOFI Write count filemarks with immediate bit set (i.e., does not
+        wait until data is on tape)
 MTWSM   Write count setmarks.
 MTREW   Rewind tape.
 MTOFFL  Set device off line (often rewind plus eject).