nvme-admin-passthru(1)
======================

NAME
----
nvme-admin-passthru - Submit an arbitrary admin command, return results

SYNOPSIS
--------
[verse]
'nvme-admin-passthru' <device> [--opcode=<opcode> | -o <opcode>]
		[--flags=<flags> | -f <flags>] [-rsvd=<rsvd> | -R <rsvd>]
		[--namespace-id=<nsid>] [--cdw2=<cdw2>] [--cdw3=<cdw3>]
		[--cdw10=<cdw10>] [--cdw11=<cdw11>] [--cdw12=<cdw12>]
		[--cdw13=<cdw13>] [--cdw14=<cdw14>] [--cdw15=<cdw15>]
		[--data-len=<data-len> | -l <data-len>]
		[--metadata-len=<len> | -m <len>]
		[--input-file=<file> | -i <file>]
		[--read | -r ] [--write | -w]
		[--timeout=<to> | -t <to>]
		[--show-command | -s]
		[--dry-run | -d]
		[--raw-binary | -b]
		[--prefill=<prefill> | -p <prefill>]

DESCRIPTION
-----------
Submits an arbitrary NVMe admin command and returns the applicable
results. This may be the simply the commands result and status, or may
also include a buffer if the command returns one. This command does no
interpretation of the opcodes or options.

The <device> parameter is mandatory and may be either the NVMe character
device (ex: /dev/nvme0), or a namespace block device (ex: /dev/nvme0n1).

On success, the returned structure (if applicable) may be returned in
one of several ways depending on the option flags; the structure may
printed by the program as a hex dump, or may be returned as a raw buffer
printed to stdout for another program to parse.

OPTIONS
-------
-o <opcode>::
--opcode=<opcode>::
	The NVMe opcode to send to the device in the command

-f <flags>::
--flags=<flags>::
	The NVMe command flags to send to the device in the command

-R <rsvd>::
--rsvd=<rsvd>::
	The value for the reserved field in the command.

-n <nsid>::
--namespace-id=<nsid>::
	The value for the ns-id in the command.

--cdw[2-3,10-15]=<cdw>::
	Specifies the command dword value for that specified entry in
	the command

-r::
--read::
-w::
--write::
	Used for the data-direction for the command and required for
	commands sending/receiving data. Don't use both read and write
	at the same time.

-i <file>::
--input-file=<file>::
	If the command is a data-out (write) command, use this file
	to fill the buffer sent to the device. If no file is given,
	assumed to use STDIN.

-l <data-len>::
--data-len=<data-len>::
	The data length for the buffer used for this command.

-m <data-len>::
--metadata-len=<data-len>::
	The metadata length for the buffer used for this command.

-s::
--show-cmd::
	Print out the command to be sent.

-d::
--dry-run::
	Do not actually send the command. If want to use --dry-run option,
	--show-cmd option _must_ be set. Otherwise --dry-run option will be
	_ignored_.

-b::
--raw-binary::
	Print the raw returned buffer to stdout if the command returns
	a structure.

-p::
--prefill::
	Prefill the buffer with a predetermined byte value. Defaults to 0.
	This may be useful if the data you are writing is shorter
	than the required buffer, and you need to pad it with a known
	value. It may also be useful if you need to confirm if a device
	is overwriting a buffer for a data-in command.

EXAMPLES
--------
* The following will run the admin command with opcode=6 and cdw10=1, which
 corresponds to an identify controller command. This example requires the
 data-len param be 4096, which is the size of the returned structure. The -r
 option is used because it is a data-in command
+
------------
# nvme admin-passthru /dev/nvme0 --opcode=06 --data-len=4096 --cdw10=1 -r
------------
+

* Or if you want to save that structure to a file:
+
------------
# nvme admin-passthru /dev/nvme0 --opcode=06 --data-len=4096 --cdw10=1 -r -b > id_ns.raw
------------

NVME
----
Part of the nvme-user suite
